John Paizs (born in 1957) is a Canadian director, writer and actor. In 1985 his independent comedy Crime Wave was presented at the Toronto International Film Festival. He was the male lead and also wrote and directed the film. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Paizs has worked on several TV series and directed the 1999 feature film Top of the Food Chain, a sendup of Golden Age '50s science fiction movies.