John Maloof is a prominent American documentary filmmaker, author, and photo-historian. He is best known for his 2013 documentary film Finding Vivian Maier, a documentary exploring the life and work of Vivian Maier, an American street photographer.
Maloof was born in the United States in 1984. He grew up in Chicago, Illinois and later attended St. Ignatius College Prep. He graduated with a degree in political science from the University of Iowa in 2008.
At the age of 23, Maloof began working as an independent researcher, writer, and producer. He was interested in researching the history of his hometown, Chicago, and bought a box of negatives at an auction house. After scanning the photographs, he discovered that the box contained the work of Vivian Maier, an unknown street photographer.
Maloof soon purchased more of Maier's work, digitizing it and then posting it online. He also started a blog and began searching for more information about the photographer.
In 2013, Maloof released the documentary film Finding Vivian Maier, which chronicles his journey to uncover Maier's life and work. The film was a hit, winning numerous awards including the Los Angeles Film Festival's Audience Award.
Maloof went on to write and publish a book about Vivian Maier in 2016, titled Vivian Maier: The Color Work. He has also released several other books about Maier, including Vivian Maier: A Photographer's Life and Afterlife in 2018.
Maloof continues to work as a documentary filmmaker and has since released several other documentaries, including The Tramp & The Dictator (2015) and The White Bus (2019). He is also a co-founder of the Vivian Maier Photography Legacy Project and the Vivian Maier Photography Center.
John Maloof is a passionate advocate for street photography and the preservation of history. He has made a major contribution to the art world by bringing to light the work of Vivian Maier and inspiring a new generation of street photographers.
