James Reckseidler | Artist · Director · Editor · Writer · Host · Actor | Reckseidlerfilms
I have been a Director and Writer, as well as Producer, in the Calgary community for over 15 years. I operate reckseidlerfilms, a boutique production company that has been responsible for developing and producing everything from corporate video work with significant Calgary area clients to stylistic art inspired short films, documentaries and music videos, documenatries and TV pilots. I have written three feature length screeplays and reckseidlerfilms, in partnership with Roadwest Pictures, is currently in pre-production on the feature length film project “Conscience Ties the Binds,” slated for Winter 2020. Oh and I write and perform music in the rock band ‘reijo’.
IMDB
Can you please provide a brief overview of your journey in the film and TV industry?
If we have to go way back… I really began a career in Film and TV volunteering at Red Deer’s Shaw community channel while still in high school. That was the mid-90’s, and it was all to analog to tape if it wasn’t a live broadcast. Coming from a small Central Alberta town, there weren’t a lot of resources available to me growing up, so I ended up going to film school at Sheridan College in Ontario to train as a writer and director and learn filmmaking. Â I ended up working as an Assistant Editor for a well-regarded experimental documentary filmmaker and life-long friend Phil Hoffman, and in TV on a few reality shows, including HGTV’s ‘Holmes on Homes’.
Moving back to Alberta, I continued doing what I wanted to do, make visually-rich, interesting artistic short films, doing so out of the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers and having relatively good success at film festivals with the films. This while working within the independent community in various roles, starting a video production company working for clients, piloting a couple of TV shows, and writing feature screenplays.
If there is a creative role in this Industry, I’ve done it at some point along the way. I’ve been so fortunate to work and collaborate with so great many talents and people I call a friend in our Industry over the years, as well as helping to mentor countless others as they progress along their own careers journey here in this Province.
What are some of your key accomplishments?
I have had a few awards and accolades over the years; festival awards and such, as well as the ‘Friend of the Community’ award at the 2020 Stinger Awards here in Calgary. All these acknowledgements have been a wonderful reinforcement of the creative work I do.
I think though the making of ‘The Ties That Bind’ and working with the wonderful team that came around this very ambitious project has been the most current key highlight to talk about right now. I had been told for many years would be too difficult to get made. And there was too many times over the years, that it was easy to believe that big-scale feature filmmaking just was not possible for independent Alberta creatives. We built a highly creative talented, all-Alberta team, and with an Alberta, ensemble cast to tackle a risky project that we felt would be as good as anything audiences would be watching anywhere globally. This meant really honing in on the Producer skill set in a different and bigger way, even this while taking on the creative as director. The film is everything we asked to do and the Producing team was given such support to do it. It gives me the confidence to know that there are many more projects to come and that a successful career as I want it to be can happen here.
What are your current and/or future projects?
It continues to be busy. We were involved in a Canadian inter-provincial co-production, ‘In Cold Light,’ a larger-scale independent feature last year. It should release worldwide in the upcoming summer 2025. And, I was brought on to assist on a vertical feature film project for Tik Tok (ByteDance) this year. So ,I’ve been involved in three big projects in the past three years.
We’re currently developing a couple of narrative feature film projects that we like right now. I’m also assisting putting together the package materials for a dance-based gameshow we think has a lot of potential and is looking good to pitch out to the market. I’m also personally preparing to write a new feature script while also writing some music, and there is a music-based documentary that we’re collaborating on we hope we can produce next year.
Have there been any key moments in your career that changed your trajectory?
Oh there are lots of moments I suppose, though it’s hard to pinpoint an exact one. Being a part of creating two big feature films and one personal project has definitely changed the way I’m perceived as a creative here. Winning ‘Best Director’ this year at the Rosie’s was a big confidence boost. I hope takes me that much further to a long-lasting career.
I think the nature of film and media in Alberta is that you need to be nimble while also incredibly resilient. What is happening to me is similar for many other friends and collaborators. I am a director and creator first and foremost, but I have had to pivot, be able to learn new skill sets, and always be ready to accept challenges. I think building confidence in what we do can be hard, so I try to take notice of the times when the right opportunity is presenting itself and be ready to roll up the sleeves to do the work.
