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

External links

James Walker IMDB