About James Carey - Actor, Director, and Producer

DIRECTING / PRODUCING - FILM

As an experienced director and producer, I’ve worked on indie features including Madly (currently streaming on Amazon) and Alternative Endings, along with a series of award-winning short films that have received recognition at festivals around the globe:

• Come Walk with Me — Silver Winner, Best Romance Film, Celebration of Cinema Festival, plus other accolades

• Why Are We Here? — Official Selection, Columbus River Film Festival

• Love Potion — Best Mystery/Thriller + 13 individual awards, 2024 Southern Shorts Awards

• A Cost of Freedom — Finalist, Ethos Film Awards (Los Angeles); Best International Short, Ellora Film Festival; Best Dramatic Short, Reale Film Festival (Milan)

• Divorce During Pandemic — Official Selection at 13 international festivals

• Fancy Meeting You Here — Best Independent Short, Independent Filmmakers Showcase (Los Angeles, 2019)

DIRECTING/PRODUCING - THEATRE

I’ve had the privilege of serving as the Artistic Director for two of Los Angeles’ most esteemed theatre companies:

• The ATTIC Theatre Ensemble (1987–2012)

• SkyPilot Theatre Company (2018–2021)

As a dedicated stage director, I’ve directed over 100 plays, including:

• The Elephant Man

• All My Sons

• The Cherry Orchard (Oasis Theatre)

• MacBeth (Kingsmen Shakespeare)

• World premieres by Lee Blessing and Jeffrey Hatcher

• Original works such as Coming to Zimbabwe and Come Together: A Beatles Cabaret, which toured the U.S., Africa, and the Middle East.

In 1992, I co-founded Hollywood Theatre Row and proudly served as its first President, earning both an LA Drama Critics Circle Award and a Hollywood Arts Council “Charlie” Award.

ACTING

Film (Selected Credits)

Color Purple: The Musical

Division

Madly

Iron Man 3

Coal Miner’s Daughter

Television (Selected Credits)

Collateral Interest

Sons of Anarchy

Young and the Restless

General Hospital

Theatre (Selected Credits)

The Green & The Blue

Diary of Anne Frank

Blackbird

Don Juan in Hell

The Diviners

A Streetcar Named Desire

Three Sisters

EDUCATION & TEACHING

I hold an MFA in Theatre Management, Cum Laude, from California State University–Long Beach. I’ve had the opportunity to teach at:

New York Film Academy – LA Campus

California Lutheran University

Pepperdine University

American Musical and Dramatic Academy – LA

California State University – Long Beach

In 2012, I founded ATTIC STUDIOS to concentrate on personal creative projects and international teaching. This work has taken me to:

Zimbabwe

Malawi

South Africa

Italy

United Arab Emirates

Additional Career Highlights

Adjudicator, National Drama Festival – Harare, Zimbabwe (2012)

Judged over 10,000 students across improv, monologues, scenes, speech, and poetry during a month-long festival

Published author – Three Days in Hamburg & Other Stories (Amazon Kindle)

Founder & Editor, TripsWithJames.com – a travel and lifestyle blog focusing on film, travel, and entertainment.

Over the years, I’ve been honored for my creative work, educational leadership, and significant contributions to the entertainment community. These accolades highlight a variety of collaborative efforts spanning film, stage, and international arts education.

As a Fulbright Specialist in Theatre & Film for International Projects, I’ve had the privilege of working with the U.S. State Department and the World Learning Foundation. My achievements include winning the prestigious Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and the Hollywood Arts Council “Charlie” Award. I am proud to have received over 50 Official Selection Laurels and multiple Best of Fest awards (see Film section).

My work was recognized as Critics Choice for Mi Casa Su Casa at the PortFringe festival in 2018, and I was named Outstanding Producer for Intimate Musical Theatre by StageSceneLA. Additionally, I have won 14 Drama-Logue Production Awards in Los Angeles.

I am an invited member of the Lincoln Center West Directing Lab and have presented solo shows at renowned festivals, including PortFringe, Atlanta Fringe, Hollywood Fringe, and San Diego Fringe. My invited debut, Coming to Zimbabwe, took place at the Harare International Festival of Arts in 2013. In 2014, I was honored to receive a travel grant from the U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe as part of a Teaching Training Program.

I have also served as a keynote speaker at the West Coast Theatre Conference and as an examiner in drama for the International Baccalaureate Organization. My role as a producer includes leading a theatre tour of Southeastern Africa, covering Zimbabwe, Malawi, and South Africa. Furthermore, I have contributed as a consultant for the Southern California Academy of Arts and Sciences in Theatre Arts Curriculum Development and was a panel member for the Community Project Grant Committee at the Arts Council of Long Beach in 2014.