Biography

A fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, recipient of the 2000 Toronto Arts Award for film/video and the 2007 Bell Award in Video Art, John Greyson is a queer filmmaker, video artist, writer, activist and educator whose productions have won accolades at festivals throughout the world.

Feature films include: Door Prize (2023), Photo Booth (2022), Fig Trees (2008 - Teddy Award for Best Documentary, Berlin Film Festival), Proteus (2003), The Law of Enclosures (2000, Best Actor Genie); Uncut (1997, Honourable Mention, Berlin Film Festival); Lilies (1996 - Best Film Genie, Best Film at festivals in Montreal, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, San Francisco); Zero Patience (1993 - Best Canadian Film, Sudbury Film Festival); Urinal (1988 - Best Feature Teddy, Berlin Film Festival)

Short films/videos include: Death Mask(2023); International Dawn Chorus Day (2022, Best Short Teddy, Berlinale); Mercurial (2018, CBC); Gazonto (2014); Covered (2009, TIFF, Berlinale); 14.3 Seconds (2008); The Making of Monsters (1991, Best Short Teddy, Berlinale); the Kipling Trilogy (1984-86).

As a director for television, his credits include episodes for such series as Queer as Folk, Made In Canada (Best Director Gemini, 2002), Drop the Beat and Welcome to Paradox.

Professor Greyson's publications include: Evade (with Stephen Andrews); Urinal and Other Stories (Power Plant/Art Metropole) and co-editor of Queer Looks, a critical anthology of gay/lesbian media theory (Routledge). His research-creation projects Vital Transgressions (2024-27) and Viral Interventions (2020-24) commission six artists per year to collectively workshop and create new short film/video works addressing queer activist transgressions and living with HIV today. He was lead applicant on AMPD's Future Cinema Lab, and collaborator on the Archive/Counter Archive and Cinemobilia projects.

John Greyson is active in various anti-censorship, AIDS, peace and queer activist media projects, including Queer Cinema for Palestine and Film Workers for Palestine. He is/has been active in the community as a member/board member of V/Tape Distribution, Inside Out Film/Video Festival, the Euclid Theatre, Trinity Square Video, Charles St. Video, LIFT (Liaison of Independent Filmmakers Toronto), the Artists Union and Beaver Hall Artists Housing Co-op.

Professor Greyson has taught film and video theory and production in Canada, the United States, Cuba and South Africa. He joined the full-time faculty in York's Film Department in 2005. He is currently completing a PhD in U of T's Sexual Diversity Studies.