Introducing Presidential Productions

Independent Production Company to Champion James Cunningham’s Vision

© Presidential Productions

A bold new voice in Australian theatre and film is about to get the platform it deserves. Today marks the official launch of Presidential Productions, an independent creative company formed to support, develop and finance the work of writer-director James Cunningham — a rising talent known for his fearless storytelling and emotionally charged narratives.

Founded while Cunningham was still a student at Brisbane’s QPIX Film School, Presidential Productions is more than just a creative vehicle — it’s a mission-driven platform focused on producing film and theatre that is provocative, honest, and emotionally powerful. The company’s founding vision is to centre queer, working-class and outsider perspectives, offering a much-needed counterpoint to the commercial mainstream.

Before embarking on his formal training at QPIX, Cunningham’s creative roots were already established. His first job — working at a local video store on the Gold Coast — proved formative. Surrounded by VHS tapes and movie posters, he began his cinematic education not in a lecture hall but behind the counter, absorbing genre, structure, and story through daily exposure to everything from classic auteurs to cult horror. That early immersion in film culture shaped his sensibility: raw, character-driven stories with high emotional stakes.

Presidential Productions is already gearing up for its first major outing. The company plans to produce both original stage works and independent films, always with a focus on stories that challenge, disrupt and move. Future projects will continue to explore Cunningham’s signature themes: masculinity, sexuality, identity.

“We’re not here to play it safe, I'm here to make my art,” Cunningham says. “Presidential Productions is created to tell the kinds of stories that often get pushed to the edges — the ones that feel too real, too quiet, or too uncomfortable for bigger studios. That’s where we live.”

As it begins its journey in the Australian arts landscape, Presidential Productions signals the arrival of a new kind of storytelling powerhouse — one deeply personal, politically engaged, and creatively fearless.

For more information visit Presidential Productions.