Jim Issa

Raised in Stone Mountain, GA, Jim is the child of immigrant parents and can trace his roots thousands of years in the middle east.
The cross of cultures helped give Jim (Zyad James) the depth to understand multicultural storytelling and a sense of humor rooted in “being a little different” than everyone around him.
With a degree in theater, Jim co-founded The Whole World Theater, where he performed in thousands of sold-out “improv” shows. He produced a TV series based on Whole World for Turner as well partnered with Castle Rock Television to create another improv-based pilot for Fox.
In 2002, after co-producing and acting in the feature Made Up, directed by Tony Shalhoub, Issa shifted his career to directing and quickly landed several national commercials campaigns. In 2004 his short film Moved won the 48- hour International Film Festival, beating out over 650 entries. 2010 brought the release of Issa’s feature film directorial debut, Good Intentions starring Luke Perry, LeAnn Rhimes, Elaine Hendrix, Jon Gries and Jimmi Simpson and in 2015 Issa partnered with Moody Independent to direct The House Sitter for Lifetime.

Issa just finished filming Bolio: Spirit Of The Mustang starring Eugene Cordero, Gabriel Hogan, Tony Shalhoub, Tawny Newsome, Brooke Adams, Kevin Heffernan and Sarah Baker. Besides directing, he co-wrote, produced and edited the film. Look for it’s release in late 2026.

Issa combines 20 years of experience as a director, editor, and actor to achieve the kind of on-set harmony that brings scripts to life. This, along with his years working in advertising, have made him one of the most sought-after directors in the southeast.

Clients include:

The Home Depot, Coca Cola, Sony, AT&T, Travelocity, GA Lottery, Baskin Robbins, Toys R’ Us, Sanderson Farms, Bayer, Shoney's, BBDO, The Ad Council, TNT, Cartoon Network, Turner Studios, and others.