John Schwert

John Schwert
Born	November 20, 1975 Fredonia, New York, US
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter, producer, unit production manager, location manager

John Schwert (born November 20, 1975) is a film and commercial director and producer born in Fredonia, New York and owner/operator of Fourth Ward Productions. He is represented by Trailer Park Films for Canadian commercials and content/media creation. John Schwert is related to Pius L. Schwert.

Early life

John Schwert attended Fredonia High School and earned a Bachelor's degree from St. John Fisher College in 1997. From 1998 to 2004 he worked in corporate marketing and advertising and in 2004 he received his Master's degree from Queens University of Charlotte.

In 2004, Schwert started a production company,^[1] Fourth Ward Productions, shifting his focus from corporate marketing and advertising to the production of films, commercials, marketing communications, and various media content creation.

Films

Past projects

In 2004, Schwert adapted, directed, and produced his first feature-length motion picture Among Brothers. Among Brothers is based on the actual events surround the death of Jennifer Morgan, who was murdered in 1994 at Francis Marion University in South Carolina.^[2] The entire film was financed by a second mortgage on Schwert's home in North Carolina.^[3]

Among Brothers premiered at the Palm Beach International Film Festival and went on to play 17 film festivals picking up a grassroots fan-base along the way. Among Brothers was released domestically by Vanguard Cinema^[4] and internationally by Oasis International and in May 2007, Among Brothers and John Schwert were the basis for a two-hour Dateline NBC special titled Scenes From A Murder based on Jennifer Morgan’s still unsolved murder.

While playing the film festival circuit with Among Brothers, Schwert began writing his follow-up feature In/Significant Others.

In/Significant Others is a multi-narrative drama that navigates through the different lives of one city's residents, each of whom is connected to the same local homicide investigation. The ensemble cast of characters include an Iraq War vet returned home to an emotionally disturbed wife, a new father living in the shadow of a successful brother, a sister caught up in a web of addiction, and a cameraman who attempts to exploit the reality behind all of their stories, or at least his version of them. The search for truth within In/Significant Others becomes a life and death struggle as the subtle manipulation of all relationships is exposed.

In/Significant Others won the top awards at the Houston Worldfest as well as the Boston, Charlotte, and Mammoth Film Festivals in 2009, with additional screenings at over 20 international film festivals in 2009 and 2010.

Planned projects

Schwert is currently developing two films: Southbound Crossing based on the screenplay by Thomas Torrey and Two Souls Indivisible based on the book by James S. Hirsch.

Other projects

In addition to directing and producing for his production company Fourth Ward Productions, John Schwert also operates as a unit production manager, line producer and location manager for projects throughout the United States.

Schwert also writes, produces and directs the comedy short film series George and Monty for Funny or Die.

Filmography

• The After Hours (2004) – director, editor, producer, writer
• Among Brothers (2005) – director, editor, producer, writer
• The Rest of Your Life (2005) – associate producer
• Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) - assistant location manager
• Monopolian (2007) – producer, production manager
• PinkSlip (2007) – director, editor, producer, writer
• Birthmark (2008) – producer, production manager
• In/Significant Others (2009) – director, editor, producer, writer
• The Paranormal Disappearance of Ailyn Jesick (2010) - unit production manager
• Aphasia (2010) - consulting producer
• Pair of Queens (2010) - director, editor, producer, writer, actor
• A Face For Radio (2011) - director, editor, producer, writer, actor
• The Adult Who Cried Wolf (2011) - director, editor, producer, writer, actor
• Witness Insecurity (2011) - production manager (scheduling and budgeting)
• Devil's Crossing (2011) - 1st assistant director
• Homeland (TV series) (2011) - location scout, location manager
• Trinity Goodheart (2011)
• Careful What You Grimace For (2012) - director, editor, producer, writer, actor
• The Hunger Games (film) (2012) - assistant location manager
• Robots See, Robots Do (2012) - director, editor, producer, writer, actor
• Shelter (2012) - assistant location manager
• Earth For Sale (2013) - director, editor, producer, writer, actor
• WWE Money in the Bank (2012) - location manager
• The Bachelorette (season 8) (2012-13) - location manager
• Jimmy (2013 film) (2013) - unit production manager
• The Ultimate Life (2013) - location manager
• 10 Rules for Sleeping Around (2013) - production manager (scheduling and budgeting)
• Teachers (aka Westbrook High) (2013) - unit production manager
• A Short History of Decay (2014) - unit production manager
• The Year That Wasn't (2014) - director, editor, producer, writer, actor
• Mountain Top (2014) - unit production manager
• Discover Card (2014) - director, editor, producer, writer, actor
• The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014) - production manager (prep)
• Santa Con (2014) - unit production manager, co-producer
• Basic Cable with George & Monty (2015) - director, editor, producer, writer, actor
• Four Blood Moons (2015) - production manager (prep)
• Born Again Virgin (2015) - line producer

Awards and nominations

Boston Film Festival:

• 2009: Best Screenplay (In/Significant Others, won)

Charlotte Film Festival

• 2009: Best Film (In/Significant Others, won)

Mammoth Film Festival:

• 2009: Best Drama (In/Significant Others, won)

WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival:

• 2010: Platinum Award for Independent Theatrical Feature Films – Dramatic (In/Significant Others, won)

WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival:

• 2005: Silver Award for Independent Theatrical Feature Films – Dramatic (Among Brothers, won)

References

1. http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2005/04/11/story4.html?page=1
2. http://charlotte.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A5545
3. http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2005/04/11/story4.html?page=1
4. http://www.vanguardcinema.com/amongbrothers/amongbrothers.htm

External links

• John Schwert at the Internet Movie Database
• Fourth Ward Productions
• In/Significant Others at the Internet Movie Database
• Among Brothers at the Internet Movie Database
• George and Monty on Funny or Die