James Walker (writer/filmmaker) explained

James Walker (born 19 June 1979) is a British writer and filmmaker. He lives in London and studied at Radley College and Trinity College, Cambridge University where he read English and received a 1st Class Honors Degree. He is a director of Magma Pictures[1] and the Young Film Academy.[2] His first feature film Blooded, had a UK cinema release on 1 April 2011 and was released on the UK DVD market.[3] Blooded caused a great deal of controversy at the time of the film's release, promotional viral videos were removed from video sharing websites following action by animal rights protesters.[4]

Directing credits

Into Swans
(Short film: 15 mins, 16mm) Drama (2004).

One Small Leap
(Short film: 3 mins, 16mm) Comedy (2002).[5]

Taboo
(Short film: 30 mins, BetaSP) Thriller (1998).[6]

Gemini
(Theatre) Produced ADC Theatre, Cambridge (2000).

On the Breast of a Woman
(Theatre) Produced ADC Theatre, Cambridge (2001).[7]

Writing credits

Blooded
(Feature film) Thriller (2011).[8]

Proving Mr Jennings
(Theatre) Winner, King's Cross New Writing Award (2004).[9]

Into Swans
(Short film) Drama (2003).

One Small Leap
(Short film) Comedy (2002).[5]

On The Breast of a Woman
(Theatre) Drama. Produced Queens’ Theatre, Cambridge (2001).[7]

Born to be Wild
(Theatre) Produced C Venues, Edinburgh Festival (2000).
[10] Broadcast on BBC World Service, December (2000).[10]

Gemini
(Theatre) Produced ADC Theatre, Cambridge (2000).

Awards

Film

Winner, Best UK Short, Raindance 2003.

Winner, Cocotte-Minute Prix, Brest European Short Film Festival 2003.[11]

HTV Award, Brief Encounters 2002.[12]

Best Director, Capalbio International Film Festival 2003.[11]

F.I.C.E Award, Capalbio International Film Festival 2003.

Runner-up, Aprille Award, Milan Film Festival 2002.

Theater

Winner, King’s Cross New Writing Award, 2004.[13]

Nominated for London Writers Award, 2002.

Winner, BATS New Writing Award, 2000.

Selected to participate in the Berlinale Talent Campus, 2003.[14]

Blooded critical response

The film's topic has provoked reactions from parties on both side of the hunting debate in the UK.[15] In promoting the film, its makers originally asserted that it was a re-creation of an actual event that occurred after the enactment of the 2005 hunting ban in England,[16] maintaining that the film, rather than trying to make any political points, only investigates "the nature of extremism" in any form,[17] and "encourages debate".[18] The Evening Standard wrote that the film "caused outrage after graphic scenes showing activists attacking five deer-stalkers were posted on the internet, in a viral publicity campaign."[18] The Independent noted the film's controversial stance, and that as the film's asserted protagonists were a group of extreme animal activists, it generated "much chatter on the interweb" after clips appeared on Youtube. They wrote however, "it all has the whiff of a clever publicity stunt".[16] This is a stance echoed in many other online reviews with suggestions that it is a mockumentary that leaves the viewer with [sic] "no doubt that it is fabricated".[15] The List classed it as an example of a "fantastic piece of filmmaking that shows what is achievable if you get creative within your budget".[19]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Blooded . 31 January 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130527205447/http://bloodedthemovie.com/ . 27 May 2013 . dead .
  2. Web site: Home. Young Film Academy.
  3. Web site: Celebrating UK Film . 15 April 2010 . 5 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201005140127/https://film.britishcouncil.org/?id=5B6A86F41da411AE1BuHh2243696 . dead .
  4. News: Moore-Bridger . Benedict . Widdup . Ellen . Parsons . Rob . Oh deer... heiress tells of 'harrowing' film role as the quarry of hunt extremists . . 22 March 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110326025848/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23934413-oh-deer-heiress-tells-of-harrowing-film-role-as-the-quarry-of-hunt-extremists.do . 26 March 2011.
  5. Web site: One Small Leap. 20 November 2002. IMDb.
  6. Web site: Taboo. 28 June 1997. IMDb.
  7. Web site: Brenda Cottis . www.bawds.org . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20030129042512/http://www.bawds.org/brenda_cottis.htm . 2003-01-29.
  8. Web site: Blooded. 18 March 2011. IMDb.
  9. Web site: The Stage review of Proving Mr. Jennings.
  10. Web site: Foreign Shorts 2003 . cinemainvisibile.it . https://web.archive.org/web/20110204192242/http://www.cinemainvisibile.it/Corti/cortistranieri2003.htm . 4 February 2011.
  11. Web site: One Small Leap - IMDb. www.imdb.com.
  12. Web site: Hunting the hunters . https://web.archive.org/web/20110414123410/http://www.venue.co.uk/film-features/11652-hunting-the-hunters . 2011-04-14. 2023-11-25.
  13. Web site: James Walker wins Courtyard prize for new writing - The Courtyard. www.thecourtyard.org.uk.
  14. Web site: Berlinale Talent Campus . 23 August 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110927133922/http://www.berlinale-talentcampus.de/campus/talent/james-walker/profile?pos=11 . 27 September 2011 . dead .
  15. Web site: The Week UK: The Latest News, Opinion, Sport, People & Business. The Week UK.
  16. Web site: Matthew Bell: The IoS Diary . 2023-11-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131220102705/http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/matthew-bell-the-iiosi-diary-2233473.html . 2013-12-20 . 2011-03-06.
  17. Web site: Grass Roots – Blooded | Blog | littlewhitelies.co.uk . 2011-03-25 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110721081748/http://www.littlewhitelies.co.uk/blog/grass-roots-blooded-14601 . 21 July 2011 . dmy-all .
  18. Web site: Oh deer... Heiress tells of 'harrowing' film role as the quarry of hunt extremists | News . 2011-03-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110326025848/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23934413-oh-deer-heiress-tells-of-harrowing-film-role-as-the-quarry-of-hunt-extremists.do . 26 March 2011 . dmy-all .
  19. Web site: DVD: Phenomena, The Beyond, Senseless, Blooded, Skyline, Primal, Island of Death. 24 March 2011. The List.