James Liakos
- Additional Crew
- Actor
- Producer
James Liakos is an award-winning screenwriter, producer, and director who began his studies at the New York Film Academy in 1998. He was born in Camden, New Jersey in 1980, and would run around the house with his father's camcorder to make homemade movies since the age of 10.
In 1999, James pursued a degree in Film/Video at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ. Unfortunately, he had to drop out and undergo half a dozen surgeries following a serious car accident.
He returned to college in 2007, pursuing studies in English, theatre, business, and public speaking. He maintained High Honor Roll status and enlisted as a Member of the Dean's List and the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society.
In 2009, he created Cute Whippet Dog Story: Man's Best Friend (2009) during an actual pet-sitting job. The video went viral, surpassing seven million hits, and was featured by over twenty online publications including The San Francisco Globe.
In 2011, James collaborated with producer and writer Mary Vesper to direct Two Bears on the 4th (2011). Inspired by The Gift of the Magi, the short film was well received by children and adults alike, and showed how James and Mary met, as portrayed through the lives of two teddy bears. Later that year, he established James Liakos Photography.
In 2013, he produced, wrote, directed, and edited Tomorrow's Light (2014), a short music-driven film about a man who meditates on his life after a traumatic event. Film critic Megan Wallin of the Los Angeles Post-Examiner and Mini Motion Pictures gave the film four out of five stars, praising its unconventional approach to the hero's journey.
James relocated to New Mexico in 2013 where he befriended Ann Lerner, then Director of the Albuquerque Film Office. Her referrals led to him being hired as the accountant clerk on NBC's DIG (TV Mini Series 2015), followed by a position in camera crew on NBC's The Player (TV Series 2015), where he would respectfully decline acceptance to the IATSE 600 (International Cinematographers Guild) in order to pursue the Directors Guild of America (D.G.A.).
From 2017-2023, James was a stand-in for A-list actor Ray Romano on EPIX's Get Shorty (TV Series 2017). He produced and directed The Recovery (2017) for the 48 Hour Film Project - Albuquerque about a rebellious teenager and her loyal sister who go on a mission to recover an important item after school lets out for the summer. The film was positively received for its colorful characters, writing, and direction. James wrote, produced, and directed A Day In the Park (2019), winner of Best Social Drama at the Mindfield Film Festival. He produced Sea Critter (2021), winner of Best Visual Effects and Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy at the Southern Shorts Awards. In addition, James produced Man's Best Friend (2021) aka Dystopiality (2023), a platinum finalist at the Mindfield Film Festival around taking advanced classes with film acting teacher, Lora Cunningham. James was approached by producer and writer, Tracy Jordan, whose script inspired James to produce and direct Twalette (2023), a romantic comedy.
For years, James has taught students in public school settings about the benefits of eating healthy. James advocates an environmentally-friendly lifestyle that is healthy, less materialistic, and more compassionate towards others. He feels that film and television are excellent media for inspiring others to reach their greatest potential and promoting freedom of expression and social change.
In 1999, James pursued a degree in Film/Video at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ. Unfortunately, he had to drop out and undergo half a dozen surgeries following a serious car accident.
He returned to college in 2007, pursuing studies in English, theatre, business, and public speaking. He maintained High Honor Roll status and enlisted as a Member of the Dean's List and the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society.
In 2009, he created Cute Whippet Dog Story: Man's Best Friend (2009) during an actual pet-sitting job. The video went viral, surpassing seven million hits, and was featured by over twenty online publications including The San Francisco Globe.
In 2011, James collaborated with producer and writer Mary Vesper to direct Two Bears on the 4th (2011). Inspired by The Gift of the Magi, the short film was well received by children and adults alike, and showed how James and Mary met, as portrayed through the lives of two teddy bears. Later that year, he established James Liakos Photography.
In 2013, he produced, wrote, directed, and edited Tomorrow's Light (2014), a short music-driven film about a man who meditates on his life after a traumatic event. Film critic Megan Wallin of the Los Angeles Post-Examiner and Mini Motion Pictures gave the film four out of five stars, praising its unconventional approach to the hero's journey.
James relocated to New Mexico in 2013 where he befriended Ann Lerner, then Director of the Albuquerque Film Office. Her referrals led to him being hired as the accountant clerk on NBC's DIG (TV Mini Series 2015), followed by a position in camera crew on NBC's The Player (TV Series 2015), where he would respectfully decline acceptance to the IATSE 600 (International Cinematographers Guild) in order to pursue the Directors Guild of America (D.G.A.).
From 2017-2023, James was a stand-in for A-list actor Ray Romano on EPIX's Get Shorty (TV Series 2017). He produced and directed The Recovery (2017) for the 48 Hour Film Project - Albuquerque about a rebellious teenager and her loyal sister who go on a mission to recover an important item after school lets out for the summer. The film was positively received for its colorful characters, writing, and direction. James wrote, produced, and directed A Day In the Park (2019), winner of Best Social Drama at the Mindfield Film Festival. He produced Sea Critter (2021), winner of Best Visual Effects and Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy at the Southern Shorts Awards. In addition, James produced Man's Best Friend (2021) aka Dystopiality (2023), a platinum finalist at the Mindfield Film Festival around taking advanced classes with film acting teacher, Lora Cunningham. James was approached by producer and writer, Tracy Jordan, whose script inspired James to produce and direct Twalette (2023), a romantic comedy.
For years, James has taught students in public school settings about the benefits of eating healthy. James advocates an environmentally-friendly lifestyle that is healthy, less materialistic, and more compassionate towards others. He feels that film and television are excellent media for inspiring others to reach their greatest potential and promoting freedom of expression and social change.