James is a passionate auteur that crafts honest and challenging cinema, with a style that’s both timeless and modern.

James trained at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and made his first feature, LITTLE ODESSA, at the age of twenty-five. James continues to make features including Cannes Film Festival selections THE YARDS, WE OWN THE NIGHT, THE IMMIGRANT, THE LOST CITY OF Z, and his most recent film ARMAGEDDON TIME, a personal coming-of-age story about growing up in Queens in 1980.

Commercially, James has directed Citroen’s “Impossible” campaign featuring Ewan McGregor, the “Blue” campaign for Chanel, Lancôme’s campaign featuring Julia Roberts and Kate Winslet, as well as Taco Bell’s “Retrieval” commercial starring James Marsden. Most recently, James directed a Chopard campaign featuring Julia Roberts as well as a campaign for a spot for Hermès’ new women’s perfume Barénia. He is currently in production on his newest feature film PAPER TIGER, an American crime drama starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller.