James is a graduate of Victoria University and Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School, he has also interned with acclaimed theatre companies The Wooster Group in New York and Robert Lepage’s Ex Machina in Quebec. Since graduating he has enjoyed working in a variety of theatre, television, radio and film productions as an actor, director, writer and producer. From 2006-2013 he was Chief Executive / Artistic Director of national Maori theatre company Taki Rua Productions, developing and touring over 26 works nationally and internationally. In 2014 he formed Light in the Dark Productions Ltd to develop several adaptations of New Zealand literary works into a slate of feature films, shorts and documentaries. He has produced the documentary Little Criminals, an adaptation of the non-fiction book for White Balance Pictures and Prime Television. In 2015 he directed, produced and co-wrote four short films – Jigsaw, Let Down Your Hair, The Mavens, and The Usher, which will be released on Rialto Channel in 2016. In 2016 he directed, wrote and produced four more short films – Calliope Bay (based on the novel Sydney Bridge Upside Down), Tell Me you Love Me, and Marching films are currently in post-production and will premiere in late 2016.