Film director Judd Apatow (left) and Phaidon's 500 Self-Portraits, one of his favourite books

The Failsafe Gift Guide - chosen by Judd Apatow

The Bridesmaids producer is today’s guest gift giver (so expect a lot of film books)

Our colleagues at the New York Phaidon store caught up with film director Judd Apatow at their recent, and if we may say so, rather brilliant, Required Reading evening, which laid bare the reading habits of pop culture’s current movers and shakers. So, rather than bring you just one Failsafe Gift Guide choice today we thought we'd take a moment to hear about a whole host of things Judd likes. Maybe your friends and family would like some of them too. Every book in Judd’s selection is available at the New York store, in London’s Boxpark and from wherever you’re reading this right now. But get on with it! It's nearly that time . . .

Seen Behind the Scene, Mary Ellen Mark “I love behind the scenes photography. Except for photographs of me at work, which inevitably show me eating a donut while in various stages of exhaustion and obesity.”  

Truffaut At Work, Carole Le Berre “I chose this book because I admire his work and to make myself seem smarter than I am.”  

_Take 100: The Future of Film: 100 New Directors _“I am not just choosing this book because I am included in it.  Ok, yes I am. 

Orson Welles at Work, François Thomas & Jean-Pierre Berthomé “I bought this book because I wanted to see what my future looked like.”

A Quincy Jones, Cory Buckner “I thought this book was about the guy who produced ‘Thriller’, but it seems that this Quincy Jones did not write the theme to Sanford and Son. Excellent book though.

Jazz Greats, David Perry “My grandfather, Bobby Shad, produced a lot of these artists so I have a soft spot for this book. My Grandma claims he got Charlie Parker his union card.”

500 Self-Portraits, Introduction by Julian Bell  “I love this book because it’s nice to know I’m not the only person who sees his or herself in a distorted way.”

Magnum Cinema, Alain Bergala “I bought this book a long time ago and just realised I haven’t opened it yet. The cover is excellent.”

Surrealism, Edited by Mary Ann Caws " This is how I see the world, I just don’t know how to paint it."

Portraits “This book is very powerful because it reminds us that we are all connected and that most of us like to wear funny hats.”