Film School(s): Emerson College
Biography:
Jim Cummings is an American actor and filmmaker known for writing, directing and starring in the short film, Thunder Road. Cummings studied film at Emerson College and graduated in 2009. He then tried working on his first attempted film after Hurricane Katrina, spending a year-and-a-half editing it but realized it wasn’t working and moved on. Cummings decided he wasn’t cut out for making movies and began producing for his friends instead.
His first major gig was with the rapper Little Dickie, where he worked with his friend, Tony Yacenda, to produce and direct three of the rapper’s early videos, including “Save that Money,” which they filmed for free while begging for handouts in Beverly Hills. Cummings broke into the international film scene with his short Thunder Road in 2016. It won the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. He then launched a successful Kickstarter campaign and raised $190,000 to adapt Thunder Road into a full feature. Thunder Road went on to win the Grand Jury Award at SXSW Film Festival.
Cummings has since gone ahead to make at least 6 more short films after Thunder Road’s launch.
In 2021, Jim Cummings released his second feature film, The Beta Test, to critical success.
Jim Cummings’ Advice to Young Filmmakers:
He recommends reading and watching great short films from around the world, in order to learn from the best. Cummings also stresses the importance of consistency, stating that it is what makes you a great director.
