James Camali is an accomplished filmmaker born and raised in New Jersey. James’s first foray into filmmaking came at ten years old after his close friend Dom hijacked his father’s MiniDV camcorder. That summer they went on to produce a series of blockbuster heist movies aptly titled The Heist 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Critics claimed:
“Good work, boys. We’re very proud of you. Now clean this crap up.” - Our Moms
Since he was fifteen, James has spent parts of his summers volunteering at a camp for adults and children with disabilities. His experiences there have become the foundation for his desire to tell stories about those often overlooked in our society.
James was first an architecture student at Roger Williams University, but shortly after transferred to the School of Visual Arts to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a filmmaker. In his third year of film school, he directed and co-produced the made-for-tv movie, A Fatal Obsession, with help from his close friend and collaborator, Ronnee Swenton, as well as producer Richard Switzer. At only 22 years old, the feat made James one of the youngest Americans to direct a television movie.
Since then, he has directed and produced several award-winning short and feature films including his most recent feature film, The Mental State. James is signed on to direct the upcoming feature Somebody Loved.
