James Ward Byrkit
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James Ward Byrkit (also known as James Byrkit or Jim Byrkit) is an American film director, writer, and actor. He is best known for directing the science fiction thriller Coherence and co-writing the script for Rango, one of his many collaborations with Gore Verbinski.[1] For Rango, Byrkit starred as several characters, most notably Waffles, a horned lizard. Byrkit also was the conceptual artist on the first three films of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and designed some of the most iconic sequences of the series. Byrkit also directed the short film Tales of the Code: Wedlocked (2011), which serves as a prequel to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).[2]
Byrkit's debut feature Coherence earned critical and audience praise[3][4][5][6] and garnered attention for his unconventional approach in the making of the film as "proof that inventive filmmakers can do a lot with a little",[7][8][9] and identifying him as a groundbreaking talent.[10] He is set to direct the film adaptation of the Aaron Loeb play Ideation.[11]
Awards
- Breakthrough Director (nominated) at the Gotham Independent Film Awards 2014[12]
- Next Wave Best Screenplay at the Austin Fantastic Fest for Coherence (2013)[13]
- Maria Award for Best Screenplay at the Sitges Film Festival for Coherence (2013)[13]
- Carnet Jove Jury Award for Best In Competition at the Sitges Film Festival for Coherence (2013)[14]
- Black Tulip Award for Best Feature Debut at the Imagine Film Festival for Coherence (2014)
- Imagine Movie Zone Award, Special Mention at the Imagine Film Festival for Coherence (2014)
- Annie Award for Writing in a Feature Production for Rango (2011, won, shared with John Logan and Gore Verbinski)[15]
Filmography
As director
- Ideation (TBA)
- Coherence (2013)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Tales of the Code: Wedlocked (2011, short)
- Rango (2011, video game)
- Fractalus (2005, short)
- Yes, and... (2005, short)
- Special Unit 2 (2001, 1 episode - The Rocks)
- Stop at Nothing (2001, TV)
As writer
- Coherence (2013)
- Rango (2011, video game)
- Rango (2011, film, story by)
- Fractalus (short, 2005)
- Yes, and... (short, 2005)
As producer
- The Forest (2016)
- Coherence (2013)
- Fractalus (2005)
As himself
- Prop Culture (2020) Episode: "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl"
References
- ^ Cavna, Michael. "As a creative renaissance man, writer-director James Ward Byrkit brings 'RANGO' and 'PIRATES' film to your screen". The Washington Post. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
- ^ "Wedlocked". jimbyrkit.com. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
- ^ "The 40 Best Movies of 2014". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- ^ "Coherence :: Regie: James Ward Byrkit". Rolling Stone (in German). 2015-01-09. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- ^ "Age Gate". Canvas by Grolsch. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- ^ Adam. "EIFF 2014: Coherence Review - Film Reviews & Features - Seensome". www.seensome.com. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- ^ Seitz, Matt Zoller. "Coherence Movie Review & Film Summary (2014) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- ^ "A Super-Spoilery Interview With the Director of 'Coherence,' the Twistiest Movie of the Year". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- ^ stubarr70 (2015-01-22). "THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF 'COHERENCE' – why this micro budget film is a treat for science fiction movie fans". maxrennblog. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Best Of 2014: The 20 Breakthrough Directors Of The Year". Indiewire. 2014-12-02. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- ^ Lang, Brent (2020-02-14). "James Ward Byrkit to Direct Aaron Loeb's Off-Broadway Adaptation 'Ideation' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
- ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (2014-10-23). "How Gotham Nominee James Ward Byrkit Made 'Coherence' in 5 Days with No Script or Budget". Indiewire. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- ^ a b "'Coherence' Trailer Introduces Psychological Puzzle". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
- ^ "Sitges - 46ed. Festival Internacional de Catalunya (11/10 - 20/10)". Sitges Film Festival. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
- ^ "'Rango' wins the Annie Award for animated feature". LA Times. Retrieved 8 June 2014.