James Francis Ivory (born Richard Jerome Hazen[1] June 7, 1928) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter.

Their body of work is celebrated for its elegance, sophistication, literary fidelity, strong performances, complex themes, and rich characters.

[2] Merchant–Ivory was established in 1961 in India where they made modestly budgeted films including The Householder (1963), Shakespeare Wallah (1965), and Bombay Talkie (1970).

Ivory began adapting films from classic novels such as The Europeans (1979), Quartet (1981), Heat and Dust (1983), The Bostonians (1984), Maurice (1987), and Mr. & Mrs. Bridge (1990).

At the age of 89, Ivory won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on Luca Guadagnino's Call Me by Your Name (2017).

[6] Ivory then attended the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, where he directed the short film Four in the Morning (1953).

He wrote, photographed, and produced Venice: Theme and Variations, a half-hour documentary submitted as his thesis film for his master's degree in cinema.

The film also co-starred Julian Sands, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Denholm Elliott, Simon Callow, and Daniel Day-Lewis.

The story follows its main character, Maurice Hall, through university, a tumultuous relationship, struggling to fit into society, and ultimately being united with his life partner.

[13] Director James Ivory has added to the legacy on the film saying, "So many people have come up to me since Maurice and pulled me aside and said, 'I just want you to know you changed my life.

[15] In 1992, Merchant-Ivory tackled their third Forster adaptation, Howards End, based on the acclaimed novel and starring Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter, Anthony Hopkins, and Vanessa Redgrave.

[17] The following year, Merchant-Ivory directed the period drama The Remains of the Day (1993), adapted from the acclaimed novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro.

It's also about time to recognize that Mr. Ivory is one of our finest directors, something that critics tend to overlook because most of his films have been literary adaptations.

[24] In 2005 he directed the film The White Countess written by Kazuo Ishiguro starring Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson, and Vanessa Redgrave.

[25] In 2009, Ivory reunited with Anthony Hopkins for the romantic drama The City of Your Final Destination co-starring Laura Linney.

The film, a romantic drama, was directed by Luca Guadagnino and is the final installment in his thematic "Desire" trilogy, following I Am Love (2009), and A Bigger Splash (2015).

[41] In May 2023, an upcoming biographical documentary portrait titled, James Ivory: In Search of Love and Beauty, directed by Christopher Manning was announced.

The film chronicles the life and work of Ivory and features Helena Bonham Carter, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Wes Anderson and others.

His memoir, Solid Ivory, gives details of his relationships with his business partner, Ismail Merchant; their composer, Richard Robbins; and others such as Bruce Chatwin.

[9] Ivory has owned several homes, including the Jacob Rutsen Van Rensselaer House and Mill Complex in Claverack, New York.

[44][45][10] In 1985 A Room with a View was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and won three, for Jhabvala's adaptation of Forster's novel as well as for Best Costume and Best Production Design.

The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and won three: Best Actress (Emma Thompson), Best Screenplay – Adaptation (Ruth Prawer Jhabvala), and Best Art Direction/Set Decoration (Luciana Arrighi/Ian Whittaker).