Grid Forest

John C Kelley is an animator and artist living and working in Knoxville, TN. His animated short films GUSTER, A Family That Steals Dogs, and Slower Animals, have earned acclaim internationally, having received awards for sound design, animation, and overall excellence in filmmaking. His films have screened at festivals including Slamdance Film Fest, Raindance Film Fest, Ottawa Int’l Animation Fest, Atlanta Film Fest, London Int’l Animation Fest, GLAS Animation Festival, Indie Memphis, and many others. He is the recipient of three Vimeo Staff Picks, a Filmmaker’s Recognition Award from ASIFA-South, Best Animated Film Awards (Toronto Arthouse Film Festival, CAN; Animattikon Project, Cyprus; Florida Animation Festival [2D]), a Best Animated Film Nomination (Raindance Film Fest, UK), and a Craft Award for Best Sound Design (Ottawa International Animation Fest, CAN).

His works in video and sound installation have been included in exhibitions at venues including the Spartanburg Art Museum, the CICA Museum in South Korea, State Museum of Contemporary Art in Thessaloniki, Greece, Arts Fort Worth (TX), Whitespace (Atlanta), Unrequited Leisure (Nashville), among others. He has been an Artist-in-Residence at the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences in Georgia and Cow House Studios in Wexford, Ireland.

Across his work, Kelley weaves themes of altered perception, personal identity, and the enduring impact of the past into multi-layered, emotionally rich storytelling.