For many Americans, the first exposure that they had to the brutal tactics of ISIS militants was the beheading of photojournalist James “Jim” Foley. On Thanksgiving Day in 2012, Jim was kidnapped in Syria and went missing for two years before his captors uploaded a YouTube video of his public execution in response to Obama’s announcement of airstrikes in Iran. Brian Oakes, a childhood friend of Jim’s, felt that it was his responsibility to tell his story through the film, Jim: The James Foley Story.
The film is told in two parts, one from Jim’s point of view, and then the remainder from the point of view of his fellow hostages in Syria. The film does not feature the video of the execution, but instead provides extremely emotional stories from those who knew him best.
After premiering in the U.S. Documentary Competition at Sundance Film Festival last month, the documentary took home the Audience Award and HBO Documentary Films acquired the U.S. TV rights. Gravitas Ventures announced today that it has acquired U.S. VOD and DVD rights as well as all Canadian rights.
Jim: The James Foley Story will premiere Saturday, February 6th at 8pm on HBO.