James DeLisio is a filmmaker and creating non-fiction and commercial film in San Diego, CA. He is a student at the University of California San Diego, where he studies cognitive science and film production.
His filmmaking practice uses observational documentary and the essay film to explore the mediation between the humanistic and the ecological. Previous works include "Smoke Signals," which follows the work of volunteer fire lookouts on Palomar Mountain, and "Four Years of Solitude," which documents a Korean immigrant's experience with isolation and military conscription. He is the recipient of a fellowship from the Suraj Israni Center for Cinematic Arts, and has had work supported by funding from the Russell Foundation. His films have screened at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, the San Diego Asian Film Festival, the Catalina Film Festival, and more.
As an emerging scholar of film studies, his scholarly interests include transnational cinema, generic intersections, and videographic criticism. He has presented work internationally at conferences at UC San Diego and Leibniz University Hannover, and was featured on the "Sight & Sound" magazine best video essays of 2023 list.
He also works in commercial video production and live broadcast production in Southern California. He has experience working in creative agencies, trailer houses, community media centers, sports and e-sports broadcast, and scripted film production as a full-service videographer, editor, colorist, camera operator, AC, technical director, live director, and more.
His forthcoming film, "Lobsteropolis," will be the third in a trilogy of works that observe ecosystems bordering urban San Diego. "Lobsteropolis" will examine the California Spiny Lobster through a series of disparate contexts.
Resumes & CV