Biography

John began working in the British Columbia film industry in 1985. He is a returning senior member of the Directors Guild of Canada - BC District. He was formerly the Film Commissioner for the Kootenay Region of British Columbia. He has worked on over 60 TV movies, feature films, TV Series, Documentary Films, and TV Commercials as a Location Manager, Production Manager, and Producer. In 2015 he started The Ridge Film Studio in Maple Ridge, and in the capacity as the CEO/General Manager, he hosted over 60 film projects at the studio. Through his previous work as a Location Manager, he was instrumental in bringing film production outside of the Metro Vancouver area and into Lower Mainland communities such as Maple Ridge, Langley, Aldergrove, Mission, and Abbotsford. In 2016 he began the Maple Ridge Festival of BC Film which showcased made-in-BC films and student films.

He has scouted film locations throughout the Kootenay Region previously, and in 1995 was part of the film crew for the feature film "Magic in the Water" which was shot in the Kaslo area. He also helped land the TV movie "Christmas Miracle" in 2005 which used locations in Queens Bay and Nelson, and in 2010 he helped land the feature film "The Tall Man" which filmed in Salmo, Ymir, and Nelson. Most recently he helped bring a Hallmark show to the East Kootenays in 2023 entitled Love in Glacier National: A National Park Romance.

He believes that the Kootenay region is full of absolutely remarkable, stunning, and cinematic locations that are ready and primed to be discovered by the film industry on a much larger scale. In his role as the CEO of Kootenay Film Services for the Kootenay Region and through his many years of experience, his mandate is to market the Kootenays as a premiere film destination and offer his assistance to help pave the way for filmmakers to bring their projects here.

John has lived in the Kootenays since 2005 and resides in the Slocan Valley.
- IMDb mini biography by: John Wittmayer