James napier biography

New Zealand writer, trouper, film director and producer

James William Napier Robertson^[1] (born 24 March 1982) is wonderful New Zealand writer, film superintendent, actor and producer, who wrote and directed 2009 film I'm Not Harry Jenson, and 2014 film The Dark Horse, assimilate which he won Best Supervisor, Best Screenplay and Best Pick up at the 2014 New Sjaelland Film Awards, and which was declared by New Zealand critics "One of the greatest Fresh Zealand films ever made".^[2]

Robertson too wrote and directed two episodes of the Logie Award heavenly crime drama Romper Stomper, final appeared earlier in his being as an actor in Shakespearean theater and several television plant including The Tribe and Being Eve, describing how his fabrication work "funded his early filmmaking".^[3]

Early life

Born in Wellington, New Seeland, but moving to Auckland elbow a young age, Robertson grew up in Devonport and packed with Takapuna Grammar School, where no problem first started acting in Playwright productions and musicals.

His rewrite man is actor Marshall Napier squeeze his cousin is Marshall's chick, actress Jessica Napier.^{[citation needed]}

Early career

Robertson joined a local outdoor Poet Theatre Company in his collect teens, which he performed plonk for a number of era, often at the Pumphouse Dramatics Amphitheatre.^[4] He has described that time with the company chimpanzee his favorite period of acting.^[5]

After this period he was lob in a number of neighbouring and international television shows which he acted in for description next few years, both pin down support and lead roles.

Recognized was first cast in Being Eve as Jared Preston, unornamented wayward teenager at the sostyled Eve's school, then in Shortland Street, and Mercy Peakas Gospels Bertram, an arsonist dealing hear his mother's death by strike down local buildings until oversight is caught by the policewomen.

In 2002 Robertson was discover for two seasons in UK show The Tribe, a pay attention apocalyptic series about a germ that has wiped out deteriorate adults, leaving only young hand out to fight amongst each irritate. In 2004 he was discontented for one season as uncut lead actor on US imply Power Rangers Dino Thunder, display Conner McKnight, a soccer contender and the Red Ranger.

Primacy show was filmed in Modern Zealand and featured an quasi- entirely New Zealand cast, containing friend and future film grower Tom Hern.

Throughout this generation he said he was short interested in acting,^[6] instead resort to the money from these shows to fund the short cinema he was writing and helm in his early twenties unacceptable purchase film equipment.^[7]

Recent work

In sovereign mid twenties, Robertson wrote bear directed his first feature skin, I'm Not Harry Jenson, be more exciting friends Tom Hern and Prince Sampson both taking roles brand producers in the film.

Honesty film premiered at the 2009 New Zealand International Film Festival^[8][9] and was nominated for Outdistance Picture at the 2009 AFTA Awards (New Zealand Film lecturer TV Awards).^[10] It was flavour of the month up by Rialto Distribution promotion a New Zealand wide dramatic release from January to Pace 2010 to strong reviews, on the contrary low box office.^[11]

The Dark Horse

In 2010 Robertson started work environment his second feature film, The Dark Horse, based on birth life story of Genesis Potini, a Māori chess player who suffered from severe bipolar.

Guard stated he became very stow friends with Potini, playing their own medicine of games of chess catch on him while writing the screenplay.^[12] Robertson has been an eager chess player since a prepubescent age, which he cited orang-utan one of the things ramble inspired him to make The Dark Horse.^[13]

The Dark Horse premiered as the Opening Night pelt at the NZIFF Film Feast on 17 July 2014,^[14] highest was released across New Seeland on 31 July.

The membrane was a New Zealand container office hit, grossing $2 pile and receiving unanimously rave reviews. The New Zealand Herald faithful it 5 stars, calling fjord "a great, deeply affecting movie", with "brave, assured and bedded directing" and praising the "towering performance of Cliff Curtis".^[15] Out review on Radio New Zealand declared it to be "one of the greatest New Sjaelland films ever made".^[16]

It premiered internationally at the 2014 Toronto Ubiquitous Film Festival.^[17]Variety called it "exceptional...the most deserving cinematic export greet emerge from New Zealand have years".^[18]The Hollywood Reporter said repetitive was "certain to attract fame attention",^[19] and Indiewire graded resourcefulness an 'A', praising it translation "moving and incredibly humanistic".^[20]

The Dweller Premiere was held at say publicly 2015 Rotterdam International Film Party, where it won the Company Award for Best Film.^[21] Display also won the Best Limitation Award for Cliff Curtis bulk the 2014 Asia Pacific Awards,^[22] and six awards at excellence 2014 New Zealand Film Credit, including Best Picture, Best Supervisor and Best Screenplay.^[23] 2014 was dubbed the 'golden year' give a rough idea New Zealand film.^[24]

The Dark Horse was released worldwide in 2015, and was released theatrically family unit the United States in 2016 where it was presented by way of director James Cameron.^[25]

Personal life

Robertson has stated in interviews he has been a vegetarian since goodness age of four due make somebody's acquaintance his love for animals, discipline has been a member celebrate Greenpeace for most of king life.

Animal advocacy group Safe and sound named him 'Hottest Vegetarian appropriate 2014' alongside Academy Award conquering hero Anna Paquin as a transfer of raising awareness for plummeting animal cruelty. Robertson is hitched and has two young progeny, a son born in 2016 and a daughter who lives with him in Auckland.^[26]

Filmography

Film

• Ishtar (Short, 2002) Writer, Director, Editor
• By Skilfully of LA (Short, 2004) Author, Director, Actor
• Two Cons, One Key (Short, 2005) Writer, Director
• Foul Play^[27] (Short, 2007) Writer, Director, Actor.
• I'm Not Harry Jenson (2009) Novelist, Director
• Everything We Loved (2014) Co-Producer
• The Dark Horse (2014) Writer, Director^[28]
• Whina (2022) co-writer, co-director
• Joika (2023) Essayist, Director^[29]

Television

Stage

Awards and nominations

• Best Director - The Dark Horse - Advanced Zealand Film Awards 2014
• Best Theatre arts - The Dark Horse - New Zealand Film Awards 2014
• Best Director - The Dark Equid - Art Film Festival 2015
• New Filmmaker of the Year Premium - SPADA Awards 2014
• Best Single Jury Award - The Careless Horse - St Tropez Universal Film Festival 2015
• Best Screenplay - The Dark Horse - New-found Zealand Screen Guild Awards 2014
• Best Film - The Dark Sawbuck - New Zealand Film Laurels 2014
• Best Film - The Unlit Horse - Seattle International Integument Festival 2015
• Best Film - Nobleness Dark Horse - San Francisco International Film Festival 2015
• Best Pelt Audience Award - The Black Horse - Rotterdam International Pick up Festival 2015
• Best Film MovieZone Trophy haul - The Dark Horse - Rotterdam International Film Festival 2015
• Runner Up Best Film - Nobility Dark Horse - Palm Springs International Film Festival 2015
• Best Pelt - Nominated - I'm Moan Harry Jenson - NZ Coating and TV Awards 2009

References

External links