Biography

Born in Los Angeles in 1978, John Anselmo is an award-winning screenwriter, novelist, filmmaker, and publisher whose work spans comedy, drama, fantasy, horror, family entertainment, and action-adventure. He has written 19 feature screenplays, 2 short films, and 5 television pilots, creating stories that combine memorable characters with emotionally resonant, high-concept storytelling.

Anselmo is the creator and owner of The Beastmaster Sword Adventures, an original fantasy property that includes a growing series of novels, an upcoming tabletop roleplaying game, and an extensive companion encyclopedia. He has written two novels in the series, with the third scheduled for publication in 2026 under his Anselmo Knives publishing banner. His additional literary works include the epic poem The Last Dragon Slayer and the novellas Conejo Ocho and Patch.

His screenplay My Friend Jack won Best Screenplay at the Megaflix Film Awards (2024) and was a finalist at the Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival. His work has continued to receive recognition on the festival circuit, including Quarterfinalist in the 2026 Emerging Screenwriters Family & Holiday Screenplay Competition for The Silent Star, Semifinalist in the 2025 Emerging Screenwriters Family & Holiday Screenplay Competition for A Mommy for Christmas, and Semifinalist in the 2025 Emerging Screenwriters Comedy Screenplay Competition for Power Troop.

Beyond writing, Anselmo has directed and edited music videos, composed original scores for independent films including Doll: The Tale of Samantha Derkins and Knight Knifer, and founded The Write Stuff Publishing House, where he continues to develop original books, screenplays, and multimedia storytelling projects.
- IMDb mini biography by: Anselmo