Mark Klassen
Filmmaker | Cinematographer​​​​​​​
CANADA + US (O1 Visa) + TRAVEL

Growing up amidst the landscapes of rural Ontario, I discovered my love for capturing the world around me at an early age. Surrounded by forests, canyons, waterfalls, and the rugged beauty of the Niagara Escarpment, my childhood was spent outdoors, where I developed a deep connection with nature. By the age of 13, I had a camera in hand, photographing the way light filtered through trees and reflected off water. These moments of quiet observation ignited my curiosity—a mindset that continues to shape my approach to filmmaking today.
Before I even graduated high school, I found myself traveling across the U.S., working on early documentary projects for Pixar and the NFL. From there, I immersed myself in episodic TV, spending several seasons with GlobalTV’s 16x9, where I traveled from the coal mines of Virginia to the oil fields of Northern Canada, and even prisons in Tennessee, chasing powerful stories. A key highlight of my early career was being involved in the music series Rock Icons, which took me from Las Vegas to Ireland, Los Angeles to Sheffield—interviewing legends like Slash, Geddy Lee, John Oates, and Ann Wilson.
Over the past 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside artists, authors, musicians, politicians, and everyday people, documenting stories across borders. My career has taken me from the vibrant streets of New York City, Mexico City, and London to the remote locations in Nigeria, Uganda, the oceans of Eastern Canada, and the Northern Canadian Arctic, where I’ve contributed to four feature-length documentary films. With each project, I find new ways to experiment, explore, and challenge myself as a storyteller.
Today, while my home base is Toronto, I feel most at home on the road—traveling, meeting new people, and diving into stories that resonate deeply with me. Whether capturing the beauty of a remote landscape or the essence of a human experience, I strive to see the world in ways others may overlook.
I cherish relationships, time spent in nature, and the beauty that exists in spaces around us. If this resonates with you, I’d love to connect and explore new stories and collaborations together.
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