Presidential Productions showcases the work of award-winning independent Australian filmmaker James Cunningham. Presidential Productions and James Cunningham have together successfully produced both film and theatre productions around Australia in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Gold Coast, and the picturesque Whitsunday Islands, extending its creative reach globally through collaborations with independent artists from around the world. Notably, Presidential Productions successful produced and presented live stage drama James Cunningham's THE SHEDS, about a gay Australian Rules footballer, that toured Australia (Melbourne Fringe 2013, Adelaide Fringe 2014, Sydney Fringe 2014). In 2022, James' short film THE ASSIGNMENT, a serial killer-thriller set in suburban Melbourne, was awarded 'Best Thriller' and 'Best Director' for James at the Chicago Cinema Awards in 2022. James' films have screened at film festivals around the world, and are not produced for commercial profit.
Beyond THE SHEDS, Presidential Productions produced live stage drama GOUGH at Melbourne Fringe in 2014. Written and directed by James Cunningham, GOUGH explores the 1975 dismissal of the Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. THE SHEDS went on to tour playing to sold out festival audiences at Adelaide Fringe and Sydney Fringe in 2015. In 2016 the company produced and Cunningham directed a re-imagining of Patrick Hamilton's 1929 play ROPE at Murdoch University during Perth's Fringe World Festival. The following year, Cunningham presented another original work THE WAR ROOM to Perth's festival audiences.
In early 2018, Presidential Productions completed short film BENEATH THE WAVES which chronicles the relationship between two brothers on a surfing trip. The film was selected at film festivals in Australia and across the globe including as far as Italy, New York, India and beyond. That same year, the company released documentary FERNANDO'S RIDE about a once homeless Brazilian man who rode 3,000km across the Australian outback to raise awareness for homeless youth.
Presidential Productions and James Cunningham's short film, THE ASSIGNMENT, a Hitchcock-inspired thriller set in Melbourne and produced in 2022, earned screenings, selections and awards from multiple international film festivals. In 2023, Cunningham collaborated remotely with six American actors to bring his short film ATLAS to life. In 2024, Presidential Productions will release SAVAGE SANDS, a sun-drenched short film about a man who gets trapped on a tropical desert island, filmed on an island in the beautiful Whitsunday Islands. Presidential Productions has multiple projects various stages of development.
WINNER - Best Thriller 'The Assignment', Chicago Cinema Awards 2022
JAMES CUNNINGHAM
A former video store attendant in the 90s, James Cunningham studied filmmaking at QPIX in Brisbane while working on film productions such as award-winning Australian film Gettin' Square (2003), television reality series such as Big Brother Australia and I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Outta Here (UK), as well as working with local television commercial production companies and filmmakers. James has worked as a film journalist, movie critic, film festival judge, a playwright and regular cinephile.
James work THAT'S RACIST was shortlisted for the Midsumma Queer Playwriting Award in 2021. James won 'Best Director' for his short film THE ASSIGNMENT at the Chicago Cinema Awards in 2022. He served as Managing Editor of Australian Cinematographer Magazine for eight years, and earned the Ron Windon ACS Award in 2023 from the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS). James continues to work part-time producing his own film and theatre projects around Australia. His works are not-for-profit and explore dark themes, confronting 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