James David Walley

James David Walley's destiny was clear from the start, as, arriving prematurely, he was nearly born in Grauman's Chinese Theatre during a screening of "The King and I." Like so many others, Walley was first was drawn to filmmaking during the "golden era" of the early 70s. When his first short film, "Miracle," made in two days as a high-school class project, was selected by Continental Cablevision for statewide broadcast, Walley had found his vocation. Following graduation from St. John's College (while producing and directing short films during vacations), Walley enrolled at California Institute of the Arts, earning an M.F.A. with his half-hour Super-8 drama, "Almost Home."

But life after film school was a far different story. "Breaking into the industry was every bit as hard as my family and friends had told me it would be," Walley now says, "and it was a shock to realize that I could no longer afford to make even a Super-8 short." Further industry rejection, increasing financial difficulties, and a devastating split from his personal and creative partner eventually resulted in Walley selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door and sleeping in his 1980 Toyota in vacant lots and highway rest stops. Finally, Walley set aside his filmmaking dreams, taught himself computer programming, and began a career as a game developer (ironically, often designing and programming the computer-game versions of popular films and television series).

But dreams never die completely, and Walley's were reawakened by an unexpected technological breakthrough, digital video.

Not wanting to plunge directly into a feature after twenty years of inactivity, Walley first wrote and directed the short unauthorized sequel "Titanic II," which played to enthusiastic audiences in Seattle, Toronto, and New York. With that experience under his belt, he was ready to move ahead with "Messages," making him probably the oldest first-time feature director of 2004.