About

Known credits:
60
Birthday:
1958-03-08
Place of birth:
Hampton, Virginia, USA
Website:
N/A

Steve James

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Steve James is an American film producer and director of several documentaries, including the award-winning Hoop Dreams and Stevie. He is also the director of the 1997 feature film Prefontaine. His newest film, The Interrupters, a portrayal of a year inside the lives of former gang members in Chicago who now intervene in violent conflicts, will be released in 2011 after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. The film is his sixth feature length collaboration with his long-time filmmaking home, the non-profit Chicago production studio Kartemquin Films, and is also his fifth feature to be accepted into the Sundance Film Festival.

He is a graduate of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, studying with Charles Harpole. 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.”

Steve James also pulls influence from the original definition of the term cinema verite as it applies to the Rouch/Morin method of filmmaking. Just 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 of this 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.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Steve James (producer), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia​

Known for

Acting
2014 Life Itself Actor Self - Filmmaker / Narrator (voice) 65
Fair
2011 These Amazing Shadows Actor Self 60
Fair
2010 Heartbeats Actor Party Lover (uncredited) 66
Fair
2010 No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson Actor Self / Narrator (voice) 59
Average
2002 Stevie Actor Himself 59
Average
1994 Hoop Dreams Actor Narrator (voice) 65
Fair

Directing
2023 The Luckiest Guy in the World Directing Director N/A
N/A
2022 A Compassionate Spy Directing Director 59
Average
2017 Abacus: Small Enough to Jail Directing Director 60
Fair
2015 Life After Hoop Dreams Directing Director 59
Average
2014 We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss Directing Director N/A
N/A
2014 Life Itself Directing Director 65
Fair
2012 Focus Forward: Short Films, Big Ideas Directing Director N/A
N/A
2012 Head Games Directing Director 59
Average
2011 The Interrupters Directing Director 59
Average
2010 No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson Directing Director 59
Average
2008 At the Death House Door Directing Director 58
Average
2005 Reel Paradise Directing Director 59
Average
2003 The New Americans Directing Director N/A
N/A
2002 Stevie Directing Director 59
Average
2002 Joe and Max Directing Director 58
Average
1999 Passing Glory Directing Director 59
Average
1997 Prefontaine Directing Director 59
Average
1994 Hoop Dreams Directing Director 65
Fair
1992 Higher Goals Directing Director N/A
N/A
1991 Grassroots Chicago Directing Director N/A
N/A
The Value of Work Directing Director N/A
N/A
Pep Directing Director N/A
N/A

Writing
2022 A Compassionate Spy Writing Writer 59
Average
2010 No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson Writing Writer 59
Average
1997 Prefontaine Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1994 Hoop Dreams Writing Writer 65
Fair
1992 Higher Goals Writing Writer N/A
N/A

Production
2023 The Featherweight Production Executive Producer 58
Average
2023 The Luckiest Guy in the World Production Producer N/A
N/A
2022 Let the Little Light Shine Production Executive Producer 59
Average
2021 Messwood Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
2020 City So Real Production Producer N/A
N/A
2018 America to Me Production Executive Producer 70
Good
2018 Minding the Gap Production Executive Producer 63
Fair
2018 The Rescue List Production Executive Producer 59
Average
2017 Edith+Eddie Production Executive Producer 59
Average
2014 Life Itself Production Producer 65
Fair
2012 Head Games Production Producer 59
Average
2011 The Interrupters Production Producer 59
Average
2010 No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson Production Producer 59
Average
2005 Reel Paradise Production Producer 59
Average
1994 Hoop Dreams Production Producer 65
Fair
1992 Higher Goals Production Producer N/A
N/A

Crew
2018 America to Me Crew Cinematography 70
Good
2011 The Interrupters Crew Cinematography 59
Average

Editing
2023 The Luckiest Guy in the World Editing Editor N/A
N/A
2022 A Compassionate Spy Editing Editor 59
Average
2014 Life Itself Editing Editor 65
Fair
2011 The Interrupters Editing Editor 59
Average
2010 No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson Editing Editor 59
Average
2008 In the Family Editing Editorial Consultant 59
Average
2005 Reel Paradise Editing Editor 59
Average
1994 Hoop Dreams Editing Editor 65
Fair
1992 Higher Goals Editing Editor N/A
N/A