James Schamus

James Schamus

Born: September 7, 1959
in Detroit, Michigan, USA
James Allan Schamus is an American screenwriter, co-founder of Good Machine production company, and the CEO of Focus Features, the motion picture production, financing, and worldwide distribution company, until its merging with FilmDistrict. His output includes writing or co-writing The Ice Storm, Eat, Drink, Man, Woman, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hulk (all directed by Ang Lee), and producing Brokeback Mountain and Alone in Berlin. At Focus he oversaw the production and distribution of Lost in Translation, Milk, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Coraline, The Kids Are All Right. He is Professor of Professional Practice in Columbia University's School of the Arts, where he teaches film history and theory.

Movies for James Schamus...

Attack of the Hollywood Clichés!
Title: Attack of the Hollywood Clichés!
Character: Self - Screenwriter
Released: September 27, 2021
Type: Movie
One-man armies, meet-cutes, casual strolls away from huge explosions — stars and industry insiders toast and roast these cinematic chestnuts and more.
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Frames
Title: Frames
Character: Narrator (voice)
Released: December 14, 2019
Type: Movie
James’s film provides us with a thoughtful history of photography and the moving image that both pays tribute to the past and celebrates how advancements in technology support the ever-evolving nature of cinema. His film elaborates on a history of storytelling through image and how we can use the iPhone and other new technologies to create, reflect and inspire in our day-to-day lives.
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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - A Retrospective
Title: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - A Retrospective
Released: October 18, 2016
Type: Movie
A three-part feature in which Cultural Critic/Film Journalist Tasha R. Robinson interviews three key members of the filmmaking team. The first features Director Ang Lee discussing the film in In Conversation with Ang Lee. In Conversation with Tim Squyres looks at how the American-born Editor cut the film, which was shot in Mandarin. Finally, In Conversation with James Schamus features the Screenwriter and Producer discussing the film's worldwide success and his relationship with Ang Lee.
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Misfire: The Rise and Fall of the Shooting Gallery
Title: Misfire: The Rise and Fall of the Shooting Gallery
Character: Self
Released: October 11, 2013
Type: Movie
A documentary about the influential independent film production company The Shooting Gallery.
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Lost Forever: The Art of Film Preservation
Title: Lost Forever: The Art of Film Preservation
Character: Himself
Released: November 22, 2011
Type: Movie
This documentary short takes you inside the fascinating world of film preservation and restoration.
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These Amazing Shadows
Title: These Amazing Shadows
Character: Self
Released: January 22, 2011
Type: Movie
Tells the history and importance of The National Film Registry, a roll call of American cinema treasures that reflects the diversity of film, and indeed the American experience itself.
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Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema
Title: Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema
Character: Self
Released: February 12, 2006
Type: Movie
A chronological look at films by, for, or about gays and lesbians in the United States, from 1947 to 2005, Kenneth Anger's "Fireworks" to "Brokeback Mountain". Talking heads, anchored by critic and scholar B. Ruby Rich, are interspersed with an advancing timeline and with clips from two dozen films. The narrative groups the pictures around various firsts, movements, and triumphs: experimental films, indie films, sex on screen, outlaw culture and bad guys, lesbian lovers, films about AIDS and dying, emergence of romantic comedy, transgender films, films about diversity and various cultures, documentaries and then mainstream Hollywood drama. What might come next?
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The Incredible Ang Lee
Title: The Incredible Ang Lee
Character: Self
Released: October 23, 2003
Type: Movie
A look at the director Ang Lee. It examines the contributions of the director not only behind the camera, but his work in numerous other aspects of the filmmaking process to make Hulk as successful as can be.
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Keep It for Yourself
Title: Keep It for Yourself
Released: January 1, 1991
Type: Movie
Sophie comes to New York from France with the intention of joining a man she met a few months before. She finds herself alone in the apartment of the guy, who left town because he was scared stiff at the idea of seeing her. Originally commissioned as one third of an omnibus feature showcasing the Figaro, a Japan-only retro throwback car.