# Justin Burquist

Justin Burquist is an American filmmaker and music video director who directed the films Broken Knuckles (2013), Touch (2022), and was the cinematographer for the films Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea (2023) and Pulp Friction (2021). Burquist's films have won awards at Oceanside International Film Festival and Berlin Short Film Festival.

## Early life

Burquist grew up in El Centro and Imperial County, California. He got involved in filmmaking at a young age after his brother brought home a video camera from school. He graduated from Holtville High School in 2001, attended Imperial Valley College and graduated from San Diego State University Imperial Valley Campus in Calexico before moving to Kensington, San Diego.

## Career

Burquist started his career making short films and music videos, directing videos like Glitter Star by Dynamite Doll. He helped pitch the idea for the Imperial Valley Film Festival which began in 2010, and his work is often submitted there.
In 2013, Burquist started production on the second season of the web series Proxy titled Proxy 2: The Mortido. He cited Brian De Palma and Andrei Tarkovsky as influences. In 2019, Burquist completed a music video he had been working on for more than five years. In 2024, he was the director of photography on a dystopian film called Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea which screened at the 13th Oceanside International Film Festival.

### Touch short film

Burquist's short film Touch screened at Monster Fest in 2022, opening for the premiere of The Cost by Matthew Holmes. In 2023, it screened at Berlin Short Film Festival, Oceanside International Film Festival, and the San Diego Comic-Con Independent Film Festival, where Burquist was a panelist with actors Eva Ceja and Randy Davison. It was released on Klipist and received positive reviews.

## Personal Life

Burquist currently resides in San Diego, California.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Cinematographer | Notes |
| 2009 | Lou's Place | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Short film |
| 2011 | Proxy | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Web series |
| 2013 | Broken Knuckles | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Short film |
| 2013 | Between Bullets | Yes | No | No | No | Web series featuring James Kyson |
| 2014 | Twisted Road | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Short film |
| 2016 | A Quintmas Carol | Yes | No | No | No | Short film |
| 2021 | Pulp Friction | No | No | No | Yes | Short film |
| 2022 | Touch | Yes | Yes | No | No | Short film |
| 2023 | Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea | No | No | No | Yes | |
| TBA | A Corpse in Kensington † | No | No | Yes | No | Featuring Michael Madsen |
Key :
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |

## Accolades

| Festival | Year | Award | Title | Result |
| Oceanside International Film Festival | 2013 | Best Picture – Audience Choice | Broken Knuckles | Won |
| Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema | 2022 | Juan Ruiz Anchia Award for Best Cinematography | Pulp Friction | Nominated |
| Berlin Short Film Festival | 2023 | Best Horror Short Film – Audience Choice | Touch | Won |
| Imperial Valley Film Festival | 2013 | Best Cinematography | Broken Knuckles | Won |
| Various Artists independent Film Festival | 2017 | Best Comedy | A Quint-mas Carol | Won |
| Imperial Valley Film Festival | 2017 | Best Music Video | One Hundred Twenty by Emerald Portal | Won |
| San Diego Film Awards | 2023 | Best Narrative Short Film | Touch | Won |
| San Diego Film Awards | 2023 | Best Director | Touch | Nominated |
| Brightside Tavern Film Festival | 2024 | Best Director Horror/Thriller | Touch | Nominated |
| Brightside Tavern Film Festival | 2024 | Best Horror/Thriller | Touch | Nominated |
| Brightside Tavern Film Festival | 2024 | Best Concept | Touch | Nominated |