Seven wins for SA at NYF TV & Film Awards 2018

The ceremony was held in Las Vegas and honoured the World’s Best TV & Films and celebrated blockbuster entertainment from 40 countries around the globe.

The South African gold world medal winners include; The Animation School with four medals for Eden, MiteyBeard, Rocketboys and Sockworld in the Best Student Film category. The Clever Little Monkey Co won gold in the Instruction and Education category for Eyes Wide Open.

The Animation School also won a bronze world medal for Decaf in the Best Student Film category, with The Clever Little Monkey receiving a finalist certificate for Stronger Together.

Robust number of riveting documentaries

2018’s award-winning entries represent the leading-edge content accessible to viewers on all screens. The robust number of riveting documentaries achieving medallist status illustrate the significant increase in the popularity of this compelling genre. Engaging primetime entertainment, spell-binding sports programming, captivating breaking-news coverage from around the globe, attention-grabbing promos and innovative corporate image films were honoured in the winner’s circle. To view the complete list of 2018 award-winning entries, click here.

The New York Festivals TV & Film Awards grand jury, a respected panel of prominent international broadcast and film industry executives, awarded trophies to content creators across all platforms and in all genres. For 2018, 177 gold world medals, 169 silver world medals and 173 bronze world medals were awarded.

New York Festivals TV & Film Awards grand jury honoured five distinguished entries with the prestigious Grand Award:

Diana: In Her Own Words (1895 Films) The award-winning documentary uses archival footage, audio, and photos – including audio tapes made by Diana herself for the use of her biographer, Andrew Morton.

Tom Jennings, director/writer/executive producer, 1895 Films says,

“When I first started making documentary television, a prominent network executive told me to enter one of my films in the New York Festivals. She said, ‘That is a really good award to win.’ Since then, my company has been lucky enough to receive several gold and silver awards. Every year, I looked at the Festival’s Grand Winners, listing prominent filmmakers and programs and think, “Someday, I hope we create something significant enough to be considered for that top prize.” We are so grateful that day has arrived. To see our name as a Grand Award recipient is a dream 20-years in the making. I can assure you, the thrill that comes with this honour is well worth the wait.”

Mosul (Frontline PBS /C4/ Mongoose Pictures) the story of an elite team of Iraqi Special Forces who defeated the Islamic State in their heartland.

Olivier Sarbil, director and cinematographer, Mongoose Pictures had this to says:

“I am truly honoured to receive the Grand Award for Cinematography for Mosul. Mosul was by far the toughest place I have ever filmed in, but I kept going back to follow the same group of soldiers as they battled against Isis because I wanted to make a film that was intimate, giving a human face to the conflict and showing the true horror of war. I am thrilled that the New York Festivals Award has chosen to recognise Mosul with such a prestigious award.”

Yamazaki Moments, Dentsu Inc. this digital movie provides the experience of a tour of the Suntory Yamazaki Distillery, renowned for its world-class single malt whisky.

Kaoru Sugano, creative director for Dentsu Inc. says,

“Thank you so much for such an honourable award. I am so glad that the craft skills of all of our team members are awarded. We are proud of all of our production team members.”
Jane (National Geographic) with a score by composer Philip Glass, award-winning director Brett Morgen tells the story of Jane Goodall one of the world’s most admired conservationists whose chimpanzee research challenged the male-dominated scientific consensus of her time.

Genius National Geographic’s first scripted anthology series with a first episode directed by Ron Howard and an all-star cast including Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson.

For the second consecutive year, Al Jazeera English’s news analysis and investigative programming earned the network the coveted title of Broadcaster of the Year. The network’s award-winning entries explored a variety of global topics and garnered an impressive number of medals. Among their gold medallist winners: The Boy Who Started the Syrian War, Witness – Racing in Cocaine Valley, 101 East Duterte: A President's Report Card and Al Jazeera Correspondent – The Cut: Exploring FGM.

Giles Trendle, managing director of Al Jazeera English says,

“Winning Broadcaster of the Year, for the second year in a row, as well as winning over 30 medals at The New York Festivals event is a wonderful confirmation from our industry peers of the quality of our journalism and the talent of our teams. Since last year’s event, there have been calls from certain Middle East countries to shut down Al Jazeera. We believe such calls are dangerous signs of how the media throughout the world is being threatened and coming under fire. Democracy cannot flourish, and societies cannot advance if independent media are constrained and if people are deprived of information. So, these awards for Al Jazeera English are not only a heartening validation of what we do but also an important show of support for media freedom.”

For the 12th year running, The Edge Picture Company UK earned the title of Production Company of the Year. The production company was in the winner’s circle taking home an impressive number of gold, silver and bronze medals. Among the gold world medals awarded: Rethinking Risk, Dear Qatar, and Safety First. Silver world medals include: Dear Qatar, We All Have to Eat, Innovation, and How We Use Social Media.

Phil Blundell, owner and executive producer, The Edge Picture Company Ltd, says,

“We are so honoured and humbled to receive this great news from NYF, consistently the world’s most prestigious corporate film festival. Winning NYF’s PCOY was a real game changer for us 12 years ago, but to have now won this honour for a 12th consecutive year is something well beyond our wildest dreams. We’d like to thank all of our many clients for having the courage to continually entrust us to produce such creatively ambitious films and of course our many film crews and production teams all over the world, whose skills and talents continue to help us reach such cinematic heights.” 

Moviestar+ Spain was recognised with the 2018 Program Promotion Team of the Year Award. Gold winning promos from the network include Game of Thrones, The Plague and Eurofighters.

“The NYF TV & Film Awards do a great job in honouring TV creativity and marketing of all over the world, so we’re thrilled to be crowned Program Promotion Team of the Year. The standard is incredibly high and it’s a real honour to have the quality of our work recognised by our peers in the industry.” - Iñaki Martikorena executive creative director, Moviestar+ Spain.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Greg MacGillivray, chairman/director of MacGillivray Freeman Films was recognised with the 2018 New York Festivals Lifetime Achievement Award. Throughout his illustrious career Greg has personally shot more 70mm film than anyone in cinema history. He has created 5 of the top 10 highest-grossing Imax films of all time and with 360 theaters worldwide showing his films in 2003 he became the first documentary filmmaker to reach the $1bn benchmark in worldwide ticket sales.

Each year, New York Festivals, in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Public Information, selects entries that exemplify the aims and ideas of the United Nations and honours them with the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI) awards. 2018 UNDPI winners include: Living in the Future's Past (Cinepartners LLC), produced by Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges, earned the gold UNDPI Award; Water of Life and Death (Xebec Media Ltd) earned the silver award; and Brazilian Mechanic Lights up the World with Powerful Invention (CGTN America) received the bronze UNDPI Award.

Longform reigned, a robust number of riveting documentaries dominated this year’s winner’s lineup. Gold medallists include: Dream Big: Engineering Our World narrated by Academy-Award winner Jeff Bridges (MacGillivray Freeman Films); Danica (Epix); Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of Isis (National Geographic); The Black 14: Wyoming Football 1969 (CBS Sports Network); The Lions Rule (Terra Mater Factual Studios GmbH ); Big Pacific (NHNZ); and Nova’s Secrets of the Sky Tombs (WGBH PBS).

Primetime blockbusters

Primetime blockbusters in the spotlight include drama series, mini-series, TV movies, entertainment programs and culinary. Gold medallists include: Der namenlose Tag (Provobis Film und Fernsehen mbH/ZDF) Academy Award winner Volker Schloendorff wrote script and directed. Delicious (Endemol Shine International/Bandit Television) drama starring Dawn French as a Cornish chef who is suddenly forced to evaluate her closest relationships. Manhunt: Unabomber (Discovery Channel) mini-series chronicling FBI Profiler, Jim Fitzgerald’s pursuit of the deadliest serial bomber.

Guerrilla (Sky Atlantic in association with Showtime) is a love story set against the backdrop of one of the most politically explosive times in UK history. The Long Road Home (National Geographic) exploring the First Cavalry Division ambushed in Sadr City, Baghdad with Emmy-winning Jason Ritter and actress Kate Bosworth. Smart Cities 2.0 (Very! Pte Ltd) showcases the influential city of Barcelona. Entertainment programs and culinary earning gold: Garth Brooks Yankee Stadium Live (Audience) and MasterChef Junior Season 5 USA (Fox/Endemol Shine International).

Network news coverage captured events unfolding on the world stage, gold medallists include: Rohingya Villages and BBC News General Election (BBC), Jornal Nacional 2017 – Dimension of the News (Globo TV), Inside Mandalay Bay: The Vegas Massacre (Seven Network Australia), Di Ka Pasisiil (Never Shall Be Conquered) (ABS-CBN Corp.), 101 East, Best Non Fiction Series (Al Jazeera English).

Entertainment Promos engaged audiences. Gold medallists: Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party Season 2 – Ghost (Viacom Media Networks), Horror Highlight Generic (Tele 5 TM-TV GmbH), Mutant Rage (Fox Networks Group Latin America), Zarah – Wild Years (ZDF), Inside Out Opening (HK Television Entertainment Company Limited), Mother's Day (Fox Networks Group Spain), Nat Geo & Further (Banjo Soundscapes), and Carol of the Balls (Corus Entertainment).

From dramas to opens and promos, Sports entries scored gold including; Super Bowl III Through the Sports Illustrated Lens (Sports Illustrated/Time Inc. Studios) ESPN’s SportsCenter (Veteran's Day Special) – 22 Peaks and SC Featured – Rod Carew each took home gold world medals. ESPN’s Humanitarian Awards Show Open and Monday Night Football earned gold world medals.

Corporate Image Films succeeded in both bringing a company’s vision to life and engaging viewers. Corporate Films earning gold include: Goose bumps for the eardrum Fiction Films GMBH, The Dollar Data Store (Radley Yeldar), Michael Kors Watch Hunger Stop 2017 (Quite Frankly Productions), Chase Your Dream, No Matter What (Coder), Vivendi (Norvell Jefferson), Time (White Rain Films), Camry Karaoke (Kaleidoscope Productions), Fearless (Psona Films), Lungie – A True Story (Forster Film LLC), and Eyes Wide Open (The Clever Little Monkey Co).

Industry executives and international award-winners from around the globe celebrated trophy-winners success. 2018 ceremony presenters include: Chris Brown, executive vice president of NAB Conventions and Business Operations – USA; Holland Cooke – RT America – USA; Trevor Owens, photojournalist, Global News – Canada; Anne Panasuk, national reporter, Radio-Canada/CBC – Canada; and Jessica Soho, news anchor and Alden Richards – lead actor of Alaala (Remember): A Martial Law Special. GMA Network – Philippines.

New York Festivals 2018 International Television & Film Awards ceremony and acceptance speeches will be available for viewing on the TV & Film Awards website. To view this year’s winner’s showcase, click here.