Award winning writer/director John Penney attended UCLA where he studied film and received a degree in English. In addition to his numerous screenplays, John has written short stories that have won him an award from the Adelphi Academy in New York, and have been published in the “Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.” In 2011 John wrote and directed the supernatural thriller “Hellgate” starring William Hurt and Cary Elwes. The film was awarded Best Film at the Bram Stoker International Film Festival as well as the Best Horror Film from the Fantasy Horror Awards in Italy. John is currently prepping to direct his next feature film, “Truck Stop,” based on his novel as well as co-writing “Re-Animator Unbound” with Brian Yuzna. John currently teaches writing and directing at the Los Angeles Film School as well as the Directing Certificate Course and Pitching Certificate Course at Raindance, Los Angeles.