John e. Kilberg
John e. (they/them) has always been inspired by people and how they express themselves through their gender. Dominican Jewish descent, they identify as Non-Binary, a supported filmmaker through The Future of Film is Female, and graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design.
They began in documentary segments shown on NBC and independently produced and directed narrative shorts shown at Inside Out, NewFest, Outfest, Bentonville, and Maryland Film Festival. John e. has been written up in Deadline and screened at MoMA through FOFIF (“Pierce Me.”) and PBS (“Vestirse.”)
FILMMAKER Q&A
You've ventured into documentaries and narrative films. Is there a genre you haven't tackled yet but would love to explore in the future?
Yes! I’ve loved working within every type of genre i’ve had the privilege to make. Currently I am trying to make a ghost story which is arguably one of my favorite genres around. Excited to get my feet wet!
Are there anything in the works for you currently?
“Monster Cookie” from 2023 which premiered at New York’s LGBTQ Film Festival NewFest is my most recent short. Currently developing my first feature which will be a short one, and a ghost story! Very excited, stay tuned.
If you could step into the shoes of any fictional character for a day, who would it be and why?
The Bride from “Kill Bill.” Her determination and confidence is absolutely intoxicating.
What's the earliest movie memory that sparked your passion for filmmaking, and does it influence your work today?
Yes! Of course. My earliest is the musical film “Oliver!” and “The Wizard of Oz.” Both have had its hand in my work, but nothing compares to my obsession with Lewis Carol’s “Alice Through the Looking Glass” and “Wonderland.” It’s bizarre use of narrative structure has inspired me from day one.
If you could give any classic film a modern-day remake with unlimited resources, which movie would you choose to reinvent. How would you approach updating it for contemporary audiences?
“The Natural” starring Robert Redford and Glenn Close was an unnatural adaption missing the essential roots and themes from the novel by award winning novelist Bernard Malamud. My version would be set in the 90s, queer, diverse, and focusing on the aspect of an outsider hitting a stride late in life. Which many queer people struggle with currently as being queer wasn’t publicly cool until about 2015.
If you could possess one superpower from any movie character, what would it be, and how would you use it in your filmmaking endeavors? Personally I would control the weather like Storm, golden hour how about golden day?
Most definitely I would want Storm’s powers to be able to control the day, the sky, and the weather to produce quality cinema.
We need a reason to keep our subscription, please give us one. Are there any shows or movies online you recommend or discovered?
A beautiful ghost story exists on Criterion Channel called “Rouge” by Stanley Kwan. It has completely captivated me as a cinephile. It’s simple style in telling a complex story is truly inspiring.
John e. is also the co-host of WUSSY Movie Club, a weekly podcast looking at films/tv through a Queer lens.