JOHN KLEIN
ABOUT JOHN KLEIN
John is a happily married father of three, cinematographer, director, producer, camera operator, lover of dogs, Instagram addict, and all-around joyful dude.
He has shot projects of all shapes, sizes, and budgets, ranging from short films like the neo-noir Fate Accompli and the zeitgeist-grabbing drama Civil to socially conscious feature films such as the LifeTime autism-centric movie NightLights and the David Dastmalchian/Kevin Pollak bullying drama Teacher. Whether it’s traveling around the globe for such projects as the USA wrestling doc Return to Glory or the Bangladesh documentary Strong Bodies Fight, producing promotional spots for Research Down Syndrome, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, or the Back2School program, or lensing the HBO GO web series "Single Long" in his hometown of Chicago, he's always eager to collaborate and tell unique stories in a visually dynamic style.
John is also the executive producer of Glass City Films, a Midwest-based production company through which he has produced and lensed several short films including Rendezvous, Hangers, and Under The Table. He has also produced a trio of award-winning feature films in Glass City, Happily After (his directorial debut) and Separation Anxiety, in addition to several music videos, not-for-profit work, and side projects. Glass City Films successfully raised over $35k in funds through Kickstarter twice: once for his second feature film as director, the acclaimed post-apocalyptic horror film Chrysalis, which premiered to worldwide distribution in 2014, and again in 2016 for the ambitious short film Limerence, which enjoyed a mostly remote successful festival run during the 2020-2021 season.
Currently, John teaches digital media and film production at Elmhurst University as an assistant professor, having previously taught at both Depaul University and Flashpoint Chicago in the heart of downtown and at the University of Notre Dame. He received his MFA in digital cinema from Depaul University in 2016, where he directed his award-winning thesis film Cry It Out. His short film Static Space is currently making festival rounds.