About the Director

Steve James

Steve James is best known as the producer-director of “Hoop Dreams,” winner of every major critics prize of 1994, as well as the Directors Guild of America Award, and the Peabody and Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards. Hoop Dreams was named to the Library of Congress National Film Registry, signifying its enduring importance to the history of film.

Other award-winning films include “Stevie,” which won several festivals and landed on a dozen ten best lists for 2003; the miniseries “The New Americans,” winner of the 2004 IDA Award for The Best Limited Series; “At the Death House Door,” which won numerous awards at festivals and was nominated for a Directors Guild of America Award; and “No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson” for ESPN’s Peabody and IDA award-winning “30 for 30” series.

James’ 2011 film, “The Interrupters,” was his fifth to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, and a hit on the festival circuit winning more than a dozen awards including the top prize at the Sheffield Film Festival. It took the two top Cinema Eye Awards and won the Independent Spirit Award. The Interrupters was named “Best Documentary of the year” in both the IndieWire and Village Voice national critics polls. Recently, it was awarded the duPont-Columbia Journalism Award.