Johnathan Brownlee is a renowned Canadian-American director, producer, writer, and actor with a diverse international body of work spanning over 25 years. His feature films, documentaries, television programs, and digital content have collectively been viewed in more than 100 countries across 14 languages.
As a highly respected producer, Brownlee has collaborated with esteemed talent, including Academy Award-, Golden Globe-, and Emmy Award-winning individuals, such as Helen Hunt, Angelina Jolie, Jerry Seinfeld, Luciano Pavarotti, Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Rashida Jones, Dan Aykroyd, Richard Gere, Aaron Paul, and William H. Macy. Notable films under his executive producer or producer credits include Decoding Annie Parker with Helen Hunt, The Standoff at Sparrow Creek, Occupy, Texas, and Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich.
With over two decades of experience overseeing directors, writers, and other aspects of film and television production, Brownlee founded Torfoot Films to direct and write films personally. His inaugural effort was the acclaimed Three Days in August, starring Barry Bostwick, Meg Foster, and Mariette Hartley. Building on the success of Three Days in August, Brownlee is signed on to direct and write several upcoming feature-length films, including The Eyes of Jefferson, The Only Jewels I Need, Hallmark's An Island Light, and The Devil's Country.
Brownlee began his career as a classically trained actor, performing in all 36 of Shakespeare's first folio plays, as well as in over 100 plays and musical productions on Broadway and off-Broadway.
Philanthropically, Brownlee serves as CEO & President of the non-profit Dallas Film, which produces the internationally recognized Dallas International Film Festival and the new North Texas Film Festival. He recently created the Veterans Institute for Film & Media (VIFM),a training program for military veterans. Brownlee has also served on the First Credit Union's Community Board as Vice Chair and as the LA representative for the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.
As a sought-after speaker and lecturer, Brownlee has taught, lectured, and consulted at prestigious institutions, including Harvard, MIT, Boston College, Vancouver Film School, LA Film School, Brandeis University, Wellesley College, NYU, University of Toronto, and the Booker T. Washington High School for the Arts in Dallas.
Notably, Brownlee was trained as an actor in Toronto, NYC, and Boston, and was also a stuntman for several years. Among his acting credits, he played Elaine's boyfriend on a famous episode of Seinfeld.
