John Ainslie is an accomplished writer and director, recognized as an Academy Nicholl semifinalist for his feature screenplay SHE CAME KNOCKING that was inspired by his award-winning short film of the same title.

 

His upcoming feature film, DO NOT DISTURB is set to be released in the fall of 2023 by the auteur driven distributor Dark Star Pictures. John’s unique ability to blend an immersive, thought-provoking narratives with atmospheric visuals and a haunting score he composed himself, garnered DO NOT DISTURB well-deserved attention on the festival circuit. The film premiered at Miami’s Popcorn Frights Film Festival and England’s Fright Fest to overwhelming critical acclaim. The film went on to screen at many prestigious horror film festivals including LA’s Screamfest, the New York Horror Film Festival, Grimmfest and Another Hole In the Head. DO NOT DISTURB was one of only five films chosen to be a part of Austin Film Festival’s Dark Matters. Two years earlier John placed in the second round in the prestigious Austin Film Festival Screenplay Contest for his screenplay TRESPASS.

 

In 2021 he wrote an episode of THE HAUNTED MUSEUM and directed two episodes as well as writing for ELI ROTH’S GHOSTS RUINED MY LIFE MY LIFE. Both anthology series for Executive Producer Eli Roth streaming on Discovery+.

 

John’s first feature was the horror/comedy JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER. The film premiered at Sitges International Film Festival where it won Best Midnight Film before screening at Fantasia and selling to Anchor Bay at Slamdance. In 2012, John attended Norman Jewison’s Canadian Film Centre Writer’s Lab where he wrote the short film COLD FEET that screened numerous festivals including Fantasia and sold to AMC-IFC Networks.

 

In 2014 John wrote and directed his first feature film, THE SUBLET. It premiered at Whistler Film Festival and won the awards for Best Actress and Best Cinematography at Blood in the Snow Film Festival in Toronto. John followed that up with the intense thriller short SHE CAME KNOCKING which was awarded Best Short at the Canadian Film Festival in Toronto where it premiered.

 

Prior to writing, John won the Borsos prize of Best Cinematographer at the Whistler Film Festival for his work on the feature SK8 LIFE, which premiered at Sundance. With a keen eye for detail and a profound understanding of human emotions, Ainslie continues to push the boundaries of cinema, consistently delivering thought-provoking and visually stunning immersive cinematic experiences for audiences worldwide.