James Schamus
Production Born Sep 7, 1959 Detroit, Michigan, USA 96 credits
Biography
James Allan Schamus was born on September 7, 1959, in Detroit, Michigan, to a Jewish family. He is an American screenwriter, producer, business executive, film historian, professor, and director. Schamus is the son of Clarita Gershowitz. He serves as president of the New York-based production company Symbolic Exchange and is a Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University, teaching film history and theory since 1989. Schamus co-founded the production company Good Machine, and he also co-founded and served as CEO of the motion picture production, financing, and worldwide distribution company Focus Features, which is a subsidiary of NBCUniversal.
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Career overview
James Schamus is known for his work in production, with 73 known credits listed on The Movie Database. Throughout his career in the film industry, he has established himself as a frequent collaborator of director Ang Lee. His professional background spans multiple facets of the entertainment and academic industries, encompassing roles as a screenwriter, producer, business executive, film historian, professor, and director. Schamus balances his executive and creative work in cinema with his ongoing academic position at Columbia University, where he has instructed students in film history and theory since 1989. In addition to his past leadership as CEO of Focus Features and co-founder of Good Machine, he continues his production career as president of the New York-based production company Symbolic Exchange.
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Career timeline
The Boroughs · WriterThe Boroughs · Consulting ProducerSon-in-Law · ProducerSon-in-Law · Writer
The Wedding Banquet · ScreenplayThe Wedding Banquet · ProducerThe Wedding Banquet · Original Film Writer
We Grown Now · Executive ProducerMcVeigh · Executive Producer
Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms · Script Consultant
The King's Daughter · Screenplay
Somos. · Executive ProducerSomos. · WriterSomos. · CreatorAttack of the Hollywood Clichés!
The Assistant · ProducerDriveways · Producer
The Tomorrow Man · ProducerAdam · ProducerFramesFrames · Director30/30 Vision: Three Decades of Strand Releasing · Director
Furlough · Executive Producer
Dayveon · Executive ProducerCasting JonBenet · Producer
Alone in Berlin · ProducerIndignation · ScreenplayIndignation · DirectorIndignation · ProducerJunction 48 · Executive Producer
Suffragette · Executive Producer
That Film About MoneyThat Film About Money · ProducerThat Film About Money · WriterThat Film About Money · Director
Misfire: The Rise and Fall of the Shooting Gallery
These Amazing ShadowsLost Forever: The Art of Film Preservation
Taking Woodstock · ScreenplayTaking Woodstock · ProducerA Sense of CharacterA Very Quiet Man
Lust, Caution · ScreenplayLust, Caution · Executive Producer
Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema
Brokeback Mountain · Producer
Hulk · ProducerHulk · StoryHulk · ScreenplayThe Making of 'Hulk'The Incredible Ang Lee
Buffalo Soldiers · Executive ProducerAuto Focus · Executive ProducerA Feast for the Eyes: Ang Lee in Taipei
Tortilla Soup · Original Film Writer
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon · ScreenplayCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon · Executive ProducerCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon · Lyricist
Ride with the Devil · ScreenplayRide with the Devil · ProducerLola and Billy the Kid · Executive ProducerLove God · Executive Producer
Happiness · Executive Producer
The Ice Storm · ProducerThe Ice Storm · ScreenplayThe Myth of Fingerprints · Executive ProducerOffice Killer · Executive ProducerArresting Gena · Executive Producer
She's the One · ProducerWalking and Talking · Producer
Sense and Sensibility · Co-ProducerSafe · Executive ProducerThe Brothers McMullen · Executive ProducerRoy Cohn/Jack Smith · Producer
Eat Drink Man Woman · ScreenplayEat Drink Man Woman · Associate ProducerWhat Happened Was... · Executive Producer
The Wedding Banquet · ProducerThe Wedding Banquet · WriterMOTV (My Own TV) · Coordinating ProducerA Psychic Mom · Coordinating Producer
Full filmography
- The Boroughs (2026) Writer
- The Boroughs (2026) Consulting Producer
- Son-in-Law (2026) Producer
- Son-in-Law (2026) Writer
- The Wedding Banquet (2025) Screenplay
- The Wedding Banquet (2025) Producer
- The Wedding Banquet (2025) Original Film Writer
- We Grown Now (2024) Executive Producer
- McVeigh (2024) Executive Producer
- Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms (2023) Script Consultant
- The King's Daughter (2022) Screenplay
- Somos. (2021) Executive Producer
- Somos. (2021) Writer
- Somos. (2021) Creator
- Attack of the Hollywood Clichés! (2021) as Self - Screenwriter
- The Assistant (2020) Producer
- Driveways (2020) Producer
- The Tomorrow Man (2019) Producer
- Adam (2019) Producer
- Frames (2019) as Narrator (voice)
- Frames (2019) Director
- 30/30 Vision: Three Decades of Strand Releasing (2019) Director
- Furlough (2018) Executive Producer
- Dayveon (2017) Executive Producer
- Casting JonBenet (2017) Producer
- Alone in Berlin (2016) Producer
- Indignation (2016) Screenplay
- Indignation (2016) Director
- Indignation (2016) Producer
- Junction 48 (2016) Executive Producer
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: A Retrospective (2016)
- Suffragette (2015) Executive Producer
- That Film About Money (2014)
- That Film About Money (2014) Producer
- That Film About Money (2014) Writer
- That Film About Money (2014) Director
- Misfire: The Rise and Fall of the Shooting Gallery (2013) as Self
- These Amazing Shadows (2011) as Self
- Lost Forever: The Art of Film Preservation (2011) as Himself
- Taking Woodstock (2009) Screenplay
- Taking Woodstock (2009) Producer
- A Sense of Character (2009) as Self
- A Very Quiet Man (2009) as Self
- Lust, Caution (2007) Screenplay
- Lust, Caution (2007) Executive Producer
- Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema (2006) as Self
- Brokeback Mountain (2005) Producer
- Hulk (2003) Producer
- Hulk (2003) Story
- Hulk (2003) Screenplay
- The Making of 'Hulk' (2003) as Self
- The Incredible Ang Lee (2003) as Self
- Evolution of the Hulk (2003) as Self
- Buffalo Soldiers (2002) Executive Producer
- Auto Focus (2002) Executive Producer
- A Feast for the Eyes: Ang Lee in Taipei (2002) as Self
- Tortilla Soup (2001) Original Film Writer
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Screenplay
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Executive Producer
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Lyricist
- Ride with the Devil (1999) Screenplay
- Ride with the Devil (1999) Producer
- Lola and Billy the Kid (1999) Executive Producer
- Love God (1999) Executive Producer
- Happiness (1998) Executive Producer
- The Ice Storm (1997) Producer
- The Ice Storm (1997) Screenplay
- The Myth of Fingerprints (1997) Executive Producer
- Office Killer (1997) Executive Producer
- Arresting Gena (1997) Executive Producer
- Wonderland (1997) Executive Producer
- She's the One (1996) Producer
- Walking and Talking (1996) Producer
- Sense and Sensibility (1995) Co-Producer
- Safe (1995) Executive Producer
- The Brothers McMullen (1995) Executive Producer
- Roy Cohn/Jack Smith (1995) Producer
- Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) Screenplay
- Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) Associate Producer
- What Happened Was... (1994) Executive Producer
- The Wedding Banquet (1993) Producer
- The Wedding Banquet (1993) Writer
- MOTV (My Own TV) (1993) Coordinating Producer
- A Psychic Mom (1993) Coordinating Producer
- In the Soup (1992) Associate Producer
- Surviving Desire (1992) Associate Producer
- Thank You and Good Night (1992) Producer
- Ambition (1992) Producer
- Poison (1991) Executive Producer
- Pushing Hands (1991) Writer
- Pushing Hands (1991) Executive Producer
- Warrior: The Life of Leonard Peltier (1991) Executive Producer
- I Was on Mars (1991) Line Producer
- Keep It for Yourself (1991)
- The Spacesuit Producer
- Fatale Producer