James Makichuk was born and raised in Swan River, Manitoba, before relocating to Southern Ontario, where he pursued higher education in Michigan. His professional journey began at CKLW-TV in Windsor/Detroit, where he worked as a newswriter, soundman, and film cameraman, covering significant events such as the Viet Nam War protests, Presidential visits, and crime beats.
During his time at CKLW-TV, Makichuk attended film school at Banff, Simon Fraser University, and the University of Detroit. He then transitioned to Global TV as a newscameraman, before moving to Vancouver, where he worked as a film editor for BCTV. This experience laid the foundation for his subsequent venture, Rocky Mountain Films, co-founded with Phillip Borsos.
Together, they produced two short films, CADILLAC and COOPERAGE, as well as several corporate films. COOPERAGE won the Genie Award for Best Short in 1976, and received numerous international accolades, including a finalist position in the 1976 Academy Awards. The duo also worked on several unproduced screenplays until Borsos' untimely passing in 1995.
Makichuk joined Armadale Productions in Regina in 1976, taking on the roles of writer, producer, and director, and completed numerous commercials and corporate films. In 1977, he moved to CFCN in Calgary, working as a producer and director for commercials and corporate films. Two years later, he left to establish Badland Pictures, where he wrote, produced, and directed GHOSTKEEPER, a 35mm suspense thriller, distributed by New World Pictures and produced by his company.
Throughout the 1980s, Makichuk wrote, directed, and edited two television movies, THE TOWER and NIAGARA, for Visual Productions of Toronto. He also penned BETRAYAL OF SILENCE, a courtroom drama about teen abuse, which aired on CTV in Canada and Lifetime in the US.
In 1990, Makichuk relocated to Los Angeles, where he has worked extensively in television as a writer and story editor, while developing feature films with companies like ABC Productions, Sony Pictures, Leonard Goldberg, and others. In 1998, he wrote two science fiction television movies for Paramount's UPN network, and rewrote five others. He also completed a television pilot script based on an adventure comic book for FFP Productions.
Currently, Makichuk has productions in development as writer/director in both British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
