Director Malia James has joined Imposter for commercial and branded content representation in the U.S. She continues to be handled by Lark Creative for music videos in the U.S. market.
Born and raised in Texas, James left home at 18 to tour the world as a photographer before moving to London and pursuing a career as a musician. Before long, she was playing bass guitar in acclaimed bands such as Dum Dum Girls and Marnie Stern, as well as being filmed by Terrance Malick and Bret Easton Ellis, singing alongside Debbie Harry and Brian Eno, and performing on David Letterman.
Following this stint in the music industry, James transitioned into filmmaking, directing her first music video for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Since then, she has become a top choice amongst artists, directing music videos for Green Day, Halsey, Rita Ora, Troye Sivan, and many more. With a drive to also direct narrative feature films, James took the first major step in the right direction by crafting Blue Lips, a short film starring and featuring the music of Tove Lo.
James’ directing style favors believable, authentic moments, portraying visceral emotions through a love of beautiful lighting, bold color, and compelling compositions. Her work often blends a relaxed atmosphere with a high attention to detail, and her roster of commercial clients includes Google, Captain Morgan, Adidas, Wrangler, Bose, and Truly.
She has won Clio and Webby Awards, been nominated for Best Rock Video at the MTV Music Awards, Best Music Video at the Brit Awards, and Best Special Project at the UKMVAs, received a Vimeo Staff Pick, and screened at SXSW. James had been directing independently, working together frequently over the past year-plus with Imposter. The positive experience led to sealing the deal and making their connection official with her joining the company’s roster. She earlier had been repped briefly in the U.S. ad arena by Strike Anywhere. And in the U.K., she had previously been handled by PRETTYBIRD London.
Looking to the future, James is currently developing a short film with The Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr., as well as working on the script for her first feature film. Additionally she’s working on a follow-up to her photo book, "Girl in a Girl Band," that chronicles her travels around the world as a director.
James said, “Imposter and I have been working together for a blissful and successful year and a half. I’m immensely grateful for the support they’ve provided from pitch to delivery on all of our jobs. Not only do they have great taste and are a joy to talk to almost daily, but they make themselves profoundly available to their roster. I often refer to them as ‘the Sub Pop of production companies’–smaller, more curated, and more intimate in the ways that can truly nourish a director’s career. In addition, they’re incredibly kind and thoughtful, so I know that agencies and clients enjoy working with them as much as I do.”
Avtar Khalsa, executive producer at Imposter, added, “From the moment you meet Malia you can’t help but love her. She has an unwavering positivity and enthusiasm for her work, and imbues each project with zealous collaborative spirit. She consistently finds ways to elevate what’s on the page and bring humanity to her characters. So much work is put into perfecting every detail, and yet she never makes it seem like a task.”
