- Nickname
- Annie
- Height5′ 6″ (1.68 m)
- Anna Elizabeth James is a two-time top trending Netflix director and screenwriter with a proven track record for delivering global streaming hits. Distinguished by her "keep-you-guessing" narratives and bold visual style, James has emerged as a powerhouse multi-hyphenate, consistently capturing the #1 spot on the world’s largest streaming platform. James’ latest psychological thriller, Held Hostage in My House (2024), starring Amy Smart, Matt Davis, and Billy Zane, debuted on Netflix in late 2025 to immediate acclaim. This followed her massive global breakout, Deadly Illusions (2021), which she also wrote, directed, and produced under her Kiss and Tale Productions banner. Upon its release, Deadly Illusions, starring Kristin Davis and Dermot Mulroney, became an international phenomenon - #1 Film Worldwide on Netflix for 8 consecutive days, Global Top 10 for 18 days - a Record-Breaking Performance featured in numerous publications for its viral success and narrative grip.
A versatile storyteller, James has directed five feature films to date. Her credits include the Sony Pictures releases Emma’s Chance (2016) and Destined to Ride (2018), the TV movie Sisters for Life (2021), and a pilot for MTV. Her sharp eye for commercial material was evident early in her career when her feature script, I Do Over, was acquired by David Ellison’s Skydance Media while still in graduate school.
Beyond directing, Anna is a prolific producer and collaborator within the industry. Recent notable projects include Satisfaction (2026) Executive Producer, Succubus (2024) Producer, Supercell (2023) co-writer and May December (2024) as an integral early-stage collaborator for the critically acclaimed feature. Most recently she has written the feature script, If I Can Dream, an intimate portrait of Elvis Presley told through his best friend’s perspective.
Anna holds an MFA from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. She is known for her relentless work ethic and her ability to shepherd projects from inception to global distribution. Based in Los Angeles, James balances her prolific filmmaking career with being a mother of four.
- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous
- Children
- Met Pixar's founder John Lasseter at a panel where he told her that if she wanted to work at Pixar she needed to attend USC, they recruit from there. That fall she applied to USC and was admitted five months later. She credits the meeting with John as a life changing moment. At the time she was a stay-at-home mom with three young children, hosting a weekly book club, and secretly teaching herself how to write screenplays. After her first year of film school she was one of five students chosen as a finalist for the coveted editing internship at Pixar. She ended up not pursuing that path and instead focused on the writing and directing.
- While at USC Anna was chosen by the faculty and her peers to direct a short film in the highly competitive CTPR 546 Production Class. The film was the teen thriller, "Haven's Point".
- For her first feature Anna averaged 7-10 pages a day with one camera, on a 15 day shoot. She worked with rescue horses, and children, and managed to get one pick-up day at the end where she gained 30 set-ups with two teams shooting simultaneously in order to be on time and within budget.
- Played high school football on the boys JV team.
- Major tomboy as a kid. Enjoys being feminine now.
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