About James Carman

James Carman is an accomplished New York based Director of Photography and Director. He has worked as a cinematographer and photographer since 1989.

James is inspired by the worldly and otherworldly. He creates content that looks behind the veil of consensual reality, examining what most are ready to ignore. His art is for the curious and brave. It is for those who want humanity to evolve spiritually.

His feature length documentary, The Hidden Hand; Alien Contact and the Government Cover-up, has won 5 awards and is distributed internationally. It was on both Amazon Prime’s and Netflix’s best selling documentary lists for 3 weeks. On Netflix over 210,000 people have rated or commented on the film.

James has shot many feature films that have been screened in festivals worldwide: (Sundance, Cannes, Berlin, and Toronto.) Five features he shot were shown at the MoMA retrospective of Bruce LaBruce.

He shot 10 films about sexual criminals for Shu Lea Cheang’s 3x3x6. They were the centerpiece of the Taiwan Pavilion at the 2019 Venice Biennale. James just finished directing a feature love story, ‘Set Me Free’ and his new short, Bitter Brownies, has won 120 prizes for Best Short and Best Comedy. He wrote and produced a sci-fi graphic novel, HyperParanøid: An Ascension Story, with illustrator Jaf Farkas. Robert Crumb wrote the foreword. Linda Moulton Howe wrote the introduction.

In 2024, at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, he spoke on human rights and science fiction.

EDUCATION: BA, University of Texas; Film studies San Francisco State University and the German Film Academy in Berlin

LANGUAGES: English, German and Spanish fluency

TECHNICAL SKILLS: Cinematography, Directing Actors, Photography, Set lighting, Adobe Creative Cloud, Graphic Design, Photoshop, Script Writing.

AFFILIATIONS: PGA member; The Producers Guild of America

2024

Set Me Free: Co-Director, DP, Feature Film. Jewish Orthodox Love Story.

HyperParanøid: Graphic Novel and commercial, Designer/Author, James Carman. Illustrator, J. Farkas.
Forward by Robert Crumb.

2023

4biddenknowledge Consciousness Awards Show: Miami Opera House with Host, Billy Carson. Producer and Director for the live broadcast.

Carnegie Hall: Director, DP. Commercial for pianist Katya Grineva’s Dec. 27th performance.

Tokyo Vice: Netflix TV show, DP, 2nd Unit.

Recovery: DP; Teen drama about addiction and redemption.

CBS Austrailia, 4 Corners Show: DP, New York Unit.

Bitter Brownies: Producer/Dir./DP; Black Comedy about an office food thief. Winner of 76 awards.

2022

Dear Thomas: Dir: Andreas Kleinert, DP NewYork Unit, James Carman. Award for Best Director, German Film Prize.

History Channel: Franklin Delano Rosevelt Series. DP, James Carman.

Breaking the Wall: Erica Jong Doc Dir. Kaspar Kasics, DP, James Carman Locarno Film Festival 2022 .

2021

Funeral for a Dog: Special Effects DP/ Technical Producer for the Amazon TV show.

The United Nations: 2013-2021, Cameraman.

Edison Partners 2021 Show 2021: Lighting Designer/DP, James Carman. Financial talk show integrating films and presenters with live speakers from all over the world.

217 West 57th St: DP, J. Carman. Commercial for the tallest luxury residential building in the world.

German Emigré Museum: Film about immigrant voyages to USA. Dir./DP J.Carman.

2020

Edison Partners TV Show: Producer/Dir./DP, James Carman. Financial talk show integrating speakers from all over the world.

Rabyie: Special Effects DP for the Netflix Show.

Unitat, Producer/Director/DP/Editor, James Carman, Promo for ecological, portable living structure. Designed by Mark Parrish of Point B.

The United Nations: 2013-2020, Switcher, Colorist, and Cameraman.

2019

3x3x6: Director Shu Lea Chan, DP, James Carman, Ten 10 min. films. Taiwan’s entry into the 2019 Venice Biennale. About the history of sexual criminals.

Unorthodox: Special Effects DP for the Netflix Show. Emmy for Best Director, Maria Schraeder. Nominated for 9 Emmies.

Unintended: Dir., Anya Murmann, DP, James Carman. Feature about childhood trauma and emotional healing. Woodstock and Portland Film Fest.

2018

7 of Pentacles and Mesh: Prod/Dir, James Carman, Music Videos for Tower + Star.

Unintended: Dir., Anya Murmann, DP, James Carman. Feature about childhood trauma and emotional healing. Woodstock and Portland Film Fest.

Williams Agency: DP; Commercial for 169 Amsterdam, Manhattan.

Williams Agency: DP; Commercial for River Park High Rise, Brooklyn.

Williams Agency: DP; Commercial for Central Park Tower, Manhattan.

Williams Agency: DP; Commercial for Four Seasons Hotel, Costa Rica.

Williams Agency: DP; Commercial for Four Seasons Hotel, New York

First Time in New York, Dir. Philip Stoezel, DP NYC Unit for the German Musical.

Echoes: Director, Gladys Triana; Producer/DP/Composer, James Carman. A video art piece for the Cevantes Institute and Art Basel, Miami.

2017

The Misandrists: Dir. Bruce La Bruce, DP for comedy about a halfway house for girls.

World Premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. European theatrical release. US theatrical Release, Cartilage Films.

Superconscious: Producer, Director. James Carman, pilot for a TV show about spiritually gifted people.

Berlin Station 1945: Dir., Katerina Otto, DP, James Carman. Doc about the first CIA staion chief in Berlin, Peter Sichel.

Williams Agency: Producer, DP; Commercial for City Point Highrise, Brooklyn.

Williams Agency: Producer, DP; Commercial for Ocean Wide Complex, LA.

Williams Agency: Producer, DP; Commercial for The Four Seasons, London.

Thomson Reuters: 2001-2017, lighting designer, cameraman, and editor.

2016

FluidQ: Dir. Shu Lea Cheang, James Carman, DP for dystopian Sci-Fi feature about addictive diseases. World Premiere Berlin Film Festival.  Documenta 14 Art Fair.

Jivamukti: Producer, Director, DP 3 branding spots for the influential yoga center.

2015

MOMA: DP; Retrospective of Bruce La Bruce films, 5 features films screened in April and May at the Museum of Modern Art.

Williams Agency: Dir.: Chez Costanzo, Producer, DP; Commercial for 432 Park Pl. w/ Jean Novelle.

Williams Agency: Dir.: Chez Costanzo, Producer, DP; Commercial for Steiner Film Studios.

Williams Agency: Dir.: Chez Costanzo, Producer, Photog., DP; Commercial Sugar Beach Resort. St. Lucia.

Williams Agency: Photographer; Four Seasons Hotel, Palm Beach, Fl.

Hollywood and Vine: Director, Matt Jacobs; DP for a feature length comedy set in LA.

Winner of Best Comedy 2017 at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival.

PRIME: Produced, Directed and edited highlights of the United Nations conference.

Jivamukti: Producer, Director, 3 commercials for the famous yoga center.

Dust: Director, Gladys Triana; Producer/DP/Composer, James Carman. A video art piece for the Cevantes Institute and Art Basel, Miami.

2014

Simple Recipes for Joy and Tribe Gathering: Producer/Director, James Carman. Book premiere and performance with Sting, Sharon Gannon and Krishna Das.

2013

The Hidden Hand: Producer/Director, James Carman, Winner of 5 Awards, 3 for best documentary. About the phenomenon of extraterrestrial contact. Distributed by Gravitas in North and South America. A bestseller on Amazon Prime and Netflix.

PrivCap: Prod/Director, J. Carman. Financial TV show in Sao Paulo, D.C. and NYC.

2012

In Solitude: Director, Gladys Triana; Producer/DP, James Carman. A video art piece for Cintas Museum in Miami and Museo del Barrio in New York City.

2011

The Sweet Life: Feature Film. Director, Rocco Simonelli; DP, James Carman.

A comedy starring Joan Jett, DVD release.

Sprite: Commercial. Director, Matthias Clamer; DP, James Carman. Animated Spot.

Wind Shadows: Documentary. Director, Carole Ryavec; DP, James Carman. About a wildlife corridor in the Riff Valley of Kenya.

2010

Intel/HP Live Beats Series: TV Show. Lighting Director, James Carman. Highlighting music groups Train, Weezer, and One Republic.

LA Zombie: Feature Film. Director, Bruce LaBruce; DP, James Carman. Zombie spoof starring Francois Sagat. Toronto and Locarno Film Festivals.

The Glades: Director, Matthias Clamer; DP, James Carman. A&E Chanel, Two commercials to promote the TV show.

The Observer: Director, Gladys Triana; Producer/DP, James Carman. A video art piece for El Museo del Bario in New York City.

2009

Diet Coke Style Series: TV Show. Lighting Director, James Carman; Fashion and music show with Heidi Klum, Hilary Duff, Robin Thicke, Edward Norton, Natasha Bedingfield, Stacy Bendet, and Christian Siriano;

Siemens, Commercials. Director, Roman Kuhn; DP, James Carman. Crossing Pictures.

Safia: Commerical. Director, SouadKouninef; DPand Editor; James Carman. Cooking oil spot for Ramadan.

2008

Otto; or Up With Dead People: Feature Film. Director, Bruce LaBruce; DP, James Carman. Sundance and Berlin Film Festival. Zombie love story. Won Vision Award at the Rio Film Festival and won Award for Best Picture at the Milano G&L Film Fest. Distributed by Strand Releasing.

Getty Images: Stock Images. Producer/Director, James Carman, Mathias Clamer;  Film and photo content 2005-2008.

Blend: Stock Images. Producer/Director, James Carman. Stock photo content from 2007-2009.

Juliana Collezione: Video Lookbook. Producer/Director, James Carman. Filmed fashion collections: Fall and Winter.