James Cullingham

James Cullingham
Cullingham in 2019
Born (1954-03-05) March 5, 1954
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Alma materYork University (PhD)
University of Toronto (MA)
Trent University (BA)
Occupations
  • Documentary filmmaker
  • Historian
  • Journalist
  • Educator
Years active1983–present
Websitetamarackproductions.com

James David Cullingham (born March 5, 1954) is a Canadian documentary filmmaker, historian, journalist, and educator based in Peterborough, Ontario.[1] His work primarily focuses on social justice, Indigenous rights, music, and transnational history.[2] He has contributed to various national and international publications, was a long-time contributor to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), and has served as a professor at Seneca Polytechnic.[2]

Early life and education

Cullingham grew up in Toronto and Florida, and completed high school in Switzerland.[2] He earned an Honours B.A. in Native Studies with a minor in French from Trent University in 1980.[3] He later completed a Master of Arts in History at the University of Toronto (2005) and a PhD in History from York University (2014).[4] In 2008, he was a doctoral fellow at the L’Université de Paris (Sorbonne).[2]

Academic career

From 2002 to 2018, Cullingham was a professor of journalism at Seneca Polytechnic (formerly Seneca College), where he coordinated the journalism program from 2004 to 2011.[2] Following his tenure, he served as a sessional professor in the Faculty of Arts (2020–2024), teaching media script writing as recently as the Winter 2026 semester.[2]

Since 2020, he has served as an adjunct graduate faculty member in the Canadian and Indigenous Studies MA and the Canadian Studies PhD graduate programs at Trent University.[5]

Career

Journalism and Broadcasting

Cullingham began his career at CBC Radio in 1983. He served as the executive producer of As It Happens from 1987 to 1989 and later as the executive producer of Sunday Morning (1989–1990).[2] Between 1997 and 2000, he worked within the television division of the network, serving as a producer for the documentary series Canada: A People's History.[6] Since 2021, he has hosted programs on Trent Radio, including the current affairs and music show Sitting On Top Of The World.[7]

Filmmaking and Tamarack Productions

In 1989, Cullingham founded Tamarack Productions.[2] His early work included the award-winning series As Long as the Rivers Flow (1991), which documented Indigenous issues in Canada.[8] In 1994, he directed and produced Duncan Campbell Scott: The Poet and the Indians, a documentary co-produced with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).[2]

His 2012 film, In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey, received international acclaim and was featured in The Washington Post.[9] In 2021, he released The Cost of Freedom – Refugee Journalists in Canada, which profiles journalists in exile.[10] His 2026 project, Voices Out of Shadows, focuses on activists in exile in Canada.[2]

Writing and Publications

Cullingham is a documentary filmmaker, historian, and journalist whose written work has been published widely in Canada's leading newspapers and magazines.[2] He has also contributed pieces to ActiveHistory.ca,[11] The Journal of Wild Culture,[12] and The Toronto Star.[13]

In 2022, he published his first monograph, Two Dead White Men: Duncan Campbell Scott, Jacques Soustelle, and the Failure of Indigenous Policy, through Seneca Press.[14]

Selected filmography

  • Voices Out of Shadows (2026). Co-director and writer.[2]
  • The Cost of Freedom – Refugee Journalists in Canada (2021). Director, producer, and writer.[15]
  • Jim Galloway – A Journey in Jazz (2018). Director, producer, and writer.[2]
  • The Pass System (2015). Executive producer (directed by Alex Williams).[16]
  • In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey (2012). Director, producer, and writer.[9]
  • Dishonour Defied (2008). Executive producer and producer (directed by Azra Rashid).[2]
  • Lessons in Fear (2005). Director, producer, and writer.[2]
  • Counter Currents – The Fight for Fish on the Fraser River (1994). Producer (directed by Anne Bromley).[2]
  • Duncan Campbell Scott: The Poet and The Indians (1994). Director, producer, and writer; co-produced with the National Film Board of Canada.[2]
  • As Long as the Rivers Flow (1991). Producer and creator (featuring segments such as *The Learning Path*, directed by Loretta Sarah Todd).[8]

Awards and recognition

  • **Remi Winner**, WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival (2022) for The Cost of Freedom.[15]
  • **Canadian Screen Award Nomination** (2017) for Best Historical Documentary or Series (The Pass System, directed by Alex Williams).[16]
  • **Platinum Remi**, WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival (2013) for In Search of Blind Joe Death.[2]
  • **Award Recipient**, World Wildlife Film Festival for Counter Currents (directed by Anne Bromley).[2]
  • **Blue Ribbon Award**, American Film and Video Festival (1992) for *The Learning Path* (from *As Long As The Rivers Flow*, directed by Loretta Sarah Todd).[2]
  • **Producers Award**, American Indian Film Festival (1991) for *As Long As The Rivers Flow*.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Cullingham, James (March 5, 2018). "Transitions: 25 Years of Film Making & Journalism in Indigenous Communities". Active History. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "About Tamarack Productions". Tamarack Productions. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Artist: James Cullingham". Vtape. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  4. ↑ Cullingham, James (2014). Scars of Empire: A Juxtaposition of Duncan Campbell Scott and Jacques Soustelle (PhD dissertation). York University.
  5. ↑ "Trent University Graduate Academic Calendar 2022-2023" (PDF). Trent University. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Canada: A People's History: Credits: Episode 8". CBC.ca. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Trent Radio 92.7 FM Schedule". Tamarack Productions. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  8. 1 2 "As Long As The Rivers Flow 30 years on". Active History. October 4, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  9. 1 2 Jenkins, Mark (October 24, 2013). "'In Search of Blind Joe Death': Documentary spotlights legendary area guitarist John Fahey". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  10. ↑ Taylor, Nick (February 14, 2022). "ReFrame: An Antidote to Nihilism". Arthur Newspaper. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  11. ↑ Cullingham, James (March 29, 2021). "Life with Marcel Proust". Active History. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  12. ↑ Nájera, Luis Horacio; Cullingham, James (February 28, 2015). "Restoring Mexico's House of Impunity". The Journal of Wild Culture.
  13. ↑ Cullingham, James (June 1, 1991). "Independent filmmakers face distribution crisis". The Toronto Star. Toronto.
  14. ↑ Benger, Robin (March 22, 2022). "Two Dead White Men – A Review". Active History. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  15. 1 2 "The Cost of Freedom - Refugee Journalists in Canada". 2022 ReFrame Film Festival. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  16. 1 2 "The Pass System: 2017 Best History Documentary Program or Series". Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
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