Johnathan Sturgess, born April 18, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois, is an award-winning director, animator, writer, editor, voice performer, and creator of the independently produced animated series Unstoppable: Evolution. The series follows three remarkable young heroes—Max, Leo, and Sam—who possess the powers of speed, strength, and solar energy and must work together to protect their city from formidable villains.
Johnathan developed his passion for storytelling through a lifelong love of action cartoons, superhero films, science fiction, technology, and history. Working across multiple areas of production, he transforms his original ideas into complete animated projects through writing, character creation, animation, voice performance, editing, sound, and music. In 2026, Unstoppable: Evolution won Best Animated Short at the Illinois Film Festival. Johnathan also received the Nova Star Award for Best Young Director, while his work earned a nomination for Best Throwback Project.
As a young neurodivergent filmmaker, Johnathan is committed to creating stories in which people from different racial, cultural, international, and neurodivergent backgrounds can recognize themselves as heroes. His characters’ identities are expressed through their families, languages, relationships, personal struggles, and individual strengths. Through animation and digital media, Johnathan hopes to inspire other young creators to embrace what makes them different, explore new creative possibilities, and discover the power of telling their own stories.
