James Lantz is an award-winning filmmaker and playwright who has been writing and directing film and theater work for over three decades.

As a teen, James began working as a country radio DJ in the same station where music legend Patsy Cline got her start where he learned the craft from a number of colorful old timers. Later he taught high school in a farming program called Vocational Agriculture where he was honored to be named Teacher of the Year.  

He has written, directed and produced over 200 commercial and corporate films, many for Fortune 500 Companies such as American Airlines, Alamo Rental Cars, Amtrak and Mobil Oil.

As a playwright, James’s work has been produced Off-Broadway, played nationally and internationally. New York theater critic Weston Clay called his award-winning LGBTQ play, THE BUS, “Theater magic,” and British Theatre Guide said it was “fascinating.” On its premiere in Vermont the Burlington Free Press called it, “Extraordinary.”

THE BUS won the State Winner Award for The Clauder Prize in 2016.

His play, AMERICAN MACHINE, was a co-commissioned project of The Flynn Center for the Performing Arts and premiered to sold out houses and positive reviews. The Burlington Free Press called it, “Powerful.”

His documentary short film and essay THE SIGN was commissioned by, and published in, The Guardian and won the Best Documentary Award at the 2016 Boston Short Film Festival. 

His Kickstarter-funded documentary about a Vermont trademark conflict over the phrase “Eat More Kale” premiered in Vermont in 2021. SevenDays gave VERMONT AND THE BRIGHT GREEN NOTHING a Four-Star review and called it “…a fascinating case study in documentary filmmaking.”

James recently completed touring his Award-Winning Short Film A JUDDERING on the national film festival circuit where it was honored at ten different festivals winning Best Director, Best Short Film and Critic’s Choice awards.

Previously James programmed films for The Brooklyn Museum of Art, and worked as an adjunct college instructor.

James is also developing Angry Gay Grandpa, a web series about three Trans teen suicides that occurred in a single year in a small town in Pennsylvania, along with a PSA supporting Trans and Queer Youth.

He came out as gay two years ago on National Coming Out Day. You can read his Coming Out letter to his wife here.

James has also been public about his diagnosis five years ago with a rare Sarcoma cancer called MPNST which has left him partially disabled. Despite this, he still believes it’s possible to change the world for the better — and he’s working to complete critical parts of the Not Losing You Film Project prior to the 2024 presidential election.

Subscribe to the James’s Substack here.