Award-winning actor and director James Morrison has been announced as the Masterclass guest for the 2025 Yucca Valley Film Festival, following in the footsteps of Rosanna Arquette, Shane Stanley, Brent Huff, and many others.
Saturday, Nov 8, 2025, 3pm | Main Room (Yucca Room)
4:30pm: Picture Signing
The Masterclass has been a staple of the Yucca Valley Film Festival since its inception. Over the years, both the community and visiting filmmakers have enjoyed direct access to Hollywood A-listers — all of whom chose to participate in our event because of what our festival represents: a unique place to connect with fellow artists and talk about movies.
• Actor, director, musician
• SAG Award Nominee (Screen Actors Guild)
• Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award Winner
• Slamdance Winner
• Wrote and directed several award-winning short films
• Directed and co-produced the feature documentary Showing Up.
With a career spanning over four decades, James Morrison is best known to global audiences as CTU Director Bill Buchanan on FOX’s acclaimed series 24—a fan-favorite character he portrayed over the course of five seasons, earning a lasting place in the show’s legacy.
In 2017, Morrison embodied Warden Dwight Murphy In the Showtime revival of Twin Peaks (2017).
As the administrator of Yankton Federal Prison, Morrison brings his commanding on-screen presence to yet another legacy franchise.
Beyond his work in television, Morrison has built an exceptional body of work across film and stage, while also writing, directing, and teaching the craft he has devoted his life to. His performance in The Jazz Funeral was praised for its range, and for the authenticity of the onscreen father–son dynamic.
On the big screen, James Morrison’s recognizable gravitas and grounded, powerful presence made him a regular in major films, where his versatility shines across a range of notable projects directed by Steven Spielberg, Sam Mendes, Joel Schumacher, and others.
Morrison is also a seasoned professional with an extensive list of guest appearances across a wide range of shows—both dramatic and comedic—contributing to many critically acclaimed series.
Yucca Valley Film Festival 