Downloads: Media Alert
New York, NY, April 17, 2009 — The POV Web site, www.pbs.org/pov, has been nominated for a 2009 Webby Award in the category of Movie and Film, it was announced Tuesday. POV (“Point of View”), starting its 22nd season on PBS on June 23, is American television’s first and longest-running independent documentary series. Hailed as the “Oscars of the Internet,” the Webby Film and Video Awards are the leading industry awards honoring original film and video premiering on the Internet. Winners will be announced on May 5, 2008 and honored at a ceremony in New York City on June 8, where winners will take to the stage to deliver the Webbys’ famous five-word speeches.
Also nominated for a Webby in the Movie and Film category are Coraline, The Independent Film Channel, the Sundance Channel and Pangea Day. PBS garnered five nominations in various categories.
As a nominee for a Webby Award, POV is eligible to win a People’s Voice Award. Voting is open to the public through April 30 at http://pv.webbyawards.com.
“We are honored and thrilled to be nominated for the Webby Award for the fourth year in a row,” said Theresa Riley, director, POV Interactive. “In these difficult economic times, we hope that this recognition will help to bring more attention to the work of independent filmmakers, and the real-life stories of people under-represented in mainstream media coverage. We have a renewed sense of mission this year to provoke, inform and inspire Americans to promote civic engagement around these critical social issues.”
The POV Web site is a unique and extensive online resource for documentary storytelling, with special features for every POV program, filmmaker interviews, story updates, podcasts, streaming video, and community-based and educational resources. POV Interactive produces the Web-only interactive showcase POV’s Borders (www.pbs.org/pov/borders), winner of a 2004 Webby Award for its Environment series. The POV Blog (www.pbs.org/pov/blog) is a gathering place for social issue documentary fans and filmmakers to discuss and debate their favorite films, get the latest news and link to further resources. It features exclusive interviews with filmmakers, journalists and experts; columns by guest bloggers and POV staff; sneak peaks and recommendations for documentary offerings in theaters, on DVD and on YouTube and other user-generated video sites. Catherine Jhee is senior producer of the POV Web site; Ruiyan Xu is associate producer; and David Nanasi is consulting producer.
Established in 1996, the 13th Annual Webby Awards received over 10,000 entries from all 50 states and over 60 countries worldwide. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.
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Produced by American Documentary, Inc. and beginning its 22nd season on PBS in 2009, the award-winning POV series is the longest-running showcase on television to feature the work of America’s best contemporary-issue independent filmmakers. Airing June through October, with primetime specials during the year, POV has brought more than 275 acclaimed documentaries to millions nationwide, and has a Webby Award-winning online series, POV’s Borders. Since 1988, POV has pioneered the art of presentation and outreach using independent nonfiction media to build new communities in conversation about today’s most pressing social issues. More information is available at www.pbs.org/pov.
Major funding for POV is provided by PBS, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, The Educational Foundation of America, JP Morgan Chase Foundation, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, The September 11th Fund and public television viewers. Funding for POV’s Diverse Voices Project is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. POV is presented by a consortium of public television stations, including KCET Los Angeles, WGBH Boston and Thirteen/WNET New York.
