Steve James is best known as the director of Hoop Dreams, winner of every major critics prize of 1994, including a Peabody and Robert F. Kennedy Award. Hoop Dreams was named to the Library of Congress National Film Registry, signifying its enduring importance to the history of film.

His other award-winning films include Stevie, which won numerous festivals and landed on a dozen ten best lists for 2003. The miniseries, The New Americans, winner of the 2004 IDA Award for The Best Limited Series. The War Tapes, which James produced and edited, and won the Tribeca Film Festival Grand Prize in 2006. At the Death House Door, which won numerous awards at festivals such as Full Frame, DOC AVIV, DOCNZ, and Atlanta and was James’ fourth film to be short-listed for an Academy Award, and No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson for ESPN's Peabody winning 30 for 30 series, for which Steve's film won a CINE Golden Eagle, and was selected for the prestigious American Documentary Showcase in 2011.

Steve's latest documentary is The Interrupters, his fifth film to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, and a hit on the festival circuit where it was honored as the True Life Fund recipient at the True/False Film Festival, and garnered the Best Documentary award at the Independent Spirit Awards. The film had a theatrical release nationwide.

On the advertising side, Steve's work focuses on his eloquent, humanistic storytelling and his inquisitive eye. Far more than simply directing spots, Steve develops campaigns that truly make an impact emotionally. Steve's advertising work includes two short films for the U.S. Olympic Committee, a series of short films and commercials for Visa, a year-long nationwide project for Ford, profiling the hardworking stories of notable Chicago companies for Bank of America, and an Adidas campaign featuring Philadelphia Phillie's MVP first-baseman, Ryan Howard. Steve continues to work passionately to produce distinctive work in all filmic media.