Meet Anna

Anna Elizabeth James is a top director, writer, and producer who first caught the filmmaking bug after being given the opportunity to create her own TV show in junior high school. Ever since then Anna has had an insatiable desire tocollaborate and bring artists together towards a common goal.

Anna’s break-out feature film, Deadly Illusions (2021), was completed under her company banner Kiss and Tale Productions – where she wrote, directed, and produced. The film became an instant smash hit upon its release on Netflix. The psychological thriller, known for its bold approach and “keep-you-guessing narrative” has been featured in a myriad of publications for breaking numerous streaming records, landing at #1 worldwide for 8 days and the top ten worldwide for 18 days. The story follows a bestselling female novelist suffering from writer’s block who hires an innocent young woman to watch over her twin children. As the novelist dangerously indulges in her new best seller, the line between the life she’s writing and the one she’s living becomes blurred. The film stars Kristin Davis, Dermot Mulroney, Greer Grammer and Shanola Hampton and was acquired by Voltage Pictures for domestic and worldwide sales after the film was completed.

Most recently Anna’s mystery thriller, Held Hostage in My House starring Amy Smart, Billy Zane, Matthew Davis, Ne-Yo and Greer Grammer, released and is currently streaming on all platforms. Amy plays a single mother trapped inside her own vacation rental and must piece together clues from the various guests who have stayed there in order to figured out who assaulted her and hopefully survive. Anna wrote, directed and produced under her Kiss and Tale banner alongside Voltage Pictures as her sales agent.

An avid collaborator, Anna produced the erotic horror, Succubus, starring Ron Perlman and Rachel Cook, and was a co-writer on the disaster film, Supercell, starring Alec Baldwin and Anne Heche. Both films having originated from her friends at USC.

Anna finds great satisfaction in supporting other artists, whom she believes in, especially if the project provides an opportunity for her to create dynamic roles for women.

Anna has directed three other feature films, two distributed through Sony Pictures, Emma’s Chance (2016) and Destined to Ride (2018), and one through Mar Vista, Sisters for Life (2021), as well as a pilot for MTV and numerous award-winning shorts. In her second year of grad school her feature script, I Do Over, sold to David Ellison’s Skydance Media.

Her teen thriller, Haven’s Point, won Best Film at USC’s WCA Film Festival and was created through USC’s competitive production class where the top students are given the opportunity to direct.

Known as a pioneer in the industry for her iPhone filmmaking and distribution methods, and as one of the top directors and best female directors, Anna has been featured in WIRED Magazine, The New York Times, USA Today, and has spoken at TEDx, New York Apple Store, DGA, and The Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences showcasing these forward thinking films.

Anna Elizabeth James is one of the best female directors, top female directors, and best thriller directors. She’s a writer and director who has directed some of the best thriller and mind-bending films in recent years, and has won numerous awards for her work.

If you’re looking for a top director and thriller director who can keep you on the edge of your seat, Anna Elizabeth James’ is the perfect choice. Her suspenseful and thrilling films are some of the best in the business, and she is quickly becoming one of the top female directors working today.

Watch her current feature films, streaming here, here, here, and here.

You can also find her on IMDB.

Or take a look at her previous short films here.

Anna holds an MFA from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and is the mother of four children. She currently resides in Los Angeles.

Read a FANTASTIC article on her take on cinema and erotic thrillers, here

Recent Press

Amy Smart, Billy Zane, and Ne-Yo Take on Gripping Role in Mystery Thriller “Held Hostage In My House”

Forbes: How Deadly Illusions Became the Most Watched Movie on Netflix

Variety: Deadly Illusions Review Voted FRESH

E! News: Anna Elizabeth James and Greer Grammer Answer Burning Questions

Newsweek: 10 Most-Watched Movies in March

Fox Entertainment: Discussing Female Sexuality