James Gardner is a renowned English director and screenwriter hailing from Hereford, whose creative journey began with a graduate degree from the prestigious National Film & Television School (Directing Fiction MA).
He has made a significant impact in the industry through his work on various short films, including the critically acclaimed "Barry Glitter", "The Car Washer", and "Ferris & The Fancy Pigeon", which garnered widespread recognition, including a shortlisting for Odeon's 'Best Short of the Year' and a Royal Television Society award for 'Best Student Drama' in 2017.
Gardner's feature film debut, "Jellyfish", premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2018 and received its international premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, where it won the 'Michael Powell Award' for 'Best Performance in a British Feature Film'. The film went on to win numerous accolades, including the Grand Jury, Critic, Screenplay, and inaugural Performance 'Hitchcock' awards at the Dinard Film Festival.
Since its release, "Jellyfish" has been showcased at film festivals globally, accumulating an impressive array of awards, as well as receiving a five-star review from the Financial Times and a glowing endorsement from Mark Kermode, who praised Liv Hill's performance as "fabulous".
Prior to his career in film, James was a semi-professional skateboarder and currently resides in London. He is actively involved in the development of several TV and feature film projects, including "Woke Up Dead" with Jack Rowan and Maxine Peake, and "Grans Gone Wild" starring Asa Butterfield and Penelope Wilton.
