James Elazzi is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and director renowned for amplifying marginalised and unheard voices. His compelling work has earned nominations at the NSW Premier's Literary Awards for three consecutive years, culminating in his 2024 win of the Martin-Lysicrates Prize. He has also been shortlisted twice for the Rodney Seaborne Award, received three nominations for the Sydney Theatre Awards, and is a three-time Silver Gull Playwriting Award nominee.
In 2024, James served as Assistant Director on Holding the Man at Belvoir St Theatre. He has made significant strides in film, writing, directing, and producing his second short film, Seeds of Gold, which explores Lebanese migration. This film has garnered the 2024 Panavision Award from the Australian Lebanese Film Festival and has been officially selected for eight international film festivals, including those in France, Florence, Prague, Lebanon, and Sydney.
James' first short film, Yannis, directed and produced in 2022, achieved remarkable recognition, being selected for over 17 film festivals worldwide, including events in Los Angeles, Poland, Lebanon, Greece, and Italy. It won Best Performances at the 2022 LGBTQI+ Los Angeles Film Festival and garnered seven nominations at the Made in The West Film Festival, winning Best Lead Actor.
His sold-out stage plays include Saints of Damour (2024 Qtopia Sydney) Karim (2024, National Theatre of Parramatta), Son of Byblos (Belvoir St Theatre 25A), Lady Tabouli (National Theatre of Parramatta), Queen Fatima (National Theatre of Parramatta), and Omar and Dawn (KXT). Through his dynamic storytelling, James continues to challenge narratives and inspire change in the arts.
SCREEN
YANNIS - 2023
OFFICIALLY SELECTED IN THE FOLLOWING FILM FESTIVALS
Pride Film Festival 2023
Flickerfest Film Festival 2023
LGBTQI+ Film Festival Poland 2023
Lebanese Film Festival 2023
Canberra Short Film Festival 2023
Melbourne Queer Film Festival 2023
Lift Off Global Network First-Time Filmmakers Sessions Pinewood Studios 2023
LGBTQIA+ Los Angeles Film Festival 2023
Black Cat Award International Film Festival 2023
Made In The West Film Festival Official Selection 2023
Lift Off Sydney Official Selection 2023
Made Out West Film Festival 2023
Omovie Napoli Film Festival Napoli 2023
Melbourne CINEVERSE Film Festival 2023
Lebanese Independent Film Festival 2023
AWARDS -
Best Performance LGBTQ+Los Angeles Film Festival.
Made Out West Film Festival: Nominated for Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Lead Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Score, Best Cinematographer, Best Editor.
Won Best Film Runner Up in Made in The West Film Festival
Won Best Lead Actor in Made in The West Film Festival
SEEDS OF GOLD 2024/2025
OFFICIALLY SELECTED IN THE FOLLOWING FILM FESTIVALS -
Lebanese Film Festival Australia 2024
Lebanese Independent Film Festival
Florence Indie Film Festival 2024
Melbourne Independent Film Festival 2024
Prague Underground Film Festival 2024
Ciné-Beyrouth/Cinema Beirut 2024
AWARDS -
PANAVISION AUSTRALIA FILM AWARD 2024/LEBANESE FILM FESTIVAL AUSTRALIA
MELBOURNE INDEPENDANT FILM FESTIVAL SEMI-FINALIST 2024
FLORENCE INDIE FILM FESTIVAL SEMI-FINALIST 2024
PRAGUE UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL SEMI-FINALIST 2024
STAGE
2025 SAINTS OF DAMOUR - WRITER . Qtopia Sydney/ Sydney City Council
2024 KARIM - WRITER AND CO-DIRECTOR. National theatre of Parramatta
2024 HOLDING THE MAN - ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. Belvoir St Theatre
2023 SON OF BYBLOS - WRITER. Belvoir St Theatre 25A 2022/BNW
2021 QUEEN FATIMA - WRITER. National Theatre of Parramatta/ 2021 Sydney Festival
2020 LADY TABOULI - WRITER. National Theatre of Parramatta/ 2020 Sydney Festival
2019 LADY TABOULI - WRITER. 2019 Griffin Theatre Batch/ Greendoor Theatre Co/Apocolypse
2019 OMAR AND DAWN - WRITER. 2019 KXT Bakehouse/Apocolypse/ Green Door Theatre
OTHER WORKS
2021 Red Stitch ‘Playlist Festival’
‘Lion Tattoo’.
A celebration. A gathering. Theatre’s choose-your-own-adventure is, this time, a three-night music and performance festival featuring an extraordinary line-up of Melbourne practitioners.
2020 Dear Australia
“The Flock”. Commissioned by Play Writing Australia 2020.
2020 STC Virtual
“Lebanese BBQ”, performed by Priscilla Doueihy. 2020
2020. ‘Come To Where I Am’.
“Violin”. Critical Theatre Travels. Produced in partnership with the UK’s Paines Plough. 2020.
2021. Eat Me.
NIDA/ Sydney Theatre Company
A THOUSAND WORDS. SYDNEY LIVING MUSEUM.
“Aleksy and the Metal Sheds”. 2020. Sydney Living Museums with the support of WestWords.
‘A picture tells a thousand words.’ This adage is the inspiration for an innovative new online exhibition, in which the public becomes the curator.