POV gives a huge round of applause to this year’s BRITDOC Impact Award winners! The BRITDOC Impact Award celebrates documentary films that have made the greatest impact on society. Congratulations to the extraordinary teams behind these films and their campaigns. In-depth documentary impact reports produced by BRITDOC will provide insight into the reach of these campaigns and the strategies behind their success.
We want to say a special congratulations to two POV films recognized by BRITDOC. Visit http://britdocimpactaward.com to watch short videos about the impact of American Promise (POV 2013) and Granito: How to Nail a Dictator (POV 2012).
About Granito: How to Nail a Dictator:
In a stunning milestone for justice in Central America, a Guatemalan court recently charged former dictator Efraín Rios Montt with genocide for his brutal war against the country’s Mayan people in the 1980s — and Pamela Yates’ 1983 documentary, When the Mountains Tremble, provided key evidence for bringing the indictment. Granito: How to Nail a Dictator tells the extraordinary story of how a film, aiding a new generation of human rights activists, became a granito — a tiny grain of sand — that helped tip the scales of justice.
“POV was an indispensable part of our outreach and impact campaign, broadcasting Granito in English and Spanish throughout the PBS network, streaming the film to the entire world for 4 months for free, organizing community and classroom screenings in the US, and creating in-depth study guides, short films, and a national press campaign to create a holistic media ecosystem that aligned completely with our strategic goals for the film, and strengthened our campaign immeasurably.” – Pamela Yates, Director, Granito: How to Nail a Dictator.
About American Promise:
American Promise spans 13 years as Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson, middle-class African-American parents in Brooklyn, N.Y., turn their cameras on their son, Idris, and his best friend, Seun, who make their way through Dalton, one of the most prestigious private schools in the country.
“POV’s traditional resources and digital platforms are intrinsic to our campaign. And collaborating with POV on our community and classroom screenings increased the awareness of our campaign and engagement work beyond our wildest expectations.” – Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson, Directors, American Promise.
Last year’s Impact Award winner, The Act of Killing (POV 2014), has played an unprecedented role in creating dialogue about the 1965-1966 genocide, both in Indonesia and internationally. Read the BRITDOC Impact Report to learn more about how the film catalyzed a fundamental change in how the 1965-66 genocide is understood in Indonesia.
Past winners have included The End of the Line in 2011, an environmental documentary on the overfishing of the world’s oceans and Budrus in 2012, about non-violent demonstrations by the residents of Palestinian village Budrus to protest against the building of the Israeli West Bank barrier. Special mentions have been accoladed to Josh Fox’s anti-fracking polemic Gasland; Burma VJ, about the video journalists who risked their lives to report the 2009 Burmese uprising and Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering’s The Invisible War tackling sexual assault in the US military.
Do you have a favorite among this year’s winners? Tweet #BRITDOCImpactAward and #NetflixHi5 to help your favorite film win an extra $5000!
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