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Close-up headshot of James Nadler smiling. He has short hair and is wearing a dark suit jacket, striped shirt, and dark tie.

James Nadler

Chair, RTA School of Media; Graduate Program Director, Master of Arts in Media Production
EducationMBA, Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires (INSEAD); LLB, University of Western Ontario; AB, Dartmouth College

Biography

James joined the RTA School of Media’s faculty in 2004. He teaches screenwriting and television producing and runs the popular RTA in LA program on the campus of UCLA. He is a recipient of both the Dean's Teaching and Service awards. He has served as Chair for the School of Creative Industries and, in 2025, was appointed Chair of the RTA School of Media.

A lapsed lawyer, James remains active in the commercial television industry and has written, showrun and produced over 200 hours of television. His projects range from science fiction dramas, The Outer Limits and Psi Factor, to family comedies, Family Biz, to animated and reality series. He developed Heartland for the CBC and True and The Rainbow Kingdom for Netflix. Most recently, his animated film, Funny Animals, was an official selection of the Los Angeles International Shorts Film Festival and Toronto International Shorts Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Comedy. In 2024, James was named a Toronto Metropolitan Fellow / Visiting Scholar at Massey College.