About/

     James W. Hawk
          award-winning - filmmaker - author - screenwriter - photo artist

James "Jim" W. Hawk, born in New Eagle, Pennsylvania, is of German, Irish, Scottish, Native American (Seneca) decent and a decendant of Degory Priest of the Mayflower. At the age of three, his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio. After graduating from Cleveland State University with a Mechanical Engineering degree, he pursued a career in industrial sales and marketing with a Fortune 500 company which resulted in being relocated to Rochester, New York; South Bend, Indiana; and finally, New Haven, Connecticut.

While in Connecticut, Hawk spent six months teaching himself non-linear editing programs and attended a training program for studio equipment at a local television station.

His first film-making project was a two hour, four-part cinema verite called The Old School Roadster featuring Larry, a local car guy who built a Roadster in his garage. It aired on television stations throughout Connecticut.

Hawk's next filmmaking project was a commercial for Doritos. Having these first works under his belt, he needed the next greater challenge...he wanted to make a short narrative film.

Fulfilling a life-long passion, he wrote, produced, edited, d.p.ed and directed Alpha To Omega: Part IV with limited resources but plenty of ingenuity. He wanted to keep it simple, so he developed a storyline and script about the “last man on Earth.” After much work—and with the help of a “few good men”—it came together as his first narrative short film which he submitted to the TV series, "On The Lot."

Since that time, he has directed, produced, written, and edited many narrative short films, animations, experimental films, documentaries, music videos and industrial presentations.

For two years he served as an Associate Producer and for four years as the Director for the “behind the scenes” film for the Connecticut Film Industry Training Program. He has been interviewed several times on television about the making of his short films, and his films have been well received by local television stations, film festivals and other public venues. His films have been screened 107 times at 58 film feativals and other film venues around the wiorld. Two of his film finished as finalists and four finished as semi-finalists. One of his films was an exhibit at a Rome Italy art exhibition. Two of his animation films were award-winners at international film festivals.

Jan Harlan (Executive Producer for Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick) has viewed many of Hawk's films and speaks highly of their quality and content. Other prominent industry professionals have given his creative works the highest accolades. Dr. Raymond Foery
Professor Emeritus - Quinnipiac University Film, Television, and Media Arts said that "A truly imaginative filmmaker with a highly sophisticated sense of cinematic acuity. Jim has been remarkably active, in various genres. As a director of narrative fiction, he has shown a sure hand with actors and a sophisticated appreciation of mise-en-scene. As a creator of animated visual motifs, Jim has displayed a mastery of the latest techniques and a sophisticated sense of composition complemented by a rich appreciation of theatrical style. Each of his projects also reveals the mind of an artist grappling with the eternal philosophical dilemmas of our existence on this planet – as well as some speculation about those other planets out there. In short, Jim’s work forces us to think as well as to look."

Hawk has been invited by Fox Searchlight to submit one of his feature length scripts for their consideration. He was also approached by a film distributor that was interested in one of his short films.

He was approached by a producer to direct a $5 million budget film, but he declined the offer because he didn't feel that he could do justice for that particular film.

Hawk is always either planning or searching for his next greater challenge.

He recently became a colleague of USVAA (United States Veterans' Artists Alliance) in the areas of film, literature, and photography.

Hawk is currently seeking funding to make a feature film. Please contact him if this would be of interest to you or someone you know.

Hawk has written many science fiction short story scripts. Several years ago he decided to convert them to print book / ebook stories. As a published author, his first short story, TO beta-VANVERDEN AND BACK, received the maximum five-star rating from Clyde Phillips, a writer and producer for the award winning DEXTER television series. Hawk’s second short story, FAILURE, was number two on the Amazon Top 100 Best-selling U.S. Short Story list. His third short story, WILLARD’S FUNDAMENTAL FORCE, was number eleven on Amazon’s Best Sellers in Science Fiction Anthologies. Hawk recently had his first novella published, which is a murder mystery called CONFLUENCE. It is being enthusiastically received and getting great reviews. His current project is the epic and essential, Aleph to Taw Chronicles, a story that explains a lot..

As for photographic artist, he is putting his work on display on the internet. His work can be viewed on the Fine Art America website by searching those website for “James W. Hawk”.

One of his digital photo projects, Foggy Night on Circuit Avenue (to the left), was an Official Selection of the Sappixel International Photo Contest.

As always, Hawk greatly appreciates his fans’ kind and generous support.