Prix CIRCOM Regional 2007 Jury Report
PRIX CIRCOM REGIONAL PROGRAMME AWARD 2007 WINNERS ANNOUNCED
The winning programmes in Europe’s richest awards for regional television productions are announced (2nd April) after the judging session in Strasbourg, France.
This year eight awards in seven award categories are going to seven countries across Europe (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany and Croatia won one award each, while BBC from United Kingdom won two awards). There were 183 entries – a record number.
Eight awards, including two for documentaries, were decided by a team of 14 programme makers from 13 different countries meeting over three days. There were 183 entries from 24 different countries.
This year, there were new categories for video Journalism, Fiction, Video Editing and Magazine and the criteria for sport were wider.
The Grand Prix for Documentary, this year supported by RTVE from Spain, is won by TV2 Ostjylland, Denmark with a 41-minute programme on Thai prostitution in Denmark (TRAPPED IN PROSTITUTION/FANGET SOM LUDER). It was produced by Lars Hoj, Kay Brase, Ole Gronbaek and directed by Irene Thyrri.The station wins the specially-designed trophy and prize money of 5,000 euros. The director wins travel and accommodation to the 25th Circom Regional annual conference, hosted by Television Espanola (TVE) and the Euskal Irrati Telebista eitb in Bilbao, Spain, from 10th to 12th May 2007. The producer of the Grand Prix winning programme, Irene Thyrri, previously won the same top award in 2005.
All the awards will be presented at a gala night attended by the executives of most of the European public service broadcasters and politicians in the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, on May 11.
The awards were announced by David Lowen, Chairman of the Prix Circom Regional Awards, at the regional centre of France 3 Alsace in Strasbourg.
The cash value of the awards is 26,000 euros – plus a trophy, trip to the Circom Regional Annual Conference for the winning producer or director or station representative and the prestige and publicity which goes with winning one of the most sought after prizes in European television.
The winner of the Special Award of France 3 for highest quality of journalism is NRK1, More and Romsdal, Aalesund, Norway for a very thorough insight on possible tsunami catastrophe in Norwegian fjords (DANGEROUS MOUNTAINS/FARLIGE FJELL). Directed by Gunhild Saetre and produced by Svein Winther and Oyvind Sandnes. The station wins a trophy and prize money of 3,000 euros. The director is also invited to the conference and award ceremony.
The winner of the Magazine Award sponsored by TVP Poland, is Re: Act (RE: AGERA) from SVT 2 Gävledala in Sweden. The director is Elisabeth Bergkvist and the producer is Frederik Agné. The award is worth 3,000 euros.
The winner of the Sports Programme Award is The Beautiful Game: Footballers and Beauty Queens (ET DIEU CRÉA LE FOOT (LE PELADAO DE MANAUS)) from France 3 Alsace. The award is sponsored by ERT3 Thessaloniki in Greece and is worth 3,000 euros. The director is Albert Knechtel and the producer is Alex Bellos.
The Web Site category was won by BBC London for http://www.bbc.co.uk/london. Gary Holland will collect the thropy and the cheque for 3,000 euros. The category was created to encourage stations to support their programming through the web by offering an extra service to viewers. The category is sponsored by SVT Sweden.
The Video Editing award gives special consideration to the quality of post-production editing. The winner of the Avid Award is Do Communists Have Better Sex? (LIEBTE DER OSTEN ANDERS? SEX IM GETEILTEN DEUTSCHLAND) from MDR Leipzig, Germany. The programme was directed by Andre Meier. The award is worth 3,000 euros and last year special AVID award is established as a new category this year.
The winner of the new Fiction/Drama category is I Love You (VOLIM TE) from HRT Zagreb Croatia. Directed by Dalibor Matanić and produced by Vesna Mort.
The category is sponsored by TG4 Ireland.
The winner of the new Video Journalism category is Mark Norman for his On Tour in Iraq produced for BBC South East Today, Tunbridge Wells. The category is sponsored by the BBC.
Other programmes were specially commended by the judges. They are:
Documentary
1. The Day the Beatles (Almost) Came to Marburg (DER TAG, ALS DIE BEATLES (BEINAH) NACH MARBURG KAMEN) ARTE - Hessischer Rundfunk, Frankfurt, Germany
2. Battle For The Skies (LUFTKRIG) NRK 1, Hafrsfjord, Norway
Magazine
1. Beautiful Silesia (SLASK JEST PIEKNY), TVP3 Katowice, Poland
2. Inside Out North West, BBC North West, Manchester, U.K.
Sport
1. Inside Offside (INSIDE OFFSIDE), STV, Kosice, Slovakia
Web sites
1. SVT Mittnytt regional newssite, Sweden
Video Editing
1. Inside Offside (INSIDE OFFSIDE), STV, Kosice, Slovakia
Fiction/Drama
1. A Scrap (of Silence) (CHUT(E)), France 3 Ouest, Rennes, France
2. Comeback (COMEBACK), CT1, Ostrava, Czech Republic
Video journalism
1. Christian Wüstenberg, HR Fernsehen, Frankfurt, Germany
David Lowen, Chairman of the awards, said today: "We were delighted we had a record entry with quality higher than ever. Top class international programmes are now regularly made in the regions of Europe. The award night at the Guggenheim will be a spectacular showcase for regional television".
Jury members