‏J.R. Niles‏

Award winning screenwriter and director, J.R. Niles is an American Filmmaker and Songwriter based in Los Angeles who came out of the LA Rock Music scene. Niles began writing and directing films in 2010. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Political Science and a Masters Degree in International Comparative Politics, both from The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). She directed her first two films during her time at UCLA, On This Land Kilimanjaro filmed in Tanzania, Africa at Mt. Kilimanjaro and her film on Women of the French Resistance in WWII, The Art of Resistance, filmed in Paris, France. In 2012 Niles was co-producer the dramatic, film short Lillian, starring Tony Award nominated Actress Kathleen Chalfant. Since then, Niles has gone on to write, direct and produce both narrative films and documentaries. Her dark, edgy, feature films are often focused on female driven stories, and often combine the action and dramatic thriller genres. Several of her upcoming features will be with her long time, friend, Production Designer, Jon Hutman. It was while in Budapest with Jon Hutman during the filming of Angelina Jolie's In The Land of Blood and Honey, that Niles conducted the research for one of her upcoming feature films. Niles was greatly inspired by watching Angelina direct on set. She recalls that Angelina Jolie's attention to detail and the intensity of her focus was inspiring.

Influences: Niles is deeply influenced by many of the great directors, most notably those who take cinema to the edge, Kubrick, Godard, Truffaut, Hitchcock, Lean, Lynch, Haynes, Scorsese, (both Coppolas Francis and Sofia), Malick, Varda, Nichols and Wim Wenders. She is also heavily influenced by the great cinematographers known for their profound lighting techniques. As for writing, some of her greatest influences are F. Scott Fitzgerald, Langston Hughes, Tennessee Williams, Alice Walker, Eugene O'Neill, Hemingway and Lillian Hellman. Niles holds to the belief that one cannot write a great screenplay without reading the works of the great literary masters.

Her early years in film and were spent as an intern in development at Orion Pictures and at various production companies in Los Angeles. However, music was first blood and Niles left the film industry at a young age, to pursue her music career. By 1995 she and her band were playing the famed Los Angeles clubs, The Whisky A Go Go and The Roxy and were deep in the LA Music scene. By 1998 she had recorded her first CD, Edge Of The Sky and signed a solo deal with a small label in Holland and after two weeks in Europe, three of her songs hit the radio airwaves. Upon returning to The States and after the devastating events of September 11th 2001, Niles decided to go back to school and it was this choice that eventually brought her back to the film industry.

Niles earned her Masters degree at UCLA in 2012. She enjoys sailing, spending time in Paris and in The South of France and will once again be returning to Paris to direct several features.

Although Niles enjoys the documentary genre, her ability as a visionary, writer/director and her love of working with extraordinary, acting talent (from both film and Broadway) and love of the caused based narrative, has led her deeper into the narrative aspect of film making.

Niles is an Activist for women's rights, LGBTQ rights, an advocate for Animal rights and an environmentalist.