Johan Vandewoestijne, a Belgian native born on August 26th, 1961, in Kortrijk, Belgium, showcased an early fascination with television and cinema. He pursued a degree in chemistry, only to later enroll in a film school in Brussels. However, his experience at the film school was a letdown, as he believed that cinema was primarily an entertainment medium rather than an art form, which conflicted with the institution's philosophy. Consequently, he left the school after just two years.
Vandewoestijne joined Acces Video, a video production team, where he assisted with lighting for corporate videos. In 1985, he left the company to embark on a feature film project titled "Lucker," which would later become a cult classic. Two years later, he produced "Rabid Grannies," which was picked up for distribution by Troma Inc. The 20-year contract with Troma Inc was eventually prolonged by another 20 years at the request of Michael Herz.
Lloyd Kaufman from Troma Inc suggested that Vandewoestijne's name, which translates to "from the desert," might be challenging for non-Flemish or Dutch speakers to pronounce. In response, Vandewoestijne adopted the alias "James Desert." To date, he continues to produce and direct low-budget horror and exploitation films, primarily in English.
Vandewoestijne has been referred to as the "Roger Corman" of the Low Countries, a nickname he seems to appreciate. For many years, his films were distributed by Troma Inc, but he has since collaborated with Jeffrey Swanson of SGL Entertainment, based in Concord, California, for the past five years.
