James Scurlock

James Scurlock
Born	(1971-09-15) September 15, 1971 Seattle, Washington, US
Occupation(s)	Director, producer, financial writer
Years active	2004–present

James Duncan Scurlock (born September 15, 1971) is an American director, producer, writer and financial adviser. He is probably best known for his critically acclaimed documentary Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders and his award winning book, Maxed Out: Hard Times in the Age of Easy Credit. His most recent book, King Larry: The Life and Ruins of a Billionaire Genius, is a biography of Larry Hillblom.

Biography

Born in Seattle, Washington, he attended the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, studying finance, but left in his senior year without receiving a degree. While in college, he opened four restaurants, which he sold in 1994. He then moved to Dallas, where he published a successful investing newsletter titled Restaurant Investor and wrote freelance for several magazines.

In 2002, Scurlock moved to Los Angeles, to pursue a career in filmmaking. His first documentary, Parents of the Year (2004), was featured in over 25 film festivals and won numerous awards, including the Audience Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival and the Jury Awards at the Austin Film Festival, the USA Film Festival and the Palm Springs Short Film Festival. Parents of the Year was bought by HBO and broadcast extensively on HBO Latino. Scurlock's second short, Stumped! (2005), follows three eccentric citizens who run against Arnold Schwarzenegger for Governor of California. His first feature length documentary was the critically acclaimed Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders (2006), which he also produced.

Scurlock also wrote a major book based on Maxed Out. In conjunction with the global release of the film, his book, Maxed Out: Hard Times in the Age of Easy Credit (2006), was published through Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster.

In 2008, Scurlock received The Ridenhour Book Prize for Maxed Out: Hard Times in the Age of Easy Credit.

In early 2012, Scurlock released King Larry: The Life and Ruins of a Billionaire Genius, a biography of the DHL co-founder, Larry Hillblom.

Personal life

James Scurlock lives in Palm Springs, California.

Publishing history

Film

• Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders

Books

• Maxed Out: Hard Times in the Age of Easy Credit ISBN 1-416-53253-6
• King Larry: The Life and Ruins of a Billionaire Genius

External links

• "Washington Post" – "Maxed Out' Man James Scurlock, Right on the Money"
• The Wall Street Journal – "The Wallet – Inside the Brain of...James Scurlock, Director of Maxed Out"
• Saipan Tribune – "Filmmaker focuses camera on Hillblom"
• San Francisco Chronicle – "In debt up to our eyeballs"
• Slate Magazine – "If You Knew Suze Like We Know Suze: You wouldn't listen to her advice"
• James D. Scurlock at IMDb