George A. Johnson is a renowned writer, director, and producer, celebrated for his remarkable works such as Pursuit of Freedom (2022),Thy Neighbor (2018),and Homeless for the Holidays (2009).
Johnson's fascination with storytelling began at an unusually young age. As a three-year-old, he would create elaborate stories with toy action figures, acting them out, and positioning various characters throughout the room. His childhood friends would often gather to watch the unfolding narratives, mesmerized by Johnson's creative genius.
At the age of seven, Johnson acquired his first 8mm film camera at a yard sale, and began crafting scripts, producing short films, and experimenting with in-camera effects. However, due to financial constraints, his stories were never actually recorded. Instead, he would wind the camera up, and listen to it buzz as he shot his choreographed scenes with friends, including his younger brother Ben Johnson, who later starred in Johnson's first feature film, Dreamer: The Movie (2004).
When Johnson turned 13, he purchased his first video camera with money saved from three years of delivering newspapers. He continued to write and shoot short films throughout high school, completing his first feature-length screenplay at the age of 17.
After graduating from high school in 1993, Johnson began working in television and video, enrolling in the Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute, where he excelled as a writer, director, and producer, as well as a visual effects artist.
To date, Johnson has written, directed, and produced over 11,000 regional, national, and international TV programs, commercials, music videos, sports videos, and short films. He is the founder and creator of GoStream Sports, one of the most watched high school sports channels on YouTube.
In 2000, Johnson embarked on his first feature-length project, Dreamer: The Movie (2004),using ordinary consumer video equipment. The goal of the experimental film was to prove that anyone with a video camera, a computer, and basic editing software has a voice that can be heard around the world.
Dreamer: The Movie (2004) opened in select US theaters, receiving positive reviews from American and Canadian film critics. It won awards at two film festivals and was picked up for worldwide distribution by Illuminare Entertainment.
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 iconic Canadian rock band, The Guess Who.
Johnson and his wife, Kary Johnson, co-produced the award-winning thriller, "Thy Neighbor", (written and directed by Johnson),which was released in 2018. They began development on their fifth feature film, "Pursuit of Freedom", which was released in 2022.
In 2024, Johnson's sixth feature film, Carol, a Christmas-themed musical, was released theatrically and is available on numerous streaming platforms.
