James Wunderlich | Featured Visual Artist
Photo Credit: Ryan John Lee
James Wunderlich and the Anima Cinefest
“As a medium, animation allows for the stretch and squash of scale, and the bending of the laws of physics,” James explains. “An animator is free to do whatever they want. Animation lets the imagination run wild. It can bring any object to life and convey any concept, no matter how complex or challenging. At its core, animation is authentic motion pictures—one of the most powerful and versatile media for communication.”
Sample Images from Anima Cinefest
Raised in Hamilton and a graduate of Hamilton Central School, James Wunderlich has been a steady, behind-the-scenes presence in our community for years. At Arts at the Palace, Jim is the one who quietly keeps the building functional, showing up at all hours to prepare for the next performance, dance, workshop, or fundraiser. He’s also known for his green thumb - tending the Village’s flowers - you might notice the planters he cares for are always overflowing with blooms, despite weather or season!
What you might not know about James is that he launched Orbital Sound in 2003 as an indie record label and its very first single cracked the top 20 on MP3.com, getting airplay in Japan to an audience of 200,000 listeners and 50,000 U.S. college students. “Those were heady days,” James remembers. He even got an email from Usher about a possible collaboration and an invitation from DJ Crush to join his entourage!
After moving back to Hamilton, James turned the label into a recording studio. However, his singer-songwriter dreams were cut short when he broke his brand-new guitar just two months after buying it and, realizing no “real job” was coming, leaned fully into creative production.
Now, over 20 years later, Orbital Sound has officially became a media and entertainment company, covering James’s four creative pursuits: music, film, books, and games. “Looking back, it’s been a fun, interesting, and enjoyable ride,” he says.
James’s passion for storytelling began as a young boy, when a Colgate University student cast him as an imp in a short fantasy film. Perched in a tree in costume & makeup, James remembers the thrill of acting, but what truly captivated him was watching the camera equipment being unloaded and set up. After filming wrapped, he asked the student to teach him everything about directing and filmmaking. He later appeared in another short, The Halloween Gang and the Backwards Monster, recruiting neighborhood kids to fill out the cast. When his mentor graduated and went on to study film at USC, he gifted James his 8mm Brownie Movie camera - a treasure James still owns today. Inspired, James applied to only one school: USC, where he too was accepted into the film program.
That early spark has fueled a lifetime of creative work. His current project, Wisps of the Apophysis, is a narrative poem paired with an original piano sonata and storyboards for an upcoming film, blending literature, music, and visual storytelling into one seamless experience.
One of James’s most visible projects is Anima Cinefest International Animation Festival, which he founded and directs. Now in its third year, the festival transforms the historic Hamilton Movie Theater into a global hub for animation, showcasing 14 animated films from 9 countries [watch a sample branded trailer here]. The festival celebrates animation as one of the most versatile and imaginative art forms.
The festival’s mission is not just to entertain, but to inspire. It curates a global mix of dramatic shorts, experimental films, and episodic works, giving established filmmakers and new student creators alike a place to share their visions and connect with audiences.
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 – 6:30 PM
Hamilton Movie Theater, Hamilton, NY
Free Admission
Grab some popcorn and experience “the ultimate frame-by-frame experience.” This year’s program promises stunning visuals, captivating stories, and the chance to see the world through the eyes of some of today’s most original animators - all right here in Hamilton.
Learn more about Anima Cinefest here:
