James Pellerito was born and raised in Vicenza, Italy, a charming city located near the renowned city of Venice, where he grew up speaking both Italian and English as his native languages. At the age of eighteen, James made the bold decision to relocate to New York City to pursue his higher education at Columbia University, where he earned both a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Fine Arts degree in Film. Additionally, James holds a Master of Arts degree in Art History and Cinema Studies from New York University, a testament to his dedication to his craft.
During his time at Columbia University, James honed his filmmaking skills and went on to work at The Metropolitan Museum of Art for several years. His short film, Maree (Tides),a cinematic masterpiece shot on location in Venice, has gained international recognition, screening at over one hundred film festivals worldwide and winning numerous awards, including accolades at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival, Rhode Island International Film Festival, and Cinequest. Maree's impressive success even qualified it for Academy Award consideration in 2005.
James's feature documentary, Pop Star on Ice, has also received widespread acclaim, screening at various notable film festivals, including SilverDocs, Seattle International Film Festival, Atlantic Film Festival, Doc New Zealand, Frameline, Newport International Film Festival, Edmonton International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, Outfest, Provincetown International Film Festival, London Film Festival, Dublin International Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, St. Louis International Film Festival, Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, Mexico City International Film Festival, Philadelphia Film Festival, Copenhagen International Film Festival, Amsterdam International Film Festival, and the NewFest closing night gala. The documentary had a theatrical release at the IFC Center in New York and aired on Sundance Channel and Logo.
The success of Pop Star on Ice led to a documentary series commissioned by Sundance Channel, culminating in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Season 1 of Be Good Johnny Weir premiered on Sundance Channel and Logo, with Season 2 scheduled to air on Logo in 2012.
James is a co-founder and partner of Retribution Media, a film and television production company based in New York, and he also founded the New York City Short Film Festival (NYC Shorts) in 2005. Furthermore, James is a graduate of the two-year Meisner acting program with Richard Pinter of The Neighborhood Playhouse.
