John Ainslie is 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 sophomore feature Do Not Disturb, now streaming on Shudder, was released theatrically 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 as well as one of five films selected to AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL’s Dark Matters.

In 2021 he wrote for The Haunted Museum and wrote and directed for A Ghost Ruined My Life. Both anthology series for Executive Producer ELI ROTH streaming on DISCOVERY+ and HBOMAX. John’s first feature was the horror/comedy Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer starring Robert Englund. The film premiered at SITGES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL where it won Best Midnight Film before screening at FANTASIA and selling at SLAMDANCE. John's first feature as writer/director, The Sublet, premiered at WHISTLER FILM FESTIVAL and won the awards for Best Actress and Best Cinematography at BLOOD IN THE SNOW FILM FESTIVAL. 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.