Biography
JAMES DOWALIBY Creator - Producer - Writer
James M. Dowaliby is an experienced media, financial and business strategy executive with extensive domestic and international experience in the private, public and not-for profit sectors. International Media For the last two decades, Dowaliby has been an international film and television producer specializing in prestige, literary-driven and diversity projects. He is founder of Paramount Picture's International Television production arm. He previously served as the second Head of Production at the Family Channel Network. Along the way, he held development and production deals with Paramount Television, Universal Television and the ITV Studio, where he developed, acquired, produced and distributed scores of projects and committed more than $500 Million on U.S. and international productions. LIGHT & EDGE'S Series television slate includes: "PORTLAND RED", created by James Dowaliby and Dee Arthur, loosely inspired by the 1973 classic "THE MACK", "THE BIGAMIST'S WIVES" by Stefani Deoul, and "NAVAHOAX", exposing the foremost literary hoax in recent times, being produced, written and directed by James Dowaliby and noted Indigenous writer-director Cedar Sherbert. The Company's medium to high-budget motion picture slate features "UFOS: THE CIVILIZATION" ($100+MM), International comedy "NATIONAL LAMPOON'S COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE" ($75+MM) and "TRUE COLOURS" ($50MM) a classic romantic comedy, all with national security writer James P. Farwell. Other prestige projects include "SHADOWBOXING" - the true story of the first black world champion, "RISE", a highly-topical thriller based on cutting-edge climate science, along with "LIGHTKEEPER", a Bahamas-based action-adventure story, NIGHT FLYING", an adaptation of the much-loved young adult classic by Rita Murphy and "THE IOWA BASEBALL CONFEDERACY", W.P. Kinsella's seminal baseball novel.
Corporate Strategy Prior to entering the film and television arena, Dowaliby held a number of CEO and CFO positions, focusing on strategic planning, corporate finance and new business development. He has hands-on expertise in project finance including governmental incentive programmes, tax shelter and subsidies and commercial regulations applicable to domestic and international production, distribution, merchant banking and insurance. James was an early convert to digital content and technologies, including "connected" chips and consumer-electronic devices, content delivery networks, social networks, digital economics including digital download, streaming, advertising and content sales and marketing. He served as strategic consultant and head of content for a connected entertainment unit of Zoran, Inc. the world's third largest manufacturer of multi-function media chips, which reside in 30% of the DVD players, 20% of telephones and nearly all of the portable media player units in use around the world. He was also virtual-CFO at JUICR, a start-up business social network and Vidiva, a fast-growing software infrastructure company specializing in proprietary reference and user-interface design, and software infrastructure for wireless companies and devices. Other digital experience includes the Board of Directors Silvertech, one of HP's five original incubator companies and founder of E-KidsInternet. Dowaliby recognized the entertainment applications of secure down-load and private-internet technology and launched E-Movies, one of the earliest content down-load companies, building bridges with established relations with telcos, digital back-bone providers and leading Studio executives involved in content delivery. He designed, evaluated, acquired and/or sold a score of U.S. and international ventures, including international distribution companies (Intercontinental Releasing, CinemaNow), digital content networks, (Zoran, PassAlong Networks), education (Hope+, University by Design), film companies and libraries (APA, Bagdesarian, Cuba film studio, Endemol, Hit Entertainment, Nelvana, Sony Studios Australia, Wonderworks (PBS)) and an animation studio (Posnan, Poland). Dowaliby began his career in local, state and national politics, worked for famed political consultant Matt Reese, co-authored the first 1980 Democratic Election 'Autopsy Report', and later ran the U.S. office of Control Risks Limited, the world's leading crisis management consulting and response company allied with the Lloyd's Insurance Market.
Public and Not - for - Profit Public sector and Not for profit activities included ENVISION SOUTH CAROLINA (Board of Directors), HOPE+ (Not for Profit, WDC), COLBURN SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS (US/China Children's Choir Tour) , WOMEN'S CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (Chairman of the Board, New York City) HARLEM TUTORING ASSOCIATION (Co-Chairman, Finance Committee, Member, Board of Directors), CITY OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT (State Legislative Liaison), NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE (Presidential Polling for Professor F. Christopher Arterton), CITY OF NEW HAVEN (Legislative Liaison.
Worldwide Production Credits
In traditional media Dowaliby is known for the famed "Messiah" miniseries with the BBC based on Boris Starling's best-selling novel, the influential Fox series "HIGHER GROUND", introducing Hayden Christiansen, A.J. Cooke, Megan Ory and Kandice McClure to global television and "SNOWY RIVER: MCGREGOR SAGA", based on the epic Australian ballad by Banjo Patterson.
He produced the "LARGO" series adapted from Philippe Francq and Jean Van Hamme's global best-selling graphic novel series and "HOPE ISLAND" based on the classic BBC series, "Ballykissangel". I acquired "STEPHEN KING'S DEAD ZONE" for television along with five PBS films under the American Literature for Television banner including "A DEATH IN THE FAMILY", "THE PONDER HEART, "CORA UNASHAMED" and "THE SONG OF THE LARK". I also acquired FOUR SCIENCE FICTION films with Showtime Australia.
Prior to joining Paramount, Dowaliby produced three films with Yorkshire Television's in-house film unit Griffin Productions: "THE PLACE OF LIONS", adapted from Eric Campbell's classic novel and "THE GOOD KING," both for ITV, and "HUMAN BOMB", a co-production with Showtime Network (US). Previously, at the Family Channel, I spent $250 Million dollars of money, shepherding seven original films, series and franchise acquisitions including animated "MADELINE" by Ludwig Bemelmens, "PETER RABBIT & FRIENDS" by Beatrix Potter and "WIND IN THE WILLOWS" by Kenneth Grahame, all for The Family Channel.
He developed, mounted and supervised productions in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, England, Estonia, France, Germany, Japan, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland and Wales. Broadcast partners included BBC, Channel 4 and ITV in the UK, Australia's Seven, Nine and Ten Networks, CanWest and CT in Canada, M6 in France, ProSieben in Germany, NHK, JSat, and Fuji TV in Japan, RAI and Mediaset in Italy, NPO in the Netherlands, Telecinco in Spain and HTV in Wales. I also sold shows to PBS, USA Network, UPN (now CW), Fox Family and Ion.
Dowaliby used the Covid years to fashion two screenplays: "RISE" inspired by the climate change books by John Englander and "NIGHT FLYING", a faithful adaptation with Rita Murphy of her classic novel. He recently moved on to co-creating and co-writing "PORTLAND RED", an instant urban classic set in Portland, Oakland. Seattle and Vancouver. In the rain.
JAMES M DOWALIBY SLATE & CREDITS
SERIES & MINISERIES 2025-2028
PORTLAND RED [6 EPS X 50 MINUTES X 3 SEASONS] Creator & Writer THE BIGAMIST'S WIVES [LIMITED SERIES] Producer NAVAHOAX (MINSERIES) Writer/Produce
MOTION PICTURE SLATE 2025-2028
UFOS: THE CIVILIZATION (2025) Producer NATIONAL LAMPOON'S COUNTER INTELLIGENCE Producer TRUE COLOURS (2025) Producer THE PRINCE I KNOW (2026) Producer RISE (2020-2025) Writer/Producer SHADOWBOXING (2024-2025) Producer LIGHTKEEPER (2023-2025) Producer NIGHT FLYING (2023-2025) Writer/Producer IOWA BASEBALL CONFEDERACY (2023) Producer
PARAMOUNT PICTURES INTERNATIONAL: EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
STEPHEN KING'S DEAD ZONE (SERIES, 2002) USA Network MESSIAH (MINI-SERIES, 2001) BBC LARGO (SERIES, 2001) M6, Pro7 HIGHER GROUND (SERIES, 2000) Fox Family HOPE ISLAND (SERIES, 1999) Paxnet TRIBE (MINI-SERIES, 1999) Seven Network PARAMOUNT INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION FILM ACQUISITIONS CORA UNASHAMED PBS/ALT A DEATH IN THE FAMILY PBS/ALT THE PONDER HEART PBS/ALT THE SONG OF THE LARK PBS/ALT CODE RED: THE RUBICON Showtime (Aus) VIRTUAL NIGHTMARE Showtime (Aus) CURSE OF THE TALISMAN Showtime (Aus) MAX KNIGHT: ULTRA-SPY Showtime (Aus
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/EXECUTIVE IN CHARGE OF PRODUCTION
THE PLACE OF LIONS (1997) Yorkshire/ITV THE HUMAN BOMB (1996) Yorkshire/ITV DAD, THE ANGEL & ME (1995) Family Channel TAD (1995) Family Channel RUGGED GOLD (1995) Family Channel GOOD KING WENCESLAS (1994) Family Channel CANDLES IN THE DARK (1994) Family Channel
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/EXECUTIVE IN CHARGE - DRAMATIC, REALITY & ANIMATED SERIES TELEVISION
SNOWY RIVER: McGregor Saga (1993-95) Family Channel MAXIMUM DRIVE (1994) Family Channel MASTERS OF THE MAZE (1994) Family Channel THAT'S MY DOG (1991-1994) Family Channel MADELINE (ANIMATED SERIES (1994-5) Family Channel PETER RABBIT & FRIENDS Family Channel THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS Family Channel
