James Bird once worked at Subway with his friend (the late) Jimmy "the Rev" Sullivan, the drummer for the band, Avenged Sevenfold.
James Bird was nominated for best screenplay for "Chasing Shakespeare" and "Eat Spirit Eat" at the 2013 Orlando Film Festival. In the same festival, Chasing Shakespeare won "Best Film" and Eat Spirit Eat won "Best Ensemble Cast".
James Bird won Best Director for Honeyglue at the 2015 Orlando Film Festival.
James Bird is a descendant of Ojibwe Chief Jon Shawano.