John Schwert, a native of western New York, splits his time between California and North Carolina, where he resides as the managing and operating head of his production company, Fourth Ward Productions.
Pursuing a successful career in advertising, Schwert took a bold step in 2004, founding his production company while simultaneously writing, producing, and directing his first feature film, "Among Brothers". This film was inspired by the real-life events surrounding the unsolved murder of a college student in 1994.
Notably, "Among Brothers" was financed by Schwert himself, using funds from a second mortgage on his home. The film went on to achieve significant international recognition, playing at 17 film festivals, being featured in a two-hour Dateline NBC story, and ultimately receiving a worldwide release in 2007.
With this momentum propelling him forward, Schwert began working on his follow-up feature, "In/Significant Others", in 2008. This multi-narrative drama weaves together the lives of various city residents, each of whom is connected to a local homicide investigation.
"In/Significant Others" is set to premiere at the Boston Film Festival in September 2009, with subsequent festival appearances and a limited theatrical release planned for 2010.
