Established by award-winning film and theatre maker James Cunningham, Presidential Productions is an independent boutique production company headquartered in Australia. Cunningham and Presidential Productions have together produced film and theatre production in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Gold Coast and Whitsunday Islands, and remotely with collaborators around the world. Notably, Presidential Productions successful presented James Cunningham's play THE SHEDS premiering at Melbourne Fringe Festival in 2013, and subsequently touring both Adelaide and Sydney Fringe festivals in 2014.
Presidential Productions produced live drama GOUGH at Melbourne Fringe in 2014. Written and directed by Cunningham, GOUGH explored the 1975 dismissal of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in a one-man-show starring Melbourne actor Warrick Merry. Cunningham produced and directed a re-imagining of Patrick Hamilton's 1929 play ROPE at Perth's Fringe World Festival and staged at Murdoch University in 2016. The following year, Cunningham presented another new original work THE WAR ROOM, about to Perth's festival audiences.
In early 2018 Presidential Productions completed short film BENEATH THE WAVES which chronicles two brothers on a surfing trip. The film was selected at film festivals in Australia and across the world including as far as Italy, New York, India and beyond. In the same year, the company released FERNANDO'S RIDE, a documentary about a once homeless Brazilian man who rode 3,000km across the Australian outback to raise money and awareness for homeless youth.
James Cunningham's latest short film, THE ASSIGNMENT, is a thrilling Hitchcock-inspired production set in and filmed on location in Melbourne, Australia. It has screened at festivals around the world and recently received awards for Cunningham and Presidential Productions. With many exciting projects in development, Presidential Productions continues to showcase its exceptional talent in both film and theatre.
WINNER - Best Thriller 'The Assignment', Chicago Cinema Awards 2022
James Cunningham studied filmmaking at QPIX in Brisbane while working on local film and television productions. James has worked as a writer, film critic, both festival judge organiser. James work THAT'S RACIST was shortlisted for the Midsumma Queer Playwriting Award in 2021. James won 'Best Director' for THE ASSIGNMENT at the Chicago Cinema Awards in 2022. and served as Managing Editor of Australian Cinematographer Magazine for eight years, an achievement which earned Cunningham the Ron Windon ACS Award from the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) in 2023. James continues to work part-time producing his own film and theatre projects around the country. His work explores dark themes and confronts concepts of masculinity, identity and self-expression.
WINNER - James Cunningham, Ron Windon ACS Award, Australian Cinematographers Society 2023
WINNER - Best Director, James Cunningham 'The Assignment', Chicago Cinema Awards 2022