James' career began with the release in 1994 of the award-winning documentary, Hoop Dreams. In 1997, James directed the feature film Prefontaine followed by the TV movies Passing Glory and Joe and Max. His next documentary film Stevie was released in 2002. The Interrupters, a portrayal of a year inside the lives of former gang members in Chicago who now intervene in violent conflicts, was released in 2011 after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. The film was his sixth feature length collaboration with his long-time filmmaking home, the non-profit Chicago production studio Kartemquin Films. To date, James has had nine films or docuseries premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
In 2016, James directed Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and went on to be nominated for an Academy Award, James' second nomination.
There've been many documentaries over the years that have powerfully impacted me. I think this one came along at the time when I was more interested in being a feature filmmaker than a documentary filmmaker. So it came along at the beginning of a process of moving from an interest in feature film to documentaries, and that's where my career has taken me. It came along at the right time for me. It helped me see, "Ah, this is more what I want to do."[4]
James pulls influence from the original definition of the term cinéma vérité as it applies to the Rouch/Morin method of filmmaking. As with Rouch and Morin, the "people on camera and we in the audience are continually reminded that a film is being made, that we are watching a film." We are reminded through James' presence on screen as well as his cinematic editing techniques, in order to obtain what he believes is a more accurate depiction of truth.[5]
The Luckiest Guy in the World, 2023 (ESPN 30 for 30 docuseries)
Referencesedit
^Kartemquin Films (March 8, 2015). "Happy birthday to this guy!". Twitter. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
^ ab"Steve James Biography (1955-)". www.filmreference.com. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
^"JMU Alumni Association – 1994: Steve James ('77)". alumni.jmu.edu. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
^Elder, Robert K. (2011). The Film That Changed My Life: 30 Directors on Their Epiphanies in the Dark. Chicago Review Press. p. 113. ISBN9781556528255.
^Ellis, Jack C.; McLane, Betsy A. (August 1, 2005). "Chapter Fourteen: Direct Cinema and Cinéma Vérité, 1960–1970". A New History of Documentary Film. pp. 214–215. ISBN9780826417510.
^"Steve James Explores the American Tapestry on Nashville". The Criterion Collection. June 6, 2017.
^"LUCKY - Cinema Guild Non-Theatrical". store.cinemaguild.com. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
^Phillips, Michael (January 22, 2018). "From Sundance to Starz: America to Me Goes Deep and Wide on Race, Education". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
C-SPAN Q&A interview with James and Sgt. Zack Bazzi, about The War Tapes, July 16, 2006
April 12, 2024
steve, james, film, producer, this, article, about, film, producer, other, people, steve, james, disambiguation, steve, james, born, march, 1955, american, film, producer, director, several, documentaries, including, hoop, dreams, 1994, stevie, 2002, interrupt. This article is about the film producer For other people see Steve James disambiguation Steve James born March 8 1955 1 2 is an American film producer and director of several documentaries including Hoop Dreams 1994 Stevie 2002 The Interrupters 2011 Life Itself 2014 and Abacus Small Enough to Jail 2016 Steve JamesBorn 1955 03 08 March 8 1955 age 69 Hampton Virginia U S Alma materJames Madison University Southern Illinois University CarbondaleOccupation s Film director producerYears active1986 presentSpouseJudy James Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Influences 4 Filmography 5 References 6 External linksEarly life editJames was born in Hampton Virginia 2 Career editJames career began with the release in 1994 of the award winning documentary Hoop Dreams In 1997 James directed the feature film Prefontaine followed by the TV movies Passing Glory and Joe and Max His next documentary film Stevie was released in 2002 The Interrupters a portrayal of a year inside the lives of former gang members in Chicago who now intervene in violent conflicts was released in 2011 after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival The film was his sixth feature length collaboration with his long time filmmaking home the non profit Chicago production studio Kartemquin Films To date James has had nine films or docuseries premiere at the Sundance Film Festival In 2016 James directed Abacus Small Enough to Jail which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and went on to be nominated for an Academy Award James second nomination Much of James work is centered in the Chicago area Besides Hoop Dreams such works include the film Life Itself on the life of film critic Roger Ebert and the docuseries The New Americans America to Me and City So Real James has directed several other documentaries focusing on sports among them ESPN 30 for 30 films No Crossover The Trial of Allen Iverson and The Luckiest Guy in the World a biography of legendary basketball player Bill Walton Influences editHe is a graduate of James Madison University 3 His work he tells journalist Robert K Elder in an interview for The Film That Changed My Life was strongly influenced by the film Harlan County USA There ve been many documentaries over the years that have powerfully impacted me I think this one came along at the time when I was more interested in being a feature filmmaker than a documentary filmmaker So it came along at the beginning of a process of moving from an interest in feature film to documentaries and that s where my career has taken me It came along at the right time for me It helped me see Ah this is more what I want to do 4 James pulls influence from the original definition of the term cinema verite as it applies to the Rouch Morin method of filmmaking As with Rouch and Morin the people on camera and we in the audience are continually reminded that a film is being made that we are watching a film We are reminded through James presence on screen as well as his cinematic editing techniques in order to obtain what he believes is a more accurate depiction of truth 5 He also was influenced by Robert Altman s 1975 film Nashville 6 Filmography editStop Substance Abuse 1986 Grassroots Chicago 1991 with Kartemquin Films Higher Goals 1993 with Kartemquin Films Hoop Dreams 1994 with Kartemquin Films Prefontaine 1997 Passing Glory 1999 TV Joe and Max 2002 TV Stevie 2002 with Kartemquin Films The New Americans 2004 executive producer Nigerian story director with Kartemquin Films Reel Paradise 2005 The War Tapes 2006 producer At the Death House Door 2008 with Kartemquin Films No Crossover The Trial of Allen Iverson 2010 ESPN 30 for 30 film with Kartemquin Films The Interrupters 2011 with Kartemquin Films Head Games 2012 Life Itself 2014 with Kartemquin Films Lucky 2014 7 Abacus Small Enough to Jail 2016 with Kartemquin Films America to Me 2018 8 with Kartemquin Films City So Real 2020 A Compassionate Spy 2022 with Kartemquin Films The Luckiest Guy in the World 2023 ESPN 30 for 30 docuseries References edit Kartemquin Films March 8 2015 Happy birthday to this guy Twitter Retrieved January 22 2017 a b Steve James Biography 1955 www filmreference com Retrieved January 22 2017 JMU Alumni Association 1994 Steve James 77 alumni jmu edu Retrieved January 22 2017 Elder Robert K 2011 The Film That Changed My Life 30 Directors on Their Epiphanies in the Dark Chicago Review Press p 113 ISBN 9781556528255 Ellis Jack C McLane Betsy A August 1 2005 Chapter Fourteen Direct Cinema and Cinema Verite 1960 1970 A New History of Documentary Film pp 214 215 ISBN 9780826417510 Steve James Explores the American Tapestry on Nashville The Criterion Collection June 6 2017 LUCKY Cinema Guild Non Theatrical store cinemaguild com Retrieved February 22 2022 Phillips Michael January 22 2018 From Sundance to Starz America to Me Goes Deep and Wide on Race Education Chicago Tribune Retrieved January 23 2018 External links editSteve James at IMDb C SPAN Q amp A interview with James and Sgt Zack Bazzi about The War Tapes July 16 2006 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Steve James film producer amp oldid 1192129531, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
