John David Allen is a New York-based film editor who has cut more than 20 critically acclaimed feature films, as well as numerous television shows, documentaries, and award-winning shorts.

 

Allen has collaborated on five films with legendary director James Ivory, beginning with The Golden Bowl starring Uma Thurman and Nick Nolte. Lauded as “James Ivory’s masterpiece” when it premiered at Cannes, the film was followed by the comedy Le Divorce starring Naomi Watts and Kate Hudson, winning prizes for both Ivory and Watts at the Venice Film Festival. Kazuo Ishiguro's The White Countess with Ralph Fiennes and Natasha Richardson followed next, shot and edited in Shanghai. The City of Your Final Destination starring Anthony Hopkins, Laura Linney and Charlotte Gainsbourg and cut by Allen was James Ivory's last feature as director.

 

Allen has twice collaborated with Australian director Bruce Beresford, editing the comedy Peace, Love and Misunderstanding with Jane Fonda and Catherine Keener, and the miniseries Bonnie & Clyde, which was nominated for multiple Emmys and other awards. Other thrillers he’s cut include Mojave starring Oscar Isaac and Garret Hedlund with director William Monahan, and Bette Gordon’s The Drowning starring Josh Charles and Julia Stiles.

 

More recently Allen cut Ondi Timoner’s Mapplethorpe, and two films by director John Swab, Body Brokers and Ida Red, which premiered at Locarno International Film Festival. Daughter of the Bride, starring Marcia Gay Harden and Aidan Quinn he edited for director Annette Haywood-Carter.

 

Allen has also cut numerous documentaries, including episodes of Richard Linklater’s series That Animal Rescue Show on Paramount +, Sublime with director Bill Guttentag, and Fast Histories for the History Channel. In addition to editing, Allen has directed numerous short films, including the award-winning Love And Roadkill, which won Best Short at the Williamstown Film Festival and screened at more than 15 national and international festivals.

 

Allen teaches editing in the graduate film program at Columbia University and has been a visiting artist at numerous other film schools. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son.