John Was Trying to Contact Aliens is a 2020 documentary film directed by Matthew Killip and starring John Shepherd. The documentary tells the story of John Shepherd, who tried to contact aliens by broadcasting music into space for over 30 years with his state-of-the-art broadcasting equipment. Cast John Shepherd, as himself. Release John Was Trying to Contact Aliens premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. It was released on August 20, 2020 on Netflix. References External links 2020 films 2020 documentary films Netflix original documentary films 2020s English-language films