JAMES STRONG - BIOGRAPHY

James’s first dramatic experience was as an actor appearing in a number of plays at Sussex University and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. After graduating he was a employed as a reporter for HTV West and presented the local what’s on programme ‘Spotlight’, this was before being picked to be first intake of Granada TV’s prestigious director’s’ training scheme.

This offered James his first taste of TV drama observing the likes of Coronation Street, Prime Suspect and Cracker, as well as making friends with one Russell T Davies (more of him later). It was in factual programmes he began his TV directing career, working on This Morning, The Clothes Show, the Holiday Programme and Top Gear.

He then made the move into documentaries by returning to Granada TV with World In Action and then Tonight With Trevor Macdonald. His passion for comedy led him to write and direct a short film Sold which was short listed for a BAFTA in 2002.

An opportunity to direct his first drama series soon followed, with work on Doctors and Holby City. James also developed the ITV1 strand Real Crime with a series of high-profile drama-doc’s including the RTS nominated Blood On Her Hands (The Tracy Andrews Story), A Killer’s Code and Lady Jane with Kaye Wragg and Patrick Baladi. He also wrote and directed Nothing But The Truth, a dramatic reconstruction of the Jill Dando murder trial, described by the Times as ‘the most important thing on TV this year.’

Further work followed, directing on Mile High, Casualty, The Afternoon Play (nominated for an RTS award) and wrote and directed Billie Jo. In 2005 he directed Rocket Man with Robson Green

He is currently developing his first feature film – The Busby Babies which re-tells the true story of the Munich air crash which devastated the Manchester United team in 1958. His new short film Talking To Strangers will also be premiering at the 2006 London Film Festival.