John Trengove is a South African writer and director. His debut feature The Wound opened in Sundance and Berlin and was named "the most important LGBT film you will see in 2018" by i-D magazine. The controversial film was briefly banned in his home country and went on to collect 28 international awards, including Best First Feature at the BFI London Film Festival and Best International Feature at Outfest. It was shortlisted for the International Feature Oscar in the same year. His second feature film, Manodrome, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Adrien Brody, and Odessa Young, premiered at the Berlinale Competition, and was released around the world in 2023. His third feature is currently in development. John's work also spans television, commercials, and theatre. He directed the cult hit play The Epicene Butcher which played at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and his television miniseries Hopeville won the Rose d'Or in 2010 and was nominated for an International Emmy. He has received 2 best director SAFTA's and an honorary award from the South African Academy of Arts and Sciences for his work in television, especially the drama series Swartwater. Most recently, he directed on the Cape Town crime drama White Lies with Natalie Dormer, due for release in 2024. John trained as an actor and studied film at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. He lives between Cape Town and São Paulo with his husband and filmmaker Marco Dutra.