John W. Comerford is a principal at Paradigm Studio, an independent motion picture production company based on the West Coast of the United States. Recently, he produced the critically-acclaimed feature film Wallflower (Variety), a true-to-life story based on events surrounding a mass-shooting framed in Seattle's electronic dance music community and award-winning conservation documentary The Wild (Los Angeles Documentary Film Festival, Best Environmental Film) which profiles an Alaskan victory in securing the destiny of wild salmon. Along with recognized race and sports documentary Lynch: A History, an incisive commentary constructed with over 700 clips from the internet (The New Yorker). John is currently assisting as a producer with two documentaries in production: Kinsu Maru a south seas treasure hunting expedition that focuses on the transformation of General Yamashita's gold and the Untitled Sara Jane Moore Documentray which explores the radical cultural influences on the only woman to ever shoot at a U.S. President.

He co-wrote and co-produced the award-winning Around the Fire (Giffoni Film Festival, Best Picture) that has been distributed worldwide. The picture is a music-driven drama, centered on issues of adolescent experimentation this currently slated for a commemorative rerelease via streaming services. Also, the critically-acclaimed feature film and television series Icons Among Us (The New York Times) which profiled living generations of jazz artists and the ever evolving art form. Distributors and exhibitors of Mr. Comerford's work include Showtime, Starz/Encore, Public Television, Netflix, Hulu, iTunes, Amazon, Peacock, American Film Institute, Sundance Now, South By Southwest, Seattle International Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival and Cannes Film Market. In addition, his work has been exhibited and supported by institutions such as The Smithsonian, Jazz at Lincoln Center, President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities and presented in Hollywood as part of AFI Fest's opening night red carpet at Grauman's Chinese Theater.

Mr. Comerford is involved in the dynamic music community of the West Coast and served as a board member of Earshot Jazz in Seattle and currently at The Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles. He has executive produced two avant-garde jazz albums -- the Living Daylights album, Electric Rosary (four-stars, Downbeat Magazine) and Zony Mash's Live in Seattle -- as well as a number of other recordings including Grammy® nominated jazz artist Jovino Santos Neto's Coboclo.

Mr. Comerford attended The University of Colorado at Boulder and graduated with a dual degree in psychology and film studies where he was guided by experimental filmmaker Stan Brakhage and documentarian Jerry Aronson. Community involvement is also an important element of John's work. He served as an adjunct professor in the Film Studies Department of Seattle University where he taught producing and was named to the advisory council of NPR broadcaster KNKX.

Around the Fire: Producer / Writer Commentary

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John W. Comerford

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