Biography
Jovan James is a filmmaker from Baltimore determined to inspire and entertain through innovative storytelling with an emphasis on humanity and compassion. Starting from a young age with an interest in medicine and science, he explored many interests before independently discovering his love for film and storytelling due to his love of reading and embodying different characters. Determined to accomplish his dreams and make a difference in the world in his own way, he decided to pursue filmmaking after high school instead of a career in medicine. Jovan earned his BFA at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2013, where he graduated cum laude. He started at NYU Tisch Grad Film in 2014 where he made his first short film, "THE JUMP OFF", that explores the end of a relationship between two young gay black men, it had its film festival debut at UrbanWorld in New York City and has played at over twenty film festivals across North America. His second short film, "TADPOLE", which follows the possible beginning of a queer teenage romance, debuted at New Hampshire Film Festival 2018, where it was awarded Best Student Film, and has since played over a dozen festivals across the country. After graduating from Tisch Grad Film in May 2019, he relocated to Los Angeles and was selected as a fall intern at the coveted internship program at Bad Robot Productions. In January 2020, Jovan premiered his latest short film and NYU Grad thesis, "BUCK", a dramatic thriller that follows a depressed Black gay man who finds peace in an unexpected place in the midst of a downward spiral, at the Sundance Film Festival. During the COVID-era, Jovan continued on the virtual festival circuit, playing BFI London Film Festival, Durban International Film Festival, and Newfest Film Festival, where he was awarded with the Emerging Black LGBTQ+ Filmmaker Award. Jovan is currently working on several new projects, including his first feature film "TADPOLE", and development on a series adaptation of his NYU Grad thesis short film, "BUCK".
