Draft:John Stimpson
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Last edited by JStimpsonMA (talk | contribs) 12 hours ago. (Update) |
Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest guideline, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. JStimpsonMA (talk) 18:19, 2 October 2026 (UTC)
John Stimpson is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, editor and producer based in Massachusetts. He has directed independent feature films and television movies including The Legend of Lucy Keyes (2016), Sexting in Suburbia (2012), A Christmas Kiss (2011), Ghost Light (2018 film), Christmas on Ice and A Cherry Pie Christmas (2025).
Stimpson grew up in Massachusetts. He spent his childhood in Wellesley before attending Harvard College where he was president of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals. He moved to Los Angeles after graduation and worked as ab actor and a freelance script reader for five years. He then returned to Massachusetts and began working in television and ultimately independent films.
His first feature was the 2004 political drama, The Gentleman from Boston, which he co-directed with former Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Michael J. Connolly.[1] It was later released as Beacon Hill. His solo directorial debut followed in 2006 with The Legend of Lucy Keyes starring Julie Delpy and Justin Theroux.[2]
He then began working with MarVista Entertainment directing a string of movies for cable television. The first was A Christmas Kiss (2011) written by Joany Kane. Sexting in Suburbia (2012), co-written by Stimpson and Marcy Holland and Last Hours in Suburbia, also written by Holland, followed. Then The March Sisters at Christmas (2012), Sins of the Preacher (2013), Betrayed (2014) and The Wrong Car (2016).
In 2018 Stimpson co-wrote with Geoffrey Taylor and directed the supernatural comedy Ghost Light (2018). The film featured an ensemble cast including: Cary Elwes, Carol Kane, Roger Bart, Shannyn Sossamon, Tom Riley and Danielle Campbell. Ghost Light premiered at the LA Film Festival[3] and won the Dark Matters Jury award at the Austin Film Festival.[4] The film aired on Showtime in 2019.
Stimpson then directed a series of holiday films: Christmas a la Mode (2018), Christmas on Ice (2019)[5], A Cape Cod Christmas (2021), Letters to Santa (2023) and A Very Vermont Christmas (2024). Boston Magazine wrote an article about the state of the Massachusetts film industry while production of A Very Vermont Christmas was underway in Worcester.[6] A Cherry Pie Christmas (2025) was filmed in Door County, Wisconsin, and represented a departure for Stimpson and his Massachusetts-based production model.[7]
Starting with Christmas a la Mode, Stimpson began a multi-film collaboration with actress Katie Leclerc who appears in five of his films.
References
[edit]- ↑ Schmeiszer, Katarina (2025-09-21). "Former Secretary of State Connolly Brings 80s Politics to Film". The Boston Globe. ISSN 0743-1791. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ Goldstein, Meredith (2016-01-13). "How a local filmmaker became a Lifetime favorite". The Boston Globe. ISSN 0743-1791. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ "2018 LA FILM FESTIVAL COMPETITION LINEUP REVEALED". Film Independent. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ Garcia, Ally (2018-10-28). "2018 Winners". Austin Film Festival. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ Trahan, Erin (2020-12-22). "Cheerful Takes From Behind The Scenes Of New England's Holiday Movies". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ Gera, Makena (2024-12-10). "Hollywood Northeast: How Massachusetts Became a Movie Hub". Boston Magazine. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ "'A Cherry Pie Christmas' rom-com highlights Door County's holiday charm". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved 2026-10-02.