Steve James | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1955-03-08)March 8, 1955 (age 70) Hampton, Virginia, U.S. |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, producer |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Spouse | Judy James |
Steve James (born March 8, 1955)[1][2] is an American film producer and director of several documentaries, includingHoop Dreams (1994),Stevie (2002),The Interrupters (2011),Life Itself (2014), andAbacus: Small Enough to Jail (2016).
James was born in Hampton, Virginia.[2]
James' career began with the release in 1994 of the award-winning documentary,Hoop Dreams. In 1997, James directed the feature filmPrefontaine followed by the TV moviesPassing Glory andJoe and Max. His next documentary filmStevie 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 studioKartemquin Films. To date, James has had nine films or docuseries premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
In 2016, James directedAbacus: 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. BesidesHoop Dreams, such works include the filmLife Itself on the life of film criticRoger Ebert, and the docuseries,The New Americans,America to Me, andCity So Real. James has directed several other documentaries focusing on sports, among themESPN30 for 30 filmsNo Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson andThe Luckiest Guy in the World, a biography of legendary basketball playerBill Walton.
He is a graduate ofJames Madison University.[3] His work, he tells journalistRobert K. Elder in an interview forThe Film That Changed My Life, was strongly influenced by the filmHarlan 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 termcinéma 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]
He also was influenced byRobert Altman's 1975 filmNashville.[6]
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