James DeLisio is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles and San Diego. His filmmaking practice uses experimental nonfiction to explore the histories and ecologies of Southern California.
His newest film Lobsteropolis (2025) traces the passage of the California Spiny Lobster through a series of disparate contexts, and made its world premiere at the Slow Film Festival in London.
His work has been supported by the Suraj Israni Center for Cinematic Arts, the William Male Foundation, the Russell Foundation, and Labocine. Previous films have screened internationally at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, the San Diego Asian Film Festival, and more. Previously, he worked as a community media educator, and a sports broadcast operator. He is currently pursuing graduate studies at the University of Southern California, where he researches documentary studies and ecocriticism.
His next project, co-directed with Ian Guzman and shot on 16mm film, examines a forgotten instance of suburban racial violence in Southern California.
Recent Screenings, Talks, & Press
2025 Fellowship Forum | Suraj Israni Center for Cinematic Arts, San Diego, CA | October 2025
oneshot | Zero Gravity Creative Space, Taipei, Taiwan | November 2025
Athenaeum 33rd Annual Juried Exhibition | La Jolla, CA | July - October 2025