James Lantz is an award-winning filmmaker and playwright whose work—spanning more than three decades—has been activism-fueled.

He got his start as a teenage country-radio DJ at the same small-town station where Patsy Cline got her start, where he learned the trade from a cast of unforgettable old-timers. It also gave him the opportunity to meet Elizabeth Taylor — and then explain how a pig scramble worked.

Before turning fully to film and theater, James taught high-school Vocational Agriculture and was honored as Teacher of the Year.

He has written, directed and produced over 300 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 premiered in Vermont in 2021. SevenDays gave THE BRIGHT GREEN NOTHING a Four-Star review and called it “…a fascinating case study in documentary filmmaking.”

In 2023 he toured 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.

He recently completed a national micro-movie supporting trans and LGBTQ Youth called, NOT LOSING YOU that has over 2 million views on YouTube and TikTok.

Earlier last year he was arrested for protesting an anti-LGBTQ MAGA state senator in Pennsylvania. He was convicted of “criminal mischief” and ordered to pay $17,000. (photo: left, bottom).

James also produces Angry Gay Grandpa, a web series that was created in the wake of five trans youth suicides that occurred over a little more than a single year in a single county in Pennsylvania.

His current film project is an independent feature film called A STILL, SMALL PAW that will be produced in 2027 for distribution prior to the 2028 U.S. Presidential election.

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

James is also a cancer survivor. He’s been public about his diagnosis seven years ago with a rare cancer that has left him partially disabled. He is currently free of detectable cancer (and hopes to stay that way).

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