James Robert Jarmuschis an American film director, screenwriter and musician.
He has been a major proponent of independent cinema since the 1980s, directing films such as Stranger Than Paradise (1984), Down by Law (1986), Mystery Train (1989), Dead Man (1995), Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), Coffee and Cigarettes (2003), Broken Flowers (2005), Only Lovers Left Alive (2013), and Paterson (2016). Stranger Than Paradise was added to the National Film Registry in December 2002.
As a musician, he has been part of the no wave band The Del-Byzanteens and in addition composed music for some of his films. He has released three musical albums with Jozef van Wissem.