Tribal affiliations Ngati Kahu / Nga Puhi & English. James is a graduate of Victoria University and Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School, he also served internships 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. During his tenure he was the recipient of three Chapman Tripp Theatre awards and nominated a further five times. In 2014 he formed Light in the Dark Productions Ltd to develop adaptations of New Zealand literary works into a slate of feature films, shorts and documentaries. He is curerently developing a number of feature films with writer Eli Kent including adaptations of Sydney Bridge Upside Down by David Ballantyne, Little Criminals by David Cohen, The Rule of Jenny Pen and Coming Home In The Dark by Owen Marshall and The Horror of Hickory Bay by Gavin Bishop.
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