James Jones (documentary maker) explained

James Jones is a British director who makes documentary films for international television and theatrical release.

Career

James Jones is a two-time Emmy Award-winning and seven-time BAFTA-nominated director. His films are broadcast around the world, primarily on the BBC, Channel 4, Sky, HBO, Apple TV+ and PBS Frontline.[1] [2] [3]

Jones has tackled difficult subjects like suicide in the military and homelessness. He has also made films in some of the most difficult places in the world, like North Korea and Saudi Arabia. His film Children of the Gaza War was broadcast on the BBC in July 2015 on the first anniversary of the 2014 Gaza war.[4] In 2016 he made the critically acclaimed feature-length documentary Unarmed Black Male about the murder trial of a police officer in Portsmouth, Virginia. In 2017 he co-directed the Emmy-winning Mosul with Olivier Sarbil.

In 2019 he released a feature documentary on the drug war in the Philippines – On The President's Orders - for FRONTLINE PBS, Arte France, BBC Storyville and Bertha Doc Society. The film received rave reviews in Variety and other publications after playing at Hot Docs festival in Toronto. It played at the Sheffield DocFest[5] and Human Rights Watch Film Festival in New York.

In 2022 his film Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes was broadcast on Sky Documentaries. It told the story of the Chernobyl disaster using personal interviews with people who were there and newly discovered, dramatic footage filmed at the nuclear plant, most of it never seen before in the West. The film was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Documentary and won a BAFTA for Best Editing.

In 2023 his series Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn was released on Apple TV+.

His films have won two Emmys, two DuPonts, a Grierson, a Rory Peck, a Royal Television Society, a Broadcast Award, two Overseas Press Club of America, two Golden Nymphs, and have been nominated seven times at the BAFTAs.

Filmography

YearTitleAwards and Nominations
2022Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes[6] [7]
2019On The President's Orders
2017MosulWinner - The Edward R. Murrow Award at the Overseas Press Club Awards - Best Documentary

Winner - Golden Nymphs - Grand Jury Prize

Winner - Venice TV Award - Documentary

Nominated - BAFTA Craft Award - Cinematography

Nominated - One World Media Awards - Television Documentary

Nominated - Emmy - Outstanding Short Documentary

Winner - Emmy - Outstanding Cinematography

Winner - Broadcast Award - Best Documentary

Nominated - Grierson - Best Current Affairs Documentary

Nominated - AIBs - International Affairs Documentary

Nominated - Frontline Club Awards - Documentary

2016Unarmed Black Male[8] Nominated - BAFTA - Current Affairs

Nominated - Royal Television Society

Nominated - Grierson - Best Single Documentary - International

2016Saudi Arabia Uncovered[9] Winner - Royal Television Society

Winner - International Emmy - Current Affairs

Winner - Golden Nymphs - Grand Jury Prize

Nominated - Amnesty Media Award - Best Documentary

Shortlisted - Grierson - Best Current Affairs Documentary

2015Children of the Gaza WarNominated - BAFTA - Current Affairs

Nominated - Grierson - Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme - International

Nominated - Radio Times' Faith Award

2014Battle for UkraineWinner - News and Documentary Emmys
2014Syria's Second Front
2013Secret State of North Korea/North Korea: Life Inside the Secret StateWinner - Rory Peck Award for Features

Nominated - BAFTA - Current Affairs

Nominated - One World Media - Television

Nominated - Ilario Alpi

Shortlisted - Grierson - Best Current Affairs Documentary

2013Broken by BattleNominated - Royal Television SocietyWinner - Mind Media Award for Speaking Out
2013Britain's Hidden Housing CrisisNominated - BAFTA - Current AffairsNominated - Prix Europa - Best European Documentary
2012Interviews Before Execution
2011Vlad's Army
2011Landlords from Hell
2011Sex, Lies and Black Magic
2010Secret IraqWinner - Grierson - Best Documentary on a Contemporary ThemeNominated - BAFTA - Current Affairs

Nominated - Royal Television Society TV Journalism Awards

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: What's It Like to Make a Film About Life Under Kim Jong-un?. FRONTLINE. 24 September 2015.
  2. News: PBS 'Frontline' Looks Inside a Notoriously Closed Country. The New York Times. 2014-01-13. 2015-09-24. 0362-4331. Mike. Hale.
  3. Web site: NOMINEES FOR THE 36th ANNUAL NEWS & DOCUMENTARY EMMY® AWARDS ANNOUNCED. emmyonline.com. 24 September 2015. 26 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201126032617/http://emmyonline.com/news_36th_nominations. dead.
  4. Web site: BBC Two - Children of the Gaza War. BBC.
  5. Web site: Garner . Bianca . Shef Doc Fest Exclusive: On The President’s Orders . Filmotomy . 8 March 2022.
  6. Web site: Heritage . Stuart . Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – stunning TV that is suddenly unmissable . The Guardian . 8 March 2022.
  7. Web site: Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes . Sky Documentaries . 8 March 2022.
  8. Web site: BBC Two - This World, Unarmed Black Male.
  9. Web site: How James Jones Uncovered a Rarely Seen Side of Saudi Arabia.