About — Jones Films

James Jones is an award-winning British director who makes documentary films for international television and theatrical release. He has just finished a feature documentary, Antidote, at Passion Pictures and is now starting a new film for HBO. He is represented by WME.

His documentaries tell extraordinary human stories from all over the world. The films combine journalistic rigour with a distinctive cinematic sensibility. They have screened at some of the world’s leading film festivals and played on Netflix, Apple TV, HBO, PBS, Sky, Channel 4, and the BBC.

His film on the drug war in the Philippines – On The President’s Orders - for Frontline PBS, ARTE France, BBC Storyville and Bertha Doc Society, was described by Variety as "a wholly cinematic, sensory experience".

James has a long-standing interest in Russia and speaks fluent Russian. His BAFTA-winning film Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes, described as “tense, chilling... powerful" by the New York Times and “mind-blowing” by the Times, is streaming on HBO Max.

His Emmy-nominated Apple TV series Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn was described by Rolling Stone as “blending high-stakes, shoe-leather reporting with thriller sizzle.”

His film Antidote won an award at Tribeca Film Festival 2024 and Variety wrote, “From its very first moments, “Antidote” unspools like a propulsive thriller... a rousing, feature-length call to action.”

His films have won three Emmys, three DuPonts, three Royal Television Society awards, a Grierson, a BAFTA, a Rory Peck, a Frontline Club, a Broadcast Award, a Cinema Eye Honors Award, two Overseas Press Club of America, two Golden Nymphs, Best UK Feature at Raindance, and a Venice TV Award, as well as being nominated seven times at the BAFTAs.

2024

Antidote

Winner of Best Editing in a Feature Documentary at Tribeca Film Festival

Winner of the Conflict and Resolution Prize at the Hamptons International Film Festival

Nominated in TRUTH DOX category at Dokufest

2023

Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn

Nominated for an Emmy in the Crime and Justice Documentary category

2022

Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes

Winner of a Cinema Eye Honors Award

Winner of a BAFTA Craft Award for Editing

Winner of British Film Editors Cut Above Award for Best British Documentary

Winner of Royal Television Society Craft Award for Sound - Entertainment & Non Drama

Winner of the Broadcast Tech Innovation Award for Best Audio Post-production

Winner of Best Trailer at the World Trailer Awards

Nominated for Single Documentary at the BAFTA TV Awards

Nominated for Directing - Factual at the BAFTA Craft Awards

Nominated for an International Documentary Association Award

Nominated for Best Documentary at the Broadcast Awards

Nominated for a Broadcast Digital Award for Best Documentary

Shortlisted for a Grierson in Best Single Documentary International

Nominated for Best Documentary Trailer at the Golden Trailer Awards

Nominated in the Cinematic Feature category at the FOCAL International Awards

2021

The Riots: One Week in August

2019

On The President’s Orders

Winner of Best UK Feature at Raindance Film Festival

Winner of Special Jury Prize at HumanDoc Film Festival

Winner of an RTS Craft Award for Photography

Nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary

Nominated for the Rory Peck Sony Impact Award

Shortlisted for a Grierson for Best Current Affairs Documentary

Nominated for CPH:DOX F:ACT Award

2017

Mosul

Winner of The Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Documentary at the Overseas Press Club Awards

Winner of an Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography

Winner of DuPont Gold Baton

Winner of Grand Jury Prize at the Golden Nymphs

Winner of the Venice TV Award for Documentary

Winner of Best Documentary at the Broadcast Awards

Winner of the Frontline Club Award

Nominated for a BAFTA Craft Award in the Cinematography category

Nominated for Television Documentary at the One World Media Awards

Nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Short Documentary

Nominated for a Grierson Award - Best Current Affairs Documentary

Nominated at the AIBs - International Affairs Documentary

Nominated at the International Documentary Association Awards

2016