Jamie Thraves began making short experimental films in 1989 at Hull University, having previously studied illustration. His graduation film “Scratch” and his short “The Take-Out” went on to win numerous awards at film festivals worldwide. He joined the Royal College Of Art in 1993 where he made another award winning film, “The Hackney Downs”. After leaving the RCA Jamie joined Oil Factory where he directed some of the most memorable music videos of the genre; Radiohead “Just", Coldplay “The Scientist”, Damien Rice “9 Crimes” to name but a few.
Thraves made one more short film “I Just Want to Kiss You” starring Martin Freeman, which won the Fox Searchlight Award for Best Short Film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 1998. Thraves made his debut feature “The Low Down” with Film 4. It starred Aiden Gillen, Kate Ashfield and Dean Lennox Kelly. The film was named among the "neglected masterpieces" of film history by The Observer in its rundown of 50 Lost Movie Classics.
His second feature “The Cry Of The Owl”, an international co-production with BBC Films, starred Paddy Considine and Julia Stiles.
“Treacle Jr.”, Thraves’ most recent film, reunited him with Aiden Gillen. At the film's world premiere at the 21st Dinard British Film Festival it won the Hitchcock D’Or – Grand Jury Prize. “Treacle Jr.” had its UK Premiere at the 54th BFI London Film Festival. Time Out said of the film: "Funny, touching and gritty, this coolly rendered observation on need and rejection really is a Brit drama to shout about".
