James Vculek, 67, Minnesota-native, filmmaker, playwright, screenwriter, pianist, klezmer musician, supporter of the arts, lawyer, editor, theater director, choir director, and charismatic and brilliant friend has passed away in Paris, a city he loved and had been returning to for long visits over the past few years. James grew up in St. Paul, the son of Audrey and Ernest Vculek, brother of Johnne and Jeffrey. He attended high school and made life-long friends at Interlochen Arts Academy, where he studied piano.

He entered Macalester College, then transferred to Oberlin College where he started a popular film series, studied modern dance, accompanied dance classes on the piano, organized an intramural softball team, studied music at the Conservatory, and earned a BA in American History. James spent one memorable college semester in New York City interning with the legendary Jonas Mekas at Anthology Film Archives, which had a lasting impact on James' life and commitment to filmmaking. He attended law school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he again was instrumental in founding a film series, and after earning his JD, attended the American Film Institute Center for Advanced Film Studies earning an MFA in producing and screenwriting.

James was the Director of both Partizan Pictures, his feature film production company, and Partizan Theater, his play production company. His film "Two Harbors," featuring Catherine Johnson Justice, was screened at 25 film festivals world- wide, received five Best Feature awards, and was shown on New York Public Television, introduced by Richard Pena of the Lincoln Center Film Society. "The Quietest Sound" featured one seventy-minute take of Johnson Justice playing a mother talking to off-screen detectives about her missing four- year old daughter, winning her a Best Actress Award at the Fargo Film Festival.

Partizan Theater produced seven of James' plays, including "Shtick, and Its Relation to the Unconscious," "Carol and Cotton," "Something Witchy," "Backstory," and "The Princeton Seventh," at the Minnesota Fringe Festival; "The Princeton Seventh" and "Carol and Cotton" were performed at the New York City Fringe Festival as well.

James worked as a Principal Attorney Editor at Thomson Reuters (formerly West Publishing) for 27 years and lived in Minneapolis where he took power walks around the lakes and fed stray cats. He was a founder of the klezmer band Prague 24; obsessive reader of World War II history; diehard Hitchcock fan and film lover; loyal art museum member and visitor; avid fan of jazz, classical, klezmer, and opera; Badlands and Boundary Waters enthusiast; proud godfather to two goddaughters; and a New York Marathon runner. He was looking forward to playing the role of Andy Warhol in his new play, "Poor Little Rich Girl," at this summer's Fringe Festival. But James was at his absolute happiest when hanging out with his beloved cat, Buster, who sadly pre-deceased him.

It is not unlike James to leave his friends shaking their heads in admiration and disbelief, but this time our disbelief is mixed with deep sadness. James always had an idea for an outing or a building project or a film; his passion drew us in and made it happen, gracing us all with his generous gifts. He was loved and admired by so many, and will be deeply missed.

Donations in James' memory may be made to Rough Magic Performance Company: roughmagicperformance.org/…

Published on June 7, 2020