In his first film, Passabe (2006), he documents justice and reconciliation in post-conflict East Timor. Aki Ra’s Boys (2007), his second feature, looks at the problem of landmines through the eyes of two Cambodian boys.

One of his most acclaimed features is Homeless FC (2007), which follows a football team in Hong Kong made up of homeless men – former gangsters, recovering alcoholics, ex-drug addicts – as they vie for a spot in the Homeless World Cup in Cape Town.

The feature received warm reviews and a nomination for the Humanitarian Award for Documentaries at the Hong Kong International Film Festival in 2007. It also snagged the Grand Prize at the Chinese Documentary Awards in 2008.

With his partner, Lynn Lee, James founded Lianain Films. Meaning “storyteller” in Timorese, “lianain” is also the term for the traditional healers in the Timorese villages where he shot Passabe.

The filmmaker has recently taken his first steps into fiction filmmaking. He co-writes and directs Camera, which is supported by the Singapore Film Commission’s New Feature Film Fund. To be released in mid 2011, the film is about a surveillance expert who takes radical steps to ensure he stays ahead of the game. When hired to follow the wife of a powerful man, he begins to fall for her, calling into question a lifelong ethic of detachment and sending him onto a path that could threaten his very existence.

James shares about his documentary-making career and his first fiction film.

You were a TV promos producer in Japan. Why did you go into independent films?
I’ve always wanted to make films. Working at a TV station gave me the technical experience I needed to move into independent filmmaking, which I began to do when I started work on Passabe in 2004.

Which of your films is the most significant to you?
Homeless FC has meant the most to me. I was born in Hong Kong. Making this film allowed me to see a side of the territory that I never knew existed. Anyone can become homeless – all it takes is a run of bad luck, a bout of illness or some poor decisions. I learnt that many homeless people used to have jobs, families and children. They could be generous or grasping, hardworking or lazy, young or old, highly educated or completely illiterate. And I learnt that homelessness is a complex issue, and the best way to help is to be non-judgmental.

Where do you get your inspiration?
We do a lot of research – surfing the internet, reading and talking to people. Once we get an idea, we try to raise funds for it. It’s great to have the funding before filming, but that’s not always the case. If a project is time-sensitive, or when we’re so excited about doing it, we might just go ahead anyway. At any one time, we can have up to 10 projects in various stages of development and production.

How did you get the story idea for Camera?
As a documentary-maker, I feel as though I have to get everything I see on tape. This need to capture everything can become an obsession. Camera attempts to explore this obsession.

What are some of the challenges you have faced for Camera?
Developing the idea into a full screenplay was a big challenge, as was pitching the project to MDA and its external assessors [for the New Feature Film Fund]. Fiction film is a departure for me so every day there are new challenges. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to overcome all of them, but I’ll keep trying.

How has the New Feature Film Fund helped the production?
Having a large chunk of funding in place helps a lot because other potential funders are more willing to take you seriously. I’ve also met industry players through MDA, which has helped develop the project further.

Do you have any advice for aspiring filmmakers?
Filmmaking is a tough career, and you won’t make much money. But if you’re passionate about film, there’s nothing more rewarding.