Director's Works
Black Cab James Arden
James Arden is a British writer/director based in London. He explores what drives people - good and bad - through character-driven storytelling that hopefully raises a few heart rates in the process.
His first short, Leopard (2020), won a British Short Film Award and has garnered over 100,000 views. His second short, Sitter (2024), won the Grand Prize at the Oscar-Qualifying Rhode Island International Film Festival, was nominated for Best British Film at the BAFTA-Qualifying Norwich Film Festival, and screened at SXSW London.
Recently, he directed the second unit for Criminal Record S2 on Apple TV, and is currently writing his first feature film, Public Relations.
Black Cab is, at its core, a family drama about a man trying to hold on to his sense of purpose as a husband, father and provider, in a world quickly leaving him behind.
Writer & Director, James Arden, says of the film: “I wanted to make this film now because the script’s themes are so current - autonomous cars are starting to appear on London’s streets in 2026. In a wider sense, all of us are concerned about what the future holds, and I think we can all relate to wanting to preserve our place in the world. Harry is just a normal person, like us all, facing great change.”
Over two years of research and development went into the script - interviewing real cab drivers and gaining real insight into a fast-changing industry. It’s easy to get caught up in exciting technological developments without considering the wider social impact on individual people. Car technology is a perfect example of this: the convenience of Uber; the allure of a self-driving Tesla or Waymo. But all those people who make their living behind the wheel - cabbies, truck drivers, delivery drivers, emergency services drivers - will soon have to find new work, and millions will be potentially left by the wayside.
“I wanted to tell a story about an individual dealing with this developing crisis; how it affects him and his family life. Work identity defines so many of us - especially men as earners, providers and protectors - something Harry, despite his optimism, can’t escape when reality hits.”
