George A. Johnson is a renowned writer, director, and producer, celebrated for his notable works Pursuit of Freedom (2022),Thy Neighbor (2018),and Homeless for the Holidays (2009).
As a three-year-old, Johnson began creating stories with toy action figures, acting them out, and positioning characters throughout the room. His childhood friends would often watch and see how the stories unfolded rather than participating.
At seven, Johnson acquired his first 8mm film camera at a yard sale and started writing scripts and producing short films, experimenting with in-camera effects. Due to humble beginnings, most of his stories were never recorded, as he could rarely afford film. Instead, he would wind the camera and listen to it buzz as he shot choreographed scenes with friends and his younger brother, Ben Johnson, who later starred in Johnson's first feature film, Dreamer: The Movie (2004).
When he was 13, George purchased his first video camera with money earned from delivering newspapers and continued to write and shoot short films throughout high school. He completed his first feature-length screenplay at 17.
After graduating from the Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute, Johnson began working in television and video, excelling as a writer, director, producer, and visual effects artist.
Since starting his full-time work in television and video in 1998, Johnson has written, directed, and produced over 7,000 regional, national, and international commercials, as well as numerous interactive DVD projects, music videos, and short films. He has also directed hundreds of live television programs.
In 2000, Johnson embarked on his first feature-length project, Dreamer: The Movie (2004),using ordinary consumer video equipment to prove that anyone with a video camera, computer, and basic editing program can have a voice heard worldwide.
Dreamer: The Movie (2004) opened in select US theaters and won two film festivals, receiving positive reviews from American and Canadian film critics. It was picked up for worldwide distribution by Illuminare Entertainment in June 2005.
After the release of Dreamer: The Movie (2004),Johnson returned to his position as Production Manager at a Television Station in Northern Ohio.
In 2009, Johnson wrote, produced, and directed his second feature, Homeless for the Holidays (2009).
In 2018, Johnson won his first NATAS LGL Emmy Award for directing the music video "Haunted" by The Guess Who.
Johnson and his wife, Kary Johnson, co-produced the award-winning thriller, "Thy Neighbor", (written and directed by Johnson),released in 2018, and began development on their fifth feature film, "Pursuit of Freedom".
