CJ Johnson

CJ Johnson served as President of the Jury of International Film Critics for the Main Competition at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025. He also served on the Jury of the 69th Oberhausen Short Film Festival in 2023 and the 47th Norwegian International Film Festival in 2019.

A resident critic and film commentator on ABC Radio Australia since 2008, he currently appears regularly on three flagship programs: Afternoons, Evenings and Nightlife. He produced and hosted the ABC Radio program and podcast Movieland from 2011 to 2017.

He lectures on cinema at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, leads international cinema tours, and lectures as a resident expert on global cinema on Regent and Oceania Cruises worldwide.

He is Vice President of the Film Critics Circle of Australia, lectures at Sydney Film School, and works regularly as a speaker, host and moderator, with clients including private clubs, distributors, cinema chains and cultural groups. He is a voter for The Golden Globes.

He has studied at Brown University, The American Repertory Theatre Institute of Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University, the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS).

Current Tours:

The Lumière Film Festival  | 08 – 17 October 2026 (10 days)

Testimonials:

“CJ is simply outstanding. The preparation of his presentations, his detailed knowledge, good humour and support was apparent throughout the trip.”
John H.  |  A cinematic journey from Lyon to Paris, 2024

“CJ’s knowledge of cinema is vast and he shares it with an innate enthusiasm and generosity.”
Sidney A.  |  A cinematic journey from Lyon to Paris, 2024