Jimmy Kaufman


James Kaufman, known as Jimmy Kaufman or Jim Kaufman, is a film director, a photographer and an artist from Montreal, best known for directing the movies Time at the Top and Whiskers, and episodes of TV series like Stargate SG-1, The Hunger and The Outer Limits . Kaufman's photography series evolves around North-American journeys, with an accent on his personal relations with nature.

Career

Early experience

From 1971 to 1988, Kaufman was a line producer and an assistant director for movies like The Surrogate in 1984, Children of a lesser God in 1986, and Gothika starring Halle Berry, later in 2003.
His first big success was in 1990, when he had the idea for A Star for Two, a romance movie. He was still the assistant of Elliot Gould, and on his way from New Hampshire to Boston, repatriating a Porsche for the shooting of a movie, he halted in front of a nursing home in order to help an old woman cross the street. As he tried to know more about this woman, the concept of A Star for Two started to sprout in his mind. On the other side of the Manche, Christian Bel, an ex-stuntman converted to screen writing was taking a particular interest to the movies accorded to the golden age. When he decided to answer to the tender made from Kaufman, the movie finally took off. The concept for A Star For Two was simple: a couple meets again after a forty-year separation. She manages a nursing home in France, and he is a gerontologist in the United States. The movie was shot in France, in Montreal and in New-York, and was a success before it was even shot.

Associations

During his career, Kaufman worked with several renowned movie producers, directors, actors and writers. In the 1990s, for instance, he collaborated with award-winning writer Duff Brenna to adapt his novel The Book of Mamie into a movie. The Book of Mamie won the AWP Best Novel award in 1988. Kaufman called Brenna's screenplay one of the finest he had ever read.

Photography and Painting

Kaufman's art photography series tell the story of his philanthropic journeys around the world and road cruises around North America. H.

Filmography

Cinema

FilmYearStarringGenrePositionAwards
Dracula 20002000Gerard Butler, Christopher Plummer, Jonny Lee MillerThriller, AdventureSecond Unit Director
Gothika2003Halle BerryThrillerFirst Assistant DirectorChoice Movie Actress - Drama/Action Adventure - Halle Berry

Television movies

FilmYearStarringGenrePositionAwards
Nightwaves2003Sherilyn Fenn, David NermannRomanceDirector
Nightmare Man1999Lee Horsley, Charles Edwin PowellThrillerDirector
Time at the Top1999Timothy Busfield, Elisha CuthbertComedyDirectorCertificate of Merit–Finalist–Houston World Film Festival; In Competition–Cairo / St. Petersburg / Falstaff; The Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence
A Star for Two1991Lauren Bacall, Anthony QuinnRomanceDirector
The Thriller1990Yves Beneyton, Wayne Best, Peter DvorskyThrillerDirector
Moonlight Flight1988ThrillerDirector
Shades of Love1987Catherine Colvey, Joseph Bottoms, Russell T. GordonRomanceDirector

Television series

TV SeriesEpisodesYearStarringGenrePositionAwards
Charlie JadeThe Power of Suggestion2005Jeffrey Pierce, Michael FilipowichMysteryDirector
You Are Here2005Jeffrey Pierce, Michael Filipowich
Air EmergencyHelicopter Down2003Stephen Bogaert, Rene AnobisDocumentaryDirector
Vampire HighLost Weekend2002Jeff Roop, Meghan OryFantasyDirector
The Huntress2002Jeff Roop, Meghan Ory
The Test2002Jeff Roop, Meghan Ory
Odd Man Out2002Jeff Roop, Meghan Ory
The Summoning2001Jeff Roop, Meghan Ory
What's Up Doc?2001Jeff Roop, Meghan Ory
The Outer LimitsMindreacher2001Alex Diakun, Eric SchneiderThrillerDirector
The Vessel2001Alex Diakun, Eric Schneider
Final Appeal2000Alex Diakun, Eric Schneider
The Haven1999Alex Diakun, Eric Schneider
Donor1999Alex Diakun, Eric Schneider
Rite of Passage1998Alex Diakun, Eric Schneider
Caitlin's WayIcicle2001Lindsay Felton, Cynthia BelliveauDramaDirector
Truth or Dare2000Lindsay Felton, Cynthia BelliveauDrama
Big Wolf on CampusFaltered States2000Danny Smith, Brandon QuinnComedy, HorrorDirector
Fear and Loathing in Pleasantville2000Danny Smith, Brandon Quinn
Mind Over Merton2000Danny Smith, Brandon Quinn
101 Damnations2000Danny Smith, Brandon Quinn
Commie Dawkins2000Danny Smith, Brandon Quinn
Hello Nasty2000Danny Smith, Brandon Quinn
Time and Again1999Danny Smith, Brandon Quinn
Invisible Merton1999Danny Smith, Brandon Quinn
Emily of New MoonA Bill of Divorcement2000Martha MacIsaac, Sheila McCarthyDramaDirector
Bred in the Bone1999Martha MacIsaac, Sheila McCarthy
The Return of Maida Flynn1999Martha MacIsaac, Sheila McCarthy
When the Bough Breaks1998Martha MacIsaac, Sheila McCarthy
A Child Shall Lead Them1998Martha MacIsaac, Sheila McCarthy
The New Addams FamilyLights, Camera, Addams!!1999Glenn Taranto, Ellie HarvieComedy, HorrorDirector
'Heroes & Heartbreak1999Von Flores, Leni ParkerMysteryDirector
'Vendetta1999Derek de Lint, Martin CumminsHorror, Sci-FiDirector
Dream Lover1998Derek de Lint, Martin CumminsHorror, Sci-Fi
The HungerFootsteps1998Terence Stamp, David BowieHorrorDirector
Stargate SG-1Tin Man1998Richard Dean Anderson, Michael ShanksSci-FiDirectorGemini Nomination
The Adventures of Sinbad-1996Zen Gesner, George BuzaAdventureDirector
Due SouthI Coulda Been a Defendant1997Paul Gross, Callum Keith RennieDrama, ComedyDirector
SirensColor Blind1995A.J. Johnson, Liza SnyderDramaDirector
The Passenger1995A.J. Johnson, Liza Snyder
Aftermath1995A.J. Johnson, Liza Snyder
Gambling on Love1995A.J. Johnson, Liza Snyder
Victims1994A.J. Johnson, Liza Snyder
The First Time1994A.J. Johnson, Liza Snyder
A Cop First1994A.J. Johnson, Liza Snyder
Chasing a Ghost1994A.J. Johnson, Liza Snyder
Urban AngelFamily Business1992Louis Ferreira, Vittorio RossiCrimeDirector
Phoenix Rising: Part 11992Louis Ferreira, Vittorio Rossi
Deadly Force1992Louis Ferreira, Vittorio Rossi
Phoenix Rising: Part 21992Louis Ferreira, Vittorio Rossi
Haute tensionLa mort en dédicace1989Alexandra Stewart, Yves BeneytonThrillerDirector
Danger BayChanda1989Donnelly Rhodes, Susan WaldenAdventure, FamilyDirector
My Secret Identity-1988Jerry O'Connell, Marsha MoreauSci-FiDirector

Video

VideoYearStarringGenrePositionAwards
Night of the Demons IIILarry Day, Amelia Kinkade1997ThrillerDirector
Red Rain1993ThrillerDirector
Simon MacCorkindale, Patricia Phillips1987RomanceDirector
Shades of Love: Lilac DreamDack Rambo, Susan Almgren1987RomanceDirector

Producer

FilmYearGenrePositionAward
Race for the Bomb1987WarAssociate producer
The Peanut Butter Solution1985ComedyLine producer
Night Magic1985FantasyProducer
Tell Me That You Love Me1983ComedyProducer

Projects

Gallows Humor

Currently, Jimmy Kaufman is working on a movie called Gallows Humor, a horror trilogy written by Brendan King and meant to be produced as a franchise. The idea of Gallows Humor was born after the development deal Brendan King forged with veteran producer Paul Kurta.