James M. Johnston

James M. Johnston is an American film producer and director based in Fort Worth, Texas. He is a co-founder of Sailor Bear, a production company established in 2010 alongside filmmaker David Lowery and producer Toby Halbrooks. Johnston has produced several independent films, including Ain't Them Bodies Saints, A Ghost Story (2017), and The Green Knight (2021). He received the Piaget Producers Award at the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards alongside Halbrooks. Johnston's feature directorial debut, Strawweight, starring Lupita Nyong'o and Chloë Grace Moretz, was announced in 2024.

Career Johnston co-founded the Texas-based production company Sailor Bear in 2010 with filmmaker David Lowery and producer Toby Halbrooks. Johnston was also a 2011 Creative Producing Fellow at the Sundance Institute.

Johnston's early producing credits include Ciao (2008), a drama directed by Yen Tan and set in Dallas, and St. Nick (2009), a drama written and directed by David Lowery. Johnston also produced Pit Stop (2013), a drama directed by Yen Tan that premiered in the NEXT section of the Sundance Film Festival.

Johnston produced Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013), written and directed by David Lowery, which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and starred Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck, and Ben Foster. The film earned Johnston and co-producer Toby Halbrooks the Piaget Producers Award at the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Johnston continued his producing partnership with Lowery on A Ghost Story (2017), starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was released by A24.

He subsequently produced The Old Man & the Gun (2018), directed by Lowery and starring Robert Redford, with Sailor Bear's Johnston and Halbrooks among the film's producers, and The Green Knight (2021), a fantasy film written and directed by Lowery and released by A24, starring Dev Patel. Johnston served as second unit director on Peter Pan & Wendy (2023), directed by Lowery for Disney+.

Directorial work Johnston has written and directed several short films. Receive Bacon (2009), a short comedy, was featured on the Rooftop Films blog. Knife (2011), an 11-minute wordless short about a man confronting the impact of natural gas drilling on his rural Texas community, received a grant from the Rooftop Films Filmmakers Fund

Melville (2015), a 15-minute short following a man recently diagnosed with lung cancer who struggles to confide in those closest to him, premiered at SXSW and won the Audience Award for Best Short Film at the Dallas International Film Festival. It was also selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick and named one of the best American short films of 2015 by IndieWire.

Johnston's feature directorial debut, Strawweight, was announced in February 2024. The film stars Lupita Nyong'o and Chloë Grace Moretz as competing UFC fighters. The screenplay was written by Paul Harrill from a story by Johnston and Harrill, and it is co-produced by Lowery and Halbrooks of Sailor Bear alongside Lars Knudsen of Square Peg and Patrick Newall. UFC champion Rose Namajunas serves as a fight consultant and executive producer.

Other ventures Johnston co-owns Spiral Diner & Bakery, a vegan restaurant group in the Fort Worth–Dallas area, with his wife Amy McNutt. He has also been involved in the development of the Citizen Theater, a vegan art house cinema in Fort Worth.

Filmography

As producer Year Title Director Notes 2008 Ciao Yen Tan Co-producer; set in Dallas 2009 St. Nick David Lowery 2011 Pioneer David Lowery Short film; SXSW Grand Jury Prize 2013 Pit Stop Yen Tan Premiered Sundance NEXT section 2013 Ain't Them Bodies Saints David Lowery Premiered Sundance Film Festival 2017 A Ghost Story David Lowery Premiered Sundance Film Festival; released by A24 2018 The Old Man & the Gun David Lowery 2021 The Green Knight David Lowery Released by A24

As director Year Title Notes 2009 Receive Bacon Short film 2011 Knife Short film; Rooftop Films grant; SXSW selection TBD Merrily, Merrily Short film 2015 Melville Short film; SXSW premiere; Dallas IFF Audience Award TBD Strawweight Feature film

As second unit director Year Title Director 2023 Peter Pan & Wendy David Lowery

Awards Year Award Category Work Result 2011 Sundance Institute Creative Producing Fellowship — Won 2012 Variety 10 Producers to Watch — Named 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards Piaget Producers Award Ain't Them Bodies Saints Won