Col Needham: IMDb Founder and CEO
Col Needham is the founder and CEO of IMDb, the world’s most popular and authoritative source for information on movies, TV shows, and celebrities. Born and living in the UK, Col has had a lifelong interest in both technology and movies. After starting a computer games software business at the age of 14, he went on to complete a computer science degree at Leeds University before commencing a career in technology research in Bristol, England.
IMDb grew out of a personal database of movie information which Col created as a teenager, combined with similar data collected on the internet in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Col published the first version of IMDb online in October 1990 and coordinated IMDb as a worldwide volunteer effort from 1990-1996. IMDb incorporated in January 1996 with the volunteers as shareholders and IMDb became a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon in April 1998. IMDbPro, the essential resource for entertainment professionals, launched in 2002 and continues to empower its members to launch and grow their careers.
Col continues in his original role to this day, working from an office in Bristol with IMDb staff members in countries around the world. Col is a board member of Into Film and Film Independent, and serves as Global Brand Ambassador for the British Board of Film Classification. He received a 2014 Creative Coalition Independent Spotlight award for his work to support independent filmmaking, and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Bristol in 2018. Col has been a jury member for leading film festivals around the world, including the Mumbai Film Festival, the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, and the Tribeca Film Festival.
To learn more about IMDb or Col Needham, go to: http://www.imdb.com/press.
For headshots of Col Needham, click here.
News Articles
The Daily Mail: The movie geek who conquered Hollywood: How a childhood obsession turned British film buff Col Needham into a multimillionaire who now rubs shoulders with the starsThe Sunday Times: The IMDb guide to home cinemaThe Times of London: The award for movie nerd is in the bag (registration required)The Times of London: Top Brits at the movies (registration required)Los Angeles Times: IMDb founder Col Needham talks about his famous website and his favorite flicksThe Times of London: The Brit who controls Hollywood’s star rating system (registration required)The Daily Mail: How a teenage film buff from Manchester became one of the most powerful Britons in HollywoodTheWrap: IMDb Founder Col Needham Reveals His Top 10 Favorite Films for First Time EverThe UK Mirror: IMDb's British Founder Heading to Hollywood Awards Show, But Who Is Col Needham?The Daily Mail: And Britain's Biggest Winner at the Oscars Is a Self-Confessed 'Net Nerd' Who Founded IMDbCBS Sunday Morning: The Man Behind IMDbTheWrap: Straight Outta Compton Stars Join Mira Sorvino and Dana Delany to Celebrate IMDb's 25th BirthdayDeadline: Amazon's IMDb Celebrates Milestone 25th Anniversary -- Digital Paradise for Movie GeeksTime: How IMDb Can Be Older Than the First Web BrowserUSA Today: Cannes scene: Dinner for movie geeks onlyThe Independent: Cruise, DiCaprio, Travolta ... Needham? British film fan behind IMDb is the biggest name in Hollywood you've never heard ofTotal Film: The Future 100: IMDb (#35)Film Journal: Data man: How IMDb's Col Needham conquered filmdom with just the factsMashable: IMDb's Mobile App Hits 100 Million Downloads Milestone on the Eve of UpgradeThe Financial Times: Col Needham: 'Everything About Me Is Movies'Beyond Cinema: Col Needham - Icon Mentor Deity of Bristol: Founder of IMDbThe UK Guardian: Six Degrees of IMDb Founder Col NeedhamLA Times: Col Needham Created IMDbGeek Magazine: The Movie Fan's Movie FanAmerican Way Magazine: The Man Behind the DataThe Hollywood Reporter: 2012 Digital Power 50 ListThe Sun: No 1 Film Website Is Run by BritThe Daily Mail: How The World's Biggest Movie Website Is Run By a 'Self Confessed Geek'The Bristol Evening Post: Bristol Father of Two Is Hollywood Movie Website EntrepreneurThe LA Times: An Interview with IMDb Founder Col NeedhamThe UK Guardian: The 2012 Guardian Film Power 100 List (Note: Col Needham’s profile is five rows down, second from the left.)Total Film: The Story of IMDbThe New York Times: How British Film Enthusiast Became Digital Media Baron
Col Needham Photo Gallery
Col Needham Photo Gallery
See photos of Col representing IMDb at special events with filmmakers, stars, and more.
