John Osborne

I am a producer, writer, and filmmaker. I am at work producing an international feature length comedy about wine and spies. It’s a 007 spoof with a good message about wine. I am currently looking at locations in Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino Counties in Northern California.

For the past three years I have been working on a feature length documentary titled, Seabiscuit’s Legacy (http://seabiscuitslegacy.com). This film is in development, and it’s about the training of the legendary race horse, Seabiscuit, and the emotional connections between horses and humans. Finally, last year I helped produce a film about Americans and their attitudes toward guns. American Totem, directed by Sue Hilderbrand.

Also, I am the Associate Programmer for the American Documentary Film Festival (AmDocs). Traveling to Europe every year, I assist Teddy Grouya, the Festival Director, in procuring films for our program in Palm Springs, California.

AmDocs is a prestigious festival presenting a wide range of international documentary and animated films. Teddy has initiated a new and unique film festival alliance, the North-South Doc Network, that connects us to several important international film festivals, including Kosovo, Ecuador, and Mexico. For two or three months a year, I attend film festivals throughout Europe searching for films to bring back to AmDocs.

I also have a Film Production and Film Services company in Mendocino, on the Northern California Coast (mendocinofilmcompany.com or mendofilmco.com). I’ve been hired as a Production Assistant and Location Manager on all sorts of professional film productions that have been made in and around Mendocino, California, and in Hollywood and Las Vegas. Because of the incredible locations in Mendocino and Mendocino County, I want to do whatever I can to bring major motion picture studios to this area. The evocative terrain, the Victorian architecture, the seascapes and winescapes make Mendocino a desirable location.

As a college professor, I developed and taught English, Film, and Humanities classes. And I took students abroad to Italy. Teaching and studying film has been a major aspect of my academic career. I was even in the graduate film program at San Francisco State. When I started working on location with a major studio production, however, it was like a crash course in the film industry. I’ve been part of many productions since then, and I have learned a lot.

And finally there is wine! I have the good fortune to work with Van Williamson, wine maker and owner of Witching Stick Wines located in Anderson Valley, Mendocino, California.

Producing a movie about wine is the perfect match for me!