Five documentaries that changed the world win BRITDOC Impact award
American Promise, Blackfish, Granito, The House I Live In and No Fire Zone win the 2014 BRITDOC Impact Award, supported by PUMA and Netflix
Now in its 4th year, The BRITDOC Impact Award celebrates the documentary films that have made the greatest impact on society. Each film receives $15,000 to reward their extraordinary commitment, passion and achievements in using storytelling to provoke change.
This year sees the introduction of the #NetflixHi5 Award; recognising the winning film that receives the highest number of support tweets in the days following the announcement.
THE WINNING FILMS AND THEIR CHAMPIONS:
AMERICAN PROMISE, Dir. Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster (@PromiseFilm)
The journey of two African American families pursuing the promise of opportunity through the education of their sons. A vital contribution in bridging the educational achievement gap in America.
“These filmmakers gave 13 years, and their childrens school years to this film. And it pays off. American Promise has made an invaluable contribution to closing the racial achievement gap” - Russell Simmons, co-founder Def Jam Records
BLACKFISH, Dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite (@blackfishmovie)
Blackfish is an expose of the controversial captivity of orcas, and its dangers for both humans and whales. From protests to petitions, the film provoked a huge backlash against SeaWorld known as the ‘Blackfish Effect’.
"Seeing the work that Blackfish has done by shining a light on the treatment of orcas in captivity gives me incredible faith for the part that documentaries can play in addressing social and environmental injustice in the future." - Susan Sarandon, actor and activist
GRANITO: HOW TO NAIL A DICTATOR, Dir. Pamela Yates (@skylightpix)
Telling the extraordinary story of how a film, aiding a new generation of human rights activists, helped tip the scales of justice in Guatemala. In the conviction of a dictator, Granito is a testament to the power of documentary film.
"Granito serves as a vital reminder that courageous documentary filmmakers can profoundly impact the cause of justice in the world. This film helped the Maya people of Guatemala hold the perpetrators of their genocide accountable. It poignantly portrays their suffering, their resistance and their hope for the future." - Amy Goodman, Host & Executive Producer, Democracy Now!
THE HOUSE I LIVE IN, Dir. Eugene Jarecki (@drugwarmovie)
Exploring the human rights implications of the War on Drugs - the longest conflict in US history, and the least winnable. Could this be the beginning of the end for the ‘war on drugs’?
“The team continues to seek ways the film can help more fundamentally shift the national conversation away from seeing drug control as a criminal justice issue to seeing it as a matter of public health” - Danny Glover, actor and activist
NO FIRE ZONE, Dir. Callum Macrae (@nofirezonemovie)
The shocking proof of secret war crimes committed during the final bloody months of the Sri Lankan Civil War. Holding the Sri Lankan government accountable for human rights violations on an epic scale.
“This film is the only film that gives me faith in journalism. It's not only the most important account of what happened to the Tamils, it's actually become part of the fabric of their history” - M.I.A, musician and artist
We’re thrilled to be celebrating these five fantastic films, not only bringing great stories to communities but bringing about real world change. It doesn’t get better than this.
JESS SEARCH, BRITDOC
Finally an award that acknowledges the unique role that documentary plays in society.
MORGAN SPURLOCK, Director
DOWNLOAD THE REPORTS:
As part of the Impact Award we are releasing comprehensive Impact Reports on the work of each film team and their campaign partners. These stand alongside short films which give an overview of their campaign achievements. This work has been supported by Knight Foundation and Compton Foundation.
2014 ALSO SEES THE ADDITION OF TWO NEW AWARDS:
The Netflix High 5
Followers of #britdocimpact are invited to participate in deciding which of the five winners receive an additional $5,000 prize. It will be awarded to the film team that gets the most support tweets in the days following the announcement. Tweets with #NetflixHi5 and the films twitter handle will be counted up until Midnight PST on Monday 24th November.
The #NetflixHi5 will be announced on on Tuesday 25th November.
The Outstanding Partner Award
A chance to honour exceptional individuals and organisations who work tirelessly alongside independent filmmakers to make positive change in society.
Congratulations go to United Way, nominated by the team behind American Promise, who have been chosen as the winners of this year’s Outstanding Partner Prize.
United Way is a leadership and support organisation which is working in nearly 1,800 communities across 41 countries and territories to create community solutions that improve life for everyone. Many of United Way’s local branches have incorporated the American Promise resources into their work bringing partners together on a national and local level.
“Education is the cornerstone of individual and community success. That’s why United Way Worldwide was proud to team up with American Promise to mobilize families and educators to take part in conversations and take action to ensure that all young people are equipped with the same opportunities for excellence. We are honored to accept the Outstanding Partner Prize for the BRITDOC Impact Award for our efforts to leverage a film as compelling as American Promise to create real impact in communities. It is only by working together that we can accomplish things no individual, organization or government can accomplish on its own.” - Tracey Howard Holmes, Director, NFL & Strategic Partnerships, United Way
HOW THE AWARDS ARE DECIDED
Following an international call for entries, the editorial team at BRITDOC considered all applications based on an extensive social impact scheme and created a long-list of projects presented to The Center for Media & Social Impact.
The Center for Media & Social Impact at the American University (CSMI) selected up to 15 projects to present to a 16-strong peer review committee, made up of professionals working at the nexus of film and impact. From this considered feedback the five winners were selected.
ABOUT BRITDOC
BRITDOC is a nonprofit supported by Bertha Foundation, Channel 4, the Ford Foundation and others both in the UK and the USA. Since 2005, our mission has been to build a creatively ambitious and diverse future for documentary. For nearly a decade, we have been funding documentary filmmakers, supporting exceptional storytelling and independent journalism. Titles include CITIZENFOUR, Virunga, The Square and Dirty Wars, The End of the Line, The Yes Men Fix The World, The Look of Silence, Hell & Back Again, Pussy Riot, Who is Dayani Cristal?.
Over the same period, BRITDOC has been developing expertise around impact and evaluation in documentary film. We also run the global Good Pitch programme in collaboration with Sundance Institute and Ford Foundation. Good Pitch connects the world’s best social justice documentaries to new strategic partners from the NGO, foundation, brand and governmental sectors.
The Impact Field Guide & Toolkit is a new free online curriculum designed to help those who are working with film make even greater impact than they do already. impactguide.org We love experimenting in distribution. In 2013 we released three feature documentaries into UK cinemas: Dirty Wars, Ping Pong and One Mile Away, and in 2014 we co-distributed CITIZENFOUR. We have also moved into the educational space with Doc Academy, a platform enabling the use of feature documentaries in teaching the English National Curriculum in schools.
ABOUT PUMA
PUMA athletes have fought through hardships and against the odds to rise above discrimination, racism, poverty, and sexism in sports. These athletes have fought to play, and fought to rise above. In doing so, they’ve changed the game for the next generation. PUMA supports those who have pushed past such barriers and is proud to have supported the Impact Awards since their inception in 2011. PUMA is one of the world’s leading Sports Brands, designing, developing, selling and marketing footwear, apparel and accessories. For over 65 years, PUMA has established a history of making fast product designs for the fastest athletes on the planet. PUMA offers performance and sport-inspired lifestyle products in categories such as Football, Running, Training and Fitness, Golf, and Motorsports. It engages in exciting collaborations with renowned design brands such as Alexander McQueen and Mihara Yasuhiro to bring innovative and fast designs to the sports world. The PUMA Group owns the brands PUMA, Cobra Golf, Tretorn, Dobotex and Brandon. The company distributes its products in more than 120 countries, employs more than 10,000 people worldwide, and is headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany.
ABOUT NETFLIX
Netflix is the world’s leading Internet television network with over 53 million members in nearly 50 countries enjoying more than two billion hours of TV shows and movies per month, including original series, documentaries and feature films. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on nearly any Internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.
ABOUT COMPTON
Established in 1946, the Compton Foundation ignites change by supporting transformative leadership and courageous storytelling that can inspire action toward a peaceful, just, and sustainable future. Compton is a private family foundation based in the US that works with a global perspective. Its mission highlights a sense of urgency and a willingness to take risks in order to transform the way we live. Compton is committed to building movements, and believes that advancing a positive future will require innovative ways of understanding and naming the problems we face, as well as new methods for collaborating to solve them.
ABOUT THE JOHN S. AND JAMES L. KNIGHT FOUNDATION
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged.
PREVIOUSLY HONOURED
Launched in 2011, the Awards has now honoured 15 talented, tenacious and visionary filmmaking teams from across the world:
The Act of Killing (Denmark, 2012), Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, co-directed by Anonymous and
The Age of Stupid (UK, 2009), Directed by Franny Armstrong and Produced by Lizzie Gillett
Armadillo (Denmark, 2010), Directed by Janus Metz, Produced by Ronnie Fridthjof & Sara Stockmann
Bag It (US, 2010), Directed by Suzan Beraza, Produced by Judy Kohn
Budrus (US, 2009), Directed by Julia Bacha, Produced by Ronit Avni, Rula Salameh and Julia Bacha
Bully (USA, 2011), Directed by Lee Hirsch, produced by Cynthia Lowen.
Burma VJ (Denmark, 2008), Directed by Anders Østergaard and produced by Lise Lense-Møller
The End of The Line (UK, 2009), Directed by Rupert Murray and produced by Claire Lewis & George Duffield
Gasland (US, 2010), Directed by Josh Fox, Produced by Trish Adlesic, Molly Gandour
Give Up Tomorrow (USA, 2011), Directed by Michael Collins, produced by Marty Syjuco
The Interrupters (USA, 2011), Directed by Steve James
The Invisible War (USA, 2012), Directed by Kirby Dick, produced by Amy Ziering
Trouble The Water (USA, 2008) Directed and produced by Tia Lessin & Carl Deal
The Reckoning (USA, 2009), Directed by Pamela Yates and produced by Paco de Onís
Weapon of War (Netherlands, 2009), Directed and Produced by Ilse & Femke van Velzen