{{short description|American film producer}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}} {{Infobox person | name = James Belfer | image = James Belfer at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (1).jpg | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|01|14}} | birth_place = United States | death_date = | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = Television producer, Film producer | years_active = 2009—present | spouse = | website = }} '''James Belfer''' is an American independent film and TV producer. He is the founder and CEO of Cartuna, the founder and CEO of Dogfish Pictures, and the founder and managing director of Dogfish Accelerator.
==Early life== Belfer grew up on Long Island, New York. He received his bachelor's degree from Northwestern University in 2009. That same year, Belfer founded Dogfish Pictures with co-founder Michelle Soffen to finance and produce several feature films per year.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Strauss |first=Karsten |title=Accelerating Film: Mixing Business and Art |language=en |work=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2013/02/13/accelerating-film-mixing-business-art/?sh=7b6940026c4f |access-date=2023-10-10}}</ref>
He attended NYU Stern in 2011 to receive his MBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Digital Marketing, and Business Analytics. He was also an Associate for the 2012 Boulder Class of TechStars and an investor in the MESA+ venture fund. In 2012, he created Dogfish Accelerator, the first accelerator program for independent film producers.<ref name=":0" />
==Film career== Belfer has produced and financed several films, including ''The Romantics'' (co-producer), ''Salvation Boulevard'' (co-producer),<ref>{{cite news|title=Variety Reviews – Salutation Boulevard|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117944387/|newspaper=Variety|date=January 25, 2011}}</ref> ''Like Crazy'' (associate producer),<ref>{{cite news|title=Variety Reviews – Like Crazy|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117944354?refcatid=2471|newspaper=Variety|date=January 22, 2011}}</ref> ''Vamps'' (co-executive producer), ''Compliance'' (executive producer),<ref>{{cite news|title=Variety Reviews – Compliance|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117946883/|newspaper=Variety|date=January 21, 2012}}</ref> and ''Prince Avalanche'' (producer).<ref>{{cite news|title=Rudd, Hirsch wrap secret indie|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118055103|newspaper=Variety|date=June 6, 2012}}</ref> He is currently an adjunct professor at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, teaching strategies for independent filmmaking to undergraduates in Film & Television. In 2015 Belfer alongside Adam Belfer founded the animation studio Cartuna.
In 2024, Belfer began distributing films under the Cartuna brand. He launched a Blu-ray distribution label focused on animation, puppetry, DIY art, and alt-comedy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://vinegarsyndrome.com/collections/cartuna|title=Cartuna|website=Vinegar Syndrome|access-date=December 19, 2024}}</ref> Films titles released are ''NUTS!'', ''Adam Green's Aladdin'' and ''Hundreds of Beavers''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/news/breaking-news/hundreds-of-beavers-blu-ray-release-details-1235068473/|title=Indie Slapstick Hit 'Hundreds of Beavers' Reveals Details for Special Edition Blu-ray Release|website=IndieWire|first=Brian|last=Welk|date=November 25, 2024|access-date=December 19, 2024}}</ref> In 2025, he made his first all-rights acquisition with the title ''Dead Lover''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2025/film/news/grace-glowicki-dead-lover-acquired-cartuna-dweck-1236334618/|title=Grace Glowicki's 'Dead Lover' Acquired by Cartuna and Dweck Productions Out of SXSW|website=Variety|first=J. Kim|last=Murphy|date=March 11, 2025|access-date=March 12, 2025}}</ref>
===Filmography=== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%" ! Year !! Title ! !! Director !! Notes !Accolates |- | 2010 || ''The Romantics'' |Paramount Vantage|| Galt Niederhoffer || co-producer |2010 Sundance Film Festival (premiere) |- | 2011 || ''Salvation Boulevard'' |IFC|| George Ratliff || co-producer |2011 Sundance Film Festival (premiere) |- | 2011 || ''Like Crazy'' |Paramount Pictures|| Drake Doremus || associate producer |2011 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize (premiere) |- | 2012 || ''Vamps'' |Anchor Bay|| Amy Heckerling || co-executive producer | |- | 2012 || ''Compliance'' |Magnolia Pictures|| Craig Zobel || executive producer |2012 Sundance Film Festival (premiere) |- | 2013 || ''Prince Avalanche'' |Magnolia Pictures|| David Gordon Green || producer |2013 Sundance Film Festival (premiere), 63rd Berlin International Film Festival Silver Bear for Best Director |- |2016 |''NUTS!'' |Amazon Studios |Penny Lane |producer |2016 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize (premiere) |- |2016 |Diverge |Gravitas |James Morrison |producer | |- |2017 |''Like Me'' |Kino Lorber |Robert Mockler |producer |2017 SXSW Film Festival (premiere) |- |2017 |''Sylvio'' |Factory 25 |Albert Birney and Kentucker Audley |executive producer |2017 SXSW Film Festival (premiere) |- |2017 |''Dogs In A Park'' |Comedy Central, Watchable, IFC |Daniel Shepard and Keith Shepard |executive producer | |- |2018 |''Human Kind Of'' |Facebook Watch |Diana McCorry |executive producer |Annie Award for Best Animated Television Production, New York Comic Con |- |2018 |''Liverspots and Astronots'' |Facebook Watch |Rob Bohn and Nate Milton |executive producer |New York Comic Con |- |2018 |''Tammy's Tiny Tea Time'' | |Peter Gulsvig |executive producer |2018 Sundance Film Festival (premiere) |- |2018 |''Museum of Human History'' |Topic Studios |Daniel Shepard |executive producer | |- |2019 |''Tux and Fanny'' | |Albert Birney |executive producer |Ottawa International Animation Festival (premiere), The New Yorker Best Movies of 2019 |- |2019 |''Under Covers'' | |Michaela Olsen |executive producer |2019 Sundance Film Festival (premiere), Ottawa International Animation Festival, AFI Film Festival |- |2019 |''Science!'' |Syfy |Neal Holman |executive producer | |- |2020 |''Magical Girl Friendship Squad: Origins'' |Syfy |Kelsey Stephanides |executive producer | |- |2020 |''Magical Girl Friendship Squad'' |Syfy, Peacock |Kelsey Stephanides |executive producer |San Diego Comic-Con |- |2020 |''Desus & Mero'' |Showtime |Desus Nice, The Kid Mero |animation producer | |- |2020 |''Loafy'' |Comedy Central |Bobby Moynihan |executive animation producer | |- |2020 |''Blackheads'' | |Emily Ann Hoffman |executive producer |2020 South by Southwest (premiere) |- |2021 |''Strawberry Mansion'' |Music Box Films |Albert Birney and Kentucker Audley |executive producer |2021 Sundance Film Festival (premiere) |- |2025 |''OBEX'' | |Albert Birney |producer |2025 Sundance Film Festival (premiere) |- |2025 |''By Design'' | |Amanda Kramer |executive producer |2025 Sundance Film Festival (premiere) |}
==Festivals== Belfer's films have participated in the Sundance Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, South by Southwest, Locarno International Film Festival, BAMcinemaFest, Seattle International Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, and Stockholm International Film Festival. In 2011, Belfer's film ''Like Crazy'' won the Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic at the Sundance Film Festival.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sundance: 2011 Winners: 'Like Crazy' Wins Grand Jury Dramatic Prize, 'How To Die In Oregon' Wins Documentary|url=https://deadline.com/2011/01/sundance-2011-winners-101770/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=January 29, 2011}}</ref> In 2013, Belfer's film Prince Avalanche premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won the 2013 Berlinale Silver Bear Award for Best Director.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/2013/03_preistraeger_2013/03_preistraeger_2013.html|date=2013|title=PRIZES & HONOURS 2013|publisher=Berlin International Film Festival}}</ref>
==Honors== In 2012, Belfer was named "Ten Producers To Keep Watching" by ''Deadline Hollywood''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sundance: 10 Producers To Keep Watching|url=https://deadline.com/2012/01/sundance-10-producers-to-keep-watching-222025/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=January 28, 2012}}</ref>
== Personal life == He currently resides in New York City.{{Citation needed|date=April 2020}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|2699875}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belfer, James}} Category:Living people Category:Film producers from New York (state) Category:1987 births Category:Northwestern University alumni Category:New York University Stern School of Business alumni Category:American chief executives in the mass media industry