James Walker (writer/filmmaker)
James Walker (born 19 June 1979) is a British writer and filmmaker. He lives in London and studied at Radley College and Trinity College, Cambridge University where he read English and received a 1st Class Honors Degree. He is a director of Magma Pictures[1] and the Young Film Academy[2] His first feature film Blooded, had a UK cinema release on 1 April 2011 and was released on the UK DVD market .[3] Blooded caused a great deal of controversy at the time of the film's release, promotional viral videos were removed from video sharing websites following action by animal rights protesters.[4]
Directing credits
Into Swans
(Short film: 15 mins,16mm) Drama (2004).
One Small Leap
(Short film: 3 mins,16mm) Comedy (2002).[5]
Taboo
(Short film: 30 mins, BetaSP) Thriller (1998).[6]
Gemini
(Theatre) Produced ADC Theatre, Cambridge (2000).
On the Breast of a Woman
(Theatre) Produced ADC Theatre, Cambridge (2001).[7]
Writing credits
Blooded
(Feature film) Thriller (2011).[8]
Proving Mr Jennings
(Theatre) Winner, King's Cross New Writing Award (2004).[9]
Into Swans
(Short film) Drama (2003).
One Small Leap
(Short film) Comedy (2002).[10]
On The Breast of a Woman
(Theatre) Drama. Produced Queens’ Theatre, Cambridge (2001).[11]
Born to be Wild
(Theatre) Produced C Venues, Edinburgh Festival (2000).
[12]
Broadcast on BBC World Service, December (2000).[13]
Gemini
(Theatre) Produced ADC Theatre, Cambridge (2000).
Awards
Film
Winner, Best UK Short, Raindance 2003.
Winner, Cocotte-Minute Prix, Brest Film Festival 2003.[14]
HTV Award, Brief Encounters 2002.[15]
Best Director, Capalbio International Film Festival 2003.[16]
F.I.C.E Award, Capalbio International Film Festival 2003.
Runner-up, Aprille Award, Milan Film Festival 2002.
Theater
Winner, King’s Cross New Writing Award, 2004.[17]
Nominated for London Writers Award, 2002.
Winner, BATS New Writing Award, 2000.
Selected to participate in the Berlinale Talent Campus, 2003.[18]
Blooded Critical Response
The film's topic has provoked reactions from parties on both side of the hunting debate in the UK.[19][20] In promoting the film, its makers originally asserted that it was a re-creation of an actual event that occurred after the enactment of the 2005 hunting ban in England,[21] maintaining that the film, rather than trying to make any political points, only investigates "the nature of extremism" in any form,[22] and "encourages debate".[23] The Evening Standard wrote that the film "caused outrage after graphic scenes showing activists attacking five deer-stalkers were posted on the internet, in a viral publicity campaign."[24] The Independent noted the film's controversial stance, and that as the film's asserted protagonists were a group of extreme animal activists, it generated "much chatter on the interweb" after clips appeared on Youtube. They wrote however, "it all has the whiff of a clever publicity stunt".[25] This is a stance echoed in many other online reviews with suggestions that it is a mockumentary that leaves the viewer with [sic] "no doubt that it is fabricated".[26] The List classed it as an example of a "fantastic piece of filmmaking that shows what is achievable if you get creative within your budget".[27]
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ Young Film Academy website
- ^ http://www.britfilms.com/britishfilms/catalogue/browse/?id=5B6A86F41da411AE1BuHh2243696
- ^ The London Evening Standard
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380602/
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183852/
- ^ http://www.bawds.org/brenda_cottis.htm
- ^ "IMDB" Blooded
- ^ The Stage review of Proving Mr. Jennings
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380602/
- ^ http://www.bawds.org/brenda_cottis.htm
- ^ http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.cinemainvisibile.it/Corti/cortistranieri2003.htm&ei=zahTTtnCG8-e-wbCl9XVBg&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBsQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522Born%2Bto%2Bbe%2Bwild%2BBBC%2Bworld%2Bservice%2522%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1448%26bih%3D873%26prmd%3Divns
- ^ http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.cinemainvisibile.it/Corti/cortistranieri2003.htm&ei=zahTTtnCG8-e-wbCl9XVBg&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBsQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522Born%2Bto%2Bbe%2Bwild%2BBBC%2Bworld%2Bservice%2522%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1448%26bih%3D873%26prmd%3Divns
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380602/awards
- ^ http://www.venue.co.uk/film-features/11652-hunting-the-hunters
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380602/awards
- ^ http://www.thecourtyard.org.uk/press/16/james-walker-wins-courtyard-prize-for-new-writing
- ^ http://www.berlinale-talentcampus.de/campus/talent/james-walker/profile?pos=11
- ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1366989/Andrews-10-000-night-Balkans.html
- ^ http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/76723,news-comment,entertainment,blooded-film-mockumentary-blooded-film-real-blooded-film-mockumentary-real-animal-league-fake-animal-liberation-front
- ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/matthew-bell-the-iiosi-diary-2233473.html#
- ^ http://www.littlewhitelies.co.uk/blog/grass-roots-blooded-14601
- ^ http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23934413-oh-deer-heiress-tells-of-harrowing-film-role-as-the-quarry-of-hunt-extremists.do
- ^ http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23934413-oh-deer-heiress-tells-of-harrowing-film-role-as-the-quarry-of-hunt-extremists.do
- ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/matthew-bell-the-iiosi-diary-2233473.html#
- ^ http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/76723,news-comment,entertainment,blooded-film-mockumentary-blooded-film-real-blooded-film-mockumentary-real-animal-league-fake-animal-liberation-front
- ^ http://www.list.co.uk/article/33449-dvd-phenomena-the-beyond-senseless-blooded-skyline-primal-island-of-death/