Raised in Chicago, John Psathas has been working in film for the last 15 years as a director, writer, producer, and editor. As the founder of Analog Productions, his commercial work includes projects for companies like Sprite, Heartgard, Bacardi, and Aussie Shampoo.
As a director, John's award-winning films have screened at festivals internationally and cover a diverse spectrum of subjects and genres, ranging from bittersweet comedy to gritty drama and include both narratives and documentaries. His short drama MILWAUKEE was a regional finalist for the Student Academy Awards and the opening night short film at the San Diego Latino Film Festival. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEVIN, a short comedy shot with DePaul students and alums, played in over 50 festivals internationally including The Dam Short Film Festival. RISE UP, his short documentary, has won several awards including Best Documentary at Reel Sisters, the first Academy Award Qualifying Film Festival for shorts devoted to women of color. Recently, his short documentary, BIRTHDAY, received the Jury's Choice Award at the Black Maria Film Festival and was selected as one of the fest's Touring Collection films. During 2019, the film will screen in 40 theaters and universities internationally.
His recently released first feature, BERNADETTE, had its world premiere in competition at the Cleveland International Film Festival. Currently on the circuit, BERNADETTE has won a total of 14 awards at 12 festivals. As the first feature-length Project Bluelight of its kind, Psathas created BERNADETTE in collaboration with 15 DePaul students over three sequential courses. The film is currently in talks for distribution.
Research Area
Directing, Cinema Production, Cinematography
Specific Research Area
Editing, Producing, Directing, Screenwriting