John Trefry

Award-winning Filmmaker, Consultant and Coach

John Trefry is a Writer / Producer and Founder of 4WT Media, an award-winning video production company known for award-winning film & TV and commercial content for clients including Netflix, Google, AT&T and many others.

Learn about filmmaking

As a speaker and coach, John is passioned about creating exceptional educational resources for filmmaking.

Spanning from emerging startups to Fortune 500 companies, John’s client list embodies the diverse spectrum of businesses he’s had the privilege to partner with.

Festival Appearances

John Trefry has produced over a dozen films that have competed at over a hundred festivals around the world including 2x SXSW, 3x Tribeca and 7x HollyShorts.

Original Content

This dark and wickedly fun short film stars Maika Monroe as a woman whose deepest fears seem to manifest physically when her husband, played by Joe Keery, leaves for the night shift. How To Be Alone is the first film from writer/director Kate Trefry

This dark and wickedly fun short film stars Maika Monroe as a woman whose deepest fears seem to manifest physically when her husband, played by Joe Keery, leaves for the night shift. How To Be Alone is the first film from writer/director Kate Trefry who writes on Stranger Things. The film had its World Premiere at SXSW and was released on Indiewire.

Tatiana Maslany and Tom Cullen star as members of a mysterious cult preparing for the solar eclipse. The film features a stunning 5-minute single shot captured during the actual solar eclipse. The film was an official selection at over 20 prestigious

Tatiana Maslany and Tom Cullen star as members of a mysterious cult preparing for the solar eclipse. The film features a stunning 5-minute single shot captured during the actual solar eclipse. The film was an official selection at over 20 prestigious film festivals, won 3 Oscar-Qualifying film festival awards and selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick.

This film was the directorial debut of Janina Gavankar alongside co-writer and co-director Russo Schelling and won at SXSW. Starting with an exclusive release with The Hollywood Reporter, Stucco went on to become one of the most-viewed SXSW short fil

This film was the directorial debut of Janina Gavankar alongside co-writer and co-director Russo Schelling and won at SXSW. Starting with an exclusive release with The Hollywood Reporter, Stucco went on to become one of the most-viewed SXSW short films ever with over 130M views to date.

Chris Fornataro and Denzel Whitaker star in this brooding character portrait of an elite high school football star consumed by ambition. When Will faces defeat to an outsider in a series of races, the demons keeping “The Machine” running finally surf

Chris Fornataro and Denzel Whitaker star in this brooding character portrait of an elite high school football star consumed by ambition. When Will faces defeat to an outsider in a series of races, the demons keeping “The Machine” running finally surface.

5150 is a story about the power of modern celebrity in our culture and the complexities of race in America. Jovan Adepo stars as Dominic— a world-famous entertainer who is confined to an institution after a mental breakdown. 5150 is envisioned as TV

5150 is a story about the power of modern celebrity in our culture and the complexities of race in America. Jovan Adepo stars as Dominic— a world-famous entertainer who is confined to an institution after a mental breakdown. 5150 is envisioned as TV series that taps into the mainline of the American psyche.

This documentary film explores what it takes to build a new, hopeful vision for democracy against enormous odds. It’s an underdog story, told through the lives of candidates and organizers during the statewide 2022 election who tell an unexpected sto

This documentary film explores what it takes to build a new, hopeful vision for democracy against enormous odds. It’s an underdog story, told through the lives of candidates and organizers during the statewide 2022 election who tell an unexpected story of persistence, community, and progress in an unlikely place.

Narrated by Rosario Dawson, TNTG delivers alarming evidence on the importance of healthy soil - revealing not only the potential of localized food production working with nature, but our opportunity as individuals to help regenerate our planet’s dyin

Narrated by Rosario Dawson, TNTG delivers alarming evidence on the importance of healthy soil - revealing not only the potential of localized food production working with nature, but our opportunity as individuals to help regenerate our planet’s dying soils and participate in the restoration of the Earth.

Five Years North is the coming-of-age story of Luis, an undocumented boy in New York City desperate to bring the American Dream back home to Guatemala. Alone, he struggles to work, study, and evade Judy—the Cuban-American ICE agent who patrols his ne

Five Years North is the coming-of-age story of Luis, an undocumented boy in New York City desperate to bring the American Dream back home to Guatemala. Alone, he struggles to work, study, and evade Judy—the Cuban-American ICE agent who patrols his neighborhood.

Invite John to speak on your next event

Elevate your event with award-winning writer, producer, and director John Trefry. With years of expertise in the short film industry, John offers great knowledge and behind-the-scenes insights from his many projects.

What People Are Saying

  • Andrew Deck (Co-CEO at Covax Data)

    “I worked with John and his team at 4WT in the production of an explainer video for our technology start-up. From conceptualization to delivery 4WT displayed great skill, creativity, knowledge and professionalism. I would highly recommend 4WT to any organization in need of video production services.”

  • John Schwartz (EVP Business Development at Pearl)

    “We partner with John because he's a true business collaborator. His team goes above and beyond, recently solving a complex client issue, resulting in outstanding feedback. John's work adds significant value, especially under tight timelines and high expectations.”

  • John Godfrey (Creative Director at Chargefield)

    “Some of my smoothest design jobs ever were on films that John Trefry produced. He keeps everyone on the same page, consolidates and prioritizes feedback, and makes sure there's one unified direction to move forward with. The results were quick, effective and high-quality deliverables that everyone was happy with!”

From Alaska to Hollywood

Born and raised in Alaska, John emerged a world away from the bustling streets of Los Angeles. Devoid of connections to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, he embarked on a journey in the film industry. After years of hard work and dedication, he realized his vision, founding his own production company and crafting a name in the world of cinema.

Where Tech Meets Film

In the dynamic world of tech and media, John Trefry personally led the creation of Docstoc's video department. Under his guidance, 1400 videos featuring CEOs and thought leaders were produced, while also leading a iOS project, developing 32 apps seamlessly blending video content. John also worked at Mahalo as a Producer, leading the culinary team by producing, directing and editing more than 75 original videos, and delivered over 175 co-branded cooking videos for Recipe.com

Free Film Festival Strategy Spreadsheet

Get your free download of the same spreadsheet John has used to create winning strategies to get into festivals like SXSW, Tribeca and a hundred more.