George Mason student uses his passion for filmmaking to give back

George Mason University Film and Video Studies student James Bah will graduate with a pretty impressive resumé.

At the 2024 Best of Film at George Mason showcase, he screened his music video, The Show, which he directed for rapper Bobby Feeno, also known as former NFL running back Arian Foster. Bah, who was a content creator and uploading his own videos, met Foster when they were both streaming on the platform Twitch, and made a cameo appearance in the video. 

“He reacted to one of my videos and we eventually got acquainted. I started editing content for him when I was still in high school,” said Bah, who is from Washington, D.C.

Bah traveled to Houston to direct the music video. “It was a fantastic experience and it still feels surreal that it happened. It was also my first time participating in Best of Film and a lot of people seemed to really enjoy it.”

The music video was also featured at the Washington West Film Festival in October.

The College of Visual and Performing Arts senior started off with an editing concentration before transitioning to a directing focus. “As a kid I didn't have cable, so I would watch highlights on YouTube and then I started to recreate those highlights and really got into editing,” said Bah. 

After attending predominantly Black schools growing up, Bah wanted to connect with other Black filmmakers, “so I founded the Black Filmmakers Association (BFMA), whose mission is to bring together Black storytellers on campus,” said Bah.

“A lot of the times you’ll see the same producers, directors, and cinematographers working on multiple projects together. The experience of being on set, that networking and collaborative culture, is essential in the film industry. BFMA provides us with those kinds of opportunities to get more projects on our reels,” said Bah, who is the president of the organization. 

In addition to the Best of Film showcase, Bah has participated in numerous George Mason film events, either featuring his own work or supporting the work of his peers and professors. 

In 2024, Bah was the moderator for Professor Nikyatu Jusu’s film Nanny at George Mason’s Visiting Filmmakers Series. “I was nervous at first, but I’d watched the film multiple times and we have a good relationship, so after a while it just turned into a conversation and was smooth sailing from there,” said Bah.

“Professor Jusu has been such an instrumental figure into my development and into my craft. I joke all the time that she’s my ‘auntie’ because we're both Sierra Leonian,” said Bah, who took FAVS 475 Advanced Fiction Directing with Jusu.

Bah said his early academic advisor Lori Yi and current BFMA faculty advisor Leonard Collins were also really impactful in supporting him throughout his academic journey. 

“James is a really passionate filmmaker. I’ve enjoyed so many of his projects, but my favorite is his senior thesis project, The Lick, about the challenges of growing up in Southeast D.C. Even with just the first draft, I was in awe. He has a gift and he has something special with this film,” said Leonard Collins, BA Film and Video Studies ’20, a FAVS adjunct professor and teaching assistant.

“I see James giving back to the students of George Mason and his community as an award-winning director, producer someday,” said Collins. 

Bah has already been on a professional set as a location assistant on the Academy Award-nominated Netflix film Rustin. He learned about the opportunity while working at the nonprofit Life Pieces to Masterpieces as a videographer and mentor to grade school students.

“Location assistants are next to production assistants where they're essentially handymen doing what’s needed in order to keep everything on set moving. I spent a couple of weeks working 14-to-16-hour days on set. It was a lot of work, but I loved the experience. I was grateful for the opportunity and I had a blast,” said Bah. 

In addition to working at Life Pieces to Masterpieces, Bah also worked at George Mason’s Student Technology Assistance and Resource Lab, and did digital storytelling work for Project Create and CityWorks D.C.

“After graduation, I hope to be working with an organization where I can use my creative ambition to give back to community and help others by any means,” said Bah.