---
name: "James Laxton"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/james-laxton"
fi1m_id: "james-laxton"
imdb_id: "nm0493439"
tmdb_id: 960350
wikidata_id: "Q27443405"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "3 February 1981"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-10-10T18:49:40.687851+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# James Laxton

## Identity

James Laxton

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/james-laxton
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** james-laxton
- **IMDb ID:** nm0493439
- **TMDB ID:** 960350
- **Wikidata ID:** Q27443405
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Laxton, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q27443405, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0493439/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/960350

Cinematographer. Born 3 February 1981 in San Francisco, California, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 3 February 1981, San Francisco, California, USA
- **Active:** 2014–present
- **Frequently works with:** [Barry Jenkins](https://film.one/person/barry-jenkins.md), [Adele Romanski](https://film.one/person/adele-romanski.md), [Dede Gardner](https://film.one/person/dede-gardner.md), [Jeremy Kleiner](https://film.one/person/jeremy-kleiner.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2010s 84 (4), 2020s 72 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 80 to 77 across 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 4, Adventure 1, Animation 1, Comedy 1, Crime 1, Family 1
- **Screen time:** 10 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $858m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Laxton, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q27443405, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0493439/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/960350

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Moonlight*](https://film.one/film/moonlight.md) (89), [*Mufasa: The Lion King*](https://film.one/film/mufasa-the-lion-king.md) (57)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*The Underground Railroad*](https://film.one/tv/the-underground-railroad.md) (86), [*If Beale Street Could Talk*](https://film.one/film/if-beale-street-could-talk.md) (81)
- **HBO Max:** [*Tusk*](https://film.one/film/tusk.md) (79)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

James Laxton is an American cinematographer. He was born on 3 February 1981 in San Francisco, California. He trained at Florida State University, where he first met director Barry Jenkins.

Laxton is best known for his frequent collaborations with Jenkins. His credits include *Moonlight* (2016), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography and won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography, *If Beale Street Could Talk* (2018), and *Mufasa: The Lion King* (2024). Other notable films include *Nightcrawler* (2014), *Tusk* (2014), *Camp X-Ray* (2014), *Holidays* (2016), *Yoga Hosers* (2016), *Adult World* (2014) and the series *BEEF* (2023).

He is the son of costume designer Aggie Guerard Rodgers.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (6)

- *Mufasa: The Lion King* (2024), Fi1m 57, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/mufasa-the-lion-king.md)
- *The Underground Railroad* (2021), Fi1m 86, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-underground-railroad.md)
- *If Beale Street Could Talk* (2018), Fi1m 81, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/if-beale-street-could-talk.md)
- *Moonlight* (2016), Fi1m 89, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/moonlight.md)
- *Nightcrawler* (2014), Fi1m 85, Additional Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/nightcrawler.md)
- *Tusk* (2014), Fi1m 79, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/tusk.md)

## Complete filmography (40)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Mufasa: The Lion King* (2024), Director of Photography — Fi1m 57, [page](https://film.one/film/mufasa-the-lion-king.md)
- *BEEF* (2023), series, Director of Photography
- *Another Young Couple* (2023), Director of Photography
- *Los Valientes* (2021), Director of Photography
- *Reconnect* (2021), Director of Photography
- *The Underground Railroad* (2021), series, Director of Photography — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-underground-railroad.md)
- *The Gaze* (2021), Director of Photography
- *Black Monday* (2019), series, Director of Photography
- *If Beale Street Could Talk* (2018), Director of Photography — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/if-beale-street-could-talk.md)
- *Anything* (2018), Director of Photography
- *Here and Now* (2018), series, Director of Photography
- *Tour de Pharmacy* (2017), Camera Operator
- *Moonlight* (2016), Director of Photography — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/moonlight.md)
- *Yoga Hosers* (2016), Director of Photography
- *The Black Jacket* (2016), Director of Photography
- *Holidays* (2016), Director of Photography
- *Youth* (2016), Director of Photography
- *Welcome to the Last Bookstore* (2015), Director of Photography
- *Rubberhead* (2014), Director of Photography
- *Nightcrawler* (2014), Additional Director of Photography — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/nightcrawler.md)
- *Camp X-Ray* (2014), Director of Photography
- *Lemonade War* (2014), Director of Photography
- *Tusk* (2014), Director of Photography — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/tusk.md)
- *Adult World* (2014), Director of Photography
- *Bad Milo!* (2013), Director of Photography
- *Dealin' with Idiots* (2013), Director of Photography
- *The Moment* (2013), Director of Photography
- *California Solo* (2012), Director of Photography
- *For a Good Time, Call...* (2012), Director of Photography
- *The Murder of Hi Good* (2012), Director of Photography
- *Leave Me Like You Found Me* (2012), Director of Photography
- *The Myth of the American Sleepover* (2011), Director of Photography
- *Remigration* (2011), Director of Photography
- *Karma* (2010), Director of Photography
- *The Violent Kind* (2010), Director of Photography
- *A Young Couple* (2009), Director of Photography
- *Medicine for Melancholy* (2009), Director of Photography
- *Pig Hunt* (2008), Camera Loader
- *Little Brown Boy* (2003), Director of Photography
- *My Josephine* (2003), Director of Photography

## Gallery

- ![James Laxton](https://film.one/media/person/10284/gallery-b391ab98ee46.jpg) James Laxton — Image via TMDB
- ![James Laxton](https://film.one/media/person/10284/gallery-4fb7b7f6e3fd.jpg) James Laxton — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 2017: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *Moonlight*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/james-laxton