HBO Documentary Films has picked up U.S. TV rights to “Jim: The James Foley Story,” which will premiere in the U.S. Documentary Competition at Sundance later this month. The film, from director Brian Oakes (“Freakonomics,” “Inequality for All”), examines the life, death, and
legacy of journalist James Foley, who was murdered by ISIS in 2014. “Jim” will air on HBO Saturday, February 6.
READ MORE: “Sundance Programmers Unveil, Discuss 2016 Competition, NEXT Lineups (EXCLUSIVE)”
Conducting interviews with Foley’s family, friends, and colleagues—and unearthing new details of Foley’s captivity from fellow hostages—Oakes, a childhood friend of Foley’s, presents one of the most in-depth treatments of the story since Foley was kidnapped in Syria on Thanksgiving Day, 2012.
“Jim” is produced by Eva Lipman, George Kunhardt, and Teddy Kunhardt and
executive produced by Peter Kunhardt. The deal was negotiated with HBO by Cinetic Media on behalf of Kunhardt
Films, which has collaborated on several documentaries with HBO in the past, including “Nixon by Nixon: In His Own Words,” “Teddy: In His Own Words” and “Gloria: In Her Own Words.”
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