RJ (Jim) Watson is an award-winning writer, producer and director of films, documentaries, children’s television and video programs.
RECENT PROJECTS
Perry (2018), a screenplay on sex trafficking. A mother and daughter of privilege from Connecticut and a victim of sex trafficking from Haiti are drawn into a dangerous web of exploitation on the streets of San Francisco. Loosely based on the Persephone-Demeter myth, it is the tragic story of love and innocence destroyed by dark societal forces.
Awards:
Nice International Film Festival, Winner Best Unproduced Screenplay
Cosmocinema, 1st Place, Best Fictional Feature Script
Meraki Film Festival (Madrid), 2nd Place, Best Screenplay
NYLA Film Festival, Award of Excellence
Los Angeles Movie Awards, Honorable Mention/Finalist
Humor, Heart & Hope: Women Living with Cancer (2014)
An honest and moving documentary short profiling the lives of six women who have a variety of cancers and diagnoses. Platinum Award Best of Show, 2015 Aurora Awards. (42 min)
Stepping On Up (2012), a sixteen-part puppet show for elementary students on bullying, cyberbullying and life skills. Awards: CINE Golden Eagle, Gold Remi - WorldFest Houston Int. Film Festival, Gold Aurora Award, Parents’ Choice Award, Teachers’ Choice Award, Pegasus Award of Distinction, Silver Davey Award.
TELEVISION
Writer, Producer, Director of several multi-part series for Public Television.
LifeSteps (2004)
Saving Our Schools (2000)
PeaceTalks (1998)
Big Changes - Big Choices (1994) (producer/director)
You Can Choose! (1992) (writer, producer)
These series enjoyed broad carriage and solid rating on American Public Television and won acclaim in the press and at festivals, including: the CINE Golden Eagle, The NY Festivals, Houston WorldFest, Chicago Hugo and Intercom, the Columbus International Film and Video Festival, the San Jose Film and Video Competition, US International Film and Video Festival, The Telly Awards, Parents' Choice, Teachers' Choice Awards, Aurora, Omni, The Cindy’s, and the National Educational Media Network, among others.
In 1995, Mr. Watson founded Heartland Media and in 2001, established The Heartland Media Foundation.
Mr. Watson began his professional media career working on a variety of public television documentaries, which include: The Cost Of Cotton, a thirty-minute expose on DDT poisoning of Guatemalan cotton workers; The I Hotel on senior housing; Mad River, an environmental documentary for the PBS Crisis-To-Crisis series; and Talking Dustbowl, a personal portrait of Okies in the central valley of California.
In 1983, he co-founded Fine Line Productions, where he produced a series of informational programs, including The Yosemite Institute, narrated by Robert Redford and Classrooms Without Borders, a series on bilingual education.
He lives and works in San Francisco.
IMDb: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm9721853?ref_=nv_mp_profile
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-rj-watson-6203305/