John Burgess is a renowned filmmaker and proud alumnus of the esteemed University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in producing and directing. Prior to his graduate studies, he completed his undergraduate degree with honors in Communications, Business, Philosophy, and Cinema at Illinois State University.
Burgess's professional journey began as an intern in the marketing and publicity department of Lucasfilm Ltd., a company ranked among the top 10 internships in America by the Princeton Review. During his time at Lucasfilm, he played a crucial role in preparing for the release of Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
He went on to found Principle Entertainment, inspired by his USC graduate thesis film, The Powder Puff Principle, which starred Clint Howard, Richard Gilliland, Kevin Kilner, Art Lafleur, and Linda Blair. The film won the $10,000 Grand Prize at the Haydenfilms On-line Film Festival and received Accolade Awards for Excellence in Production and Direction. Burgess's work on the film was featured in American Cinematographer and MovieMaker Magazine.
Burgess made his feature film debut as a director and producer with the romantic comedy, One Small Hitch. The film premiered in the United States on Valentine's Day, 2015, and has garnered numerous awards on the festival circuit, including "Best Picture Comedy" at Cinequest, "Best Picture Comedy" at the California Independent Film Festival, and many more.
Upcoming, Burgess will direct and produce The Catch, an unlikely buddy comedy that follows the adventures of Holly Claire, an uptight society girl, and Parker Bailey, a foul-mouthed hotel maid, as they navigate the City of Chicago to lift a curse.
