Director James Kerwin is probably best known for the cult sci-fi noir feature film “Yesterday Was a Lie” from Entertainment One, which recently received a tenth anniversary Blu-ray re-release from IndiePix Films. He’s not only won numerous film festival prizes, but his work has also earned distinctions such as the Webby, the Telly, the Geekie, the Accolade, and the Panavision New Filmmaker Grant. James’ next feature — the reality-bending science-based mystery “Contre-Coup” with Rekha Sharma (Battlestar Galactica, The 100) and Nicola Bryant (Doctor Who) — is currently in development. Here are ten things about James Kerwin you may not have known:
1. He has a theatrical background.
James has a background in both classical and contemporary theatre. He’s helmed stage productions of William Shakespeare’s tragic romance “Venus and Adonis” (with 7th Heaven’s Megan Henning and Passions’ Travis Schuldt) and “Albert Hall” (by Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Amber Benson). Kerwin has also frequently directed at one of Los Angeles’ most acclaimed thespian institutions — The Blank Theatre Company — where he’s worked with actors like Scandal’s Katie Lowes and Wizards of Waverly Place’s Jennifer Stone. In fact, James’ theatre directing was honored for two consecutive years in Back Stage Magazine’s “Best of the Year” list. In addition, his work has been cited by scholarly organizations and journals such as the Shakespeare Association of America and Shakespeare Newsletter.
2. James’ first film project was a Shakespearean short.
Kerwin’s first foray into professional filmmaking was actually a short, psychedelic version of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” — starring Domenica Cameron-Scorsese and executive produced by indie film legend L.M. Kit Carson — which made a splash on the film festival circuit in the early 2000s.
3. His first feature film was shot in black and white.
James’ debut feature film — Yesterday Was a Lie — starred Kipleigh Brown (Star Trek: Enterprise), Chase Masterson (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), and Peter Mayhew (Star Wars). Shot in classic black-and-white, the movie was adapted into a full-length graphic novel by artist James Hill, currently available online and in bookstores from Ingram. And in the 2010s, Yesterday Was a Lie was actually spun off into a brief series of webisodes — starring actors Nathan Mobley and Amara Cash — on Disney’s “Blip” streaming service. Kerwin and Brown have since collaborated on subsequent projects like the 60s-inspired sci-fi short R.U.R.: Genesis, the play “Triggers” (at the Blank Theatre), and the fan-favorite web series Star Trek Continues. Which leads us to…
4. James was a writer/director/producer on Star Trek Continues.
In the mid-2010s, Kerwin took a break from filmmaking to serve as a writer/director/producer on Star Trek Continues — the period-accurate recreation (and conclusion!) of Star Trek: The Original Series. Trek Continues received a number of professional accolades over eleven original full-length episodes, featuring beloved genre actors like John de Lancie (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Gigi Edgley (Farscape), and Colin Baker (Doctor Who).
5. He has other family members in the entertainment industry.
James isn’t the only member of his family in the entertainment industry. His twin nieces originated the role of young Summer Newman on the long-running CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless.
6. His sister is married to a well-known musician.
Kerwin’s sister Jill is married to Mike Avenaim — the renowned Australian drummer, composer, and musical director — who’s collaborated with artists like Scott Weiland, Hailee Steinfeld, Nick Lachey, NOTD, Bea Miller, Emblem3, and Lil Nas X.
7. He has dual citizenship.
James — who holds dual Irish/American citizenship — is descended from the Kirwan (O’Ciardubhain) clan, one of the original fourteen Tribes of Galway.
8. James’ likeness is featured in a video game.
Kerwin is featured as an NPC — a non-player character — in the massively multiplayer online role-playing hit videogame Star Trek Online from Cryptic Studios. After assisting the developers’ team in signing several actors from the various Star Trek television series, the devs decided to honor James by creating “Lieutenant James Kerwin” in his likeness. In the game, Kerwin’s character serves aboard the U.S.S. Buran opposite Captain Lorca (Jason Issacs) and Commander Landry (Sharma)… and — spoiler alert — he meets an untimely end!
9. He collaborated on a western drama.
In 2019, following the success of Star Trek Continues, James collaborated with classic actor Michael Forest, executive producer Diana Hale, writer Bernadette Hale, and producer Lisa Hansell to create the Twilight Zone esque short western drama When the Train Stops. The film — which also stars de Lancie and Sharma — had a successful run on the film festival circuit and is currently available on Amazon Prime.
10. James has an interest in astrophysics.
Though James’ degree is in filmmaking, he originally intended to go into the field of astrophysics (in which he holds a minor) until a change of heart shifted his career aspirations. He still attends science conferences on occasion (he’s spoken twice at the University of Arizona’s Center for Consciousness Studies) and is an active member of Mensa, Phi Beta Kappa, and Britain’s Royal Society of Arts.
