James Harkness

Born in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia; a child of a housing commission estate, Harkness developed, at young age, a serious love of poetry. While still in primary school, Harkness won a scholarship to a prestigious private school. Upon completing high school, Harkness briefly pursued a professional career in journalism and secured a position with the NSW Newspaper, The Advocate. He was considered something of a prodigy in creative writing but soon decided he was unable, to call journalism creative writing. He then relocated to Adelaide, to attend Flinders University of South Australia, studying Drama and Film, which led to his undertaking a Masters Degree in these disciplines. In between his studies, Harkness completed more than 20 short films, enjoying numerous festival successes and awards. He also continued to hone his craft by directing commercials and documentaries and it was at this time that he conceived the feature film, Shot Of Love. J has received a myriad of awards and major festival selections for his work and achievements. Birthday is the second feature film by J. Harkness as a Writer and Director.