Trick

Background:

Jim Fall first earned prominence as the director and producer of the popular gay themed romantic comedy “Trick” (1999), from which he picked up a Berlin International Film Festival Award, a L.A. Outfest Award and a Sundance Film Festival nomination for Grand Jury Prize. He also directed the popular movie adaptation of “Lizzie McGuire,” “The Lizzie McGuire Movie” (2003). On the small screen, Fall has directed episodes of “Grosse Pointe” and “So noTORIous” and the film “Wedding Wars” (A&E, 2006).

Tisch School of the Arts

Childhood and Family:

Jim Fall was born on December 13, 1962, in Albion, New York. He attended Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and then New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He went on to receive a film scholarship from The Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts.

The Lizzie McGuire Movie

Career:

Jim Fall entered the film industry in the mid 1980s when he served as a production coordinator on “Buddies” (1985), a New Line Cinema drama about a person with AIDS that was directed and written by Arthur J. Bressan Jr. “Buddies” starred Geoff Edholm, Damon Hairston and Joyce Korn. Three years later, he worked as a production assistant on Andrew Fleming's horror flick “Bad Dreams” (1988), starring Jennifer Rubin, Bruce Abbott and Richard Lynch.

Fall's directing debut was “Trick” (1999), an independent film starring Christian Campbell, John Paul Pitoc, Tori Spelling, Steve Hayes, Kevin Chamberlin, Miss Coco Peru, Lorri Bagley and Brad Beyer. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 1999, and earned a Grand Jury Prize nomination in the Dramatic category at the festival. It also brought Fall a Reader Jury of the “Siegessäule” at the 1999 Berlin International Film Festival and a Special Programming Committee Award for Outstanding Emerging Talent from the 1999 L.A. Outfest. “Trick” was acquired by Fine Line Features and released theatrically in the United States in July 1999. It became Fine Line's highest grossing film of that yea, and under Good Machine International, continued to enjoy successful releases in several countries around the world.

Entering the new millennium, Fall branched out to television by directing Stephanie-Marie Baker, Walker Howard and Ben Indra in Fox's film “Damaged Goods” (2000). The same year, he also directed an episode of Darren Star's short lived comedy show “Grosse Pointe” called “Puppet Master.”

Fall returned to feature films when he made his studio directing debut with the Walt Disney Pictures comedy “The Lizzie McGuire Movie,” an adaptation of the Disney Channel show “Lizzie McGuire” (both starred Hilary Duff). Released on May 2, 2003, the film received mild reviews from critics, but opened at No.2 at the U.S. box office. Duff won a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Star - Female for her performance in the film.

In 2006, Fall directed John Stamos, Eric Dane, Bonnie Somerville and Sean Maher in the romantic comedy “Wedding Wars,” which he also co-produced. Premiering on December 11, 2006, on the A&E Network, the film was nominated for a 2007 GLAAD Media for Outstanding Movie for Television. The same year, he also contributed his directing talents to the VH1 acclaimed sitcom “So noTORIous” (2006), which was loosely based on the life of actress Tori Spelling. He directed the episodes “Street” and “Accommodating” of the series.

Fall is the director of the upcoming comedy film “A Holiday Engagement” (originally titled “A Thanksgiving Engagement”), which will star Haylie Duff, Shelley Long and Sam Horrigan. Fall has also directed a number of stage productions in New York City.

Awards:

• Berlin International Film Festival: Reader Jury of the “Siegessäule,” “Trick,” 1999

• L.A. Outfest: Special Programming Committee Award, Outstanding Emerging Talent, “Trick,” 1999