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‘After Tiller’, ‘American Promise,’ ‘Big Men’ Receive Multiple Nominations, Including Best Documentary; POV Digital Receives First Nomination for an Interactive Documentary

Winners to Be Announced Sept. 28, 2015 in New York

New York, NY — July 22, 2015 — POV (Point of View), American television’s longest-running independent documentary series, has received 13 nominations for the 2015 News & Documentary Emmy® Awards, it was announced today by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. POV came in second to CBS’ 60 Minutes in series nominations. Three POV films, After Tiller, American Promise and Big Men, were nominated for Best Documentary. POV Digital received nominations for an interactive documentary (Empire) and for a series of animated shorts (StoryCorps: Military Voices). Other nominated POV films are Dance for Me, Fallen City and When I Walk.

“We’re thrilled by the recognition of independent filmmakers in these nominations,” said Chris White, Executive Producer of POV. “It is a testament to the passion and persistence of these gifted storytellers, who have devoted years of their lives to present the most compelling and artfully crafted contemporary stories — stories known for their intimacy, timeliness and timelessness.”

To date, POV films have won 32 Emmy® Awards, 18 Peabody Awards, 12 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, three Academy Awards®, the first-ever George Polk Documentary Film Award and the Prix Italia. The POV series has been honored with a Special News & Documentary Emmy Award for Excellence in Television Documentary Filmmaking, two IDA Awards for Best Continuing Series and the NALIP Award for Corporate Commitment to Diversity. In 2013, POV received a MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.

POV’s 2015 Emmy nominations follow (visit www.pbs.org/pov/pressroom/ for descriptions, links, embeddable trailers, art and press releases):

Outstanding Coverage of a Current News Story — Long Form

  • After Tiller — Directors/Producers: Martha Shane, Lana Wilson; Executive Producers: Simon Kilmurry, Diane Max, Regina K. Scully; Co-Executive Producer: Cynthia López; Vice President, Programming & Production: Chris White
  • American Promise — Directors/Producers: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson; Executive Producers: Dan Cogan, Sally Jo Fifer, Simon Kilmurry; Co-Executive Producer: Cynthia López; Vice President, Programming & Production: Chris White

Outstanding Informational Programming — Long Form

  • Fallen City — Director/Producer: Qi Zhao; Producer: Lixin Fan; Executive Producers: Sally Jo Fifer, Michelle Ho, Simon Kilmurry, Peter Wintonick; Co-Executive Producer: Cynthia López; Vice President, Programming and Production: Chris White
  • When I WalkDirector/Producer: Jason DaSilva; Producer: Alice Cook; Executive Producers: Lydia Dean Pilcher, Sally Jo Fifer, Simon Kilmurry, Yael Melamede, Stanley Nelson, Peter Starr; Co-Executive Producer: Cynthia López; Vice President, Programming & Production: Chris White

Outstanding Business and Economic Reporting — Long-Form

  • Big MenDirector/ Producer: Rachel Boynton; Executive Producers: Diana Barrett, Dan Cogan, Dede Gardner, Simon Kilmurry, Brad Pitt, Rick Rosenthal, Steven Shainberg, Jim Swartz, Susan Swartz, Christina Weiss Lurie; Co-Executive Producer: Cynthia López; Vice President, Programming & Production: Chris White

Outstanding Arts and Culture Programming

  • Dance for Me — Director: Katrine Philp; Producer: Lise Saxtrup; Executive Producer: Simon Kilmurry; Co-Executive Producer: Cynthia López; Vice President, Programming and Production: Chris White

Best Documentary

  • After Tiller — Directors/Producers: Martha Shane, Lana Wilson; Executive Producers: Simon Kilmurry, Diane Max, Regina K. Scully; Co-Executive Producer: Cynthia López; Vice President, Programming & Production: Chris White
  • American Promise — Directors/Producers: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson; Executive Producers: Dan Cogan, Sally Jo Fifer, Simon Kilmurry; Co-Executive Producer: Cynthia López; Vice President, Programming & Production: Chris White
  • Big Men — Director/ Producer: Rachel Boynton; Executive Producers: Diana Barrett, Dan Cogan, Dede Gardner, Simon Kilmurry, Brad Pitt, Rick Rosenthal, Steven Shainberg, Jim Swartz, Susan Swartz, Christina Weiss Lurie; Co-Executive Producer: Cynthia López; Vice President, Programming & Production: Chris White

New Approaches: Documentaries

  • POV Digital: EmpireDirectors/Producers/Editors/Photographers: Eline Jongsma, Kel O’Neill; Executive Producers: Simon Kilmurry, Adnaan Wasey; Web Developers: Brian Chirls, Genevieve Hoffman; UX and Graphic Design: Clint Beharry; Web Producer: Emma Dessau

New Approaches: Arts, Lifestyle, Culture

  • POV Digital: StoryCorps: Military Voices — Directors/Producers: Mike Rauch, Tim Rauch; Executive Producers: Donna Galeno, Dave Isay, Lizzie Jacobs, Simon Kilmurry, Adnaan Wasey; Producers: Lizzie Jacobs, Maya Millett, Mike Rauch; Coordinating Producers: Rachel Hartman, Makeba Rasin

Outstanding Research

  • Big Men — Researcher: Rachel Boynton

Outstanding Editing: Documentary and Long Form

  • American Promise — Editors: Erin Casper, Mary Manhardt, Andrew Siwoff; Additional Editors: Margaret Byrne, Michelle Chang, Geeta Gandbhir, Sandrine Isambert

 

The full list of nominees for the 36th Annual News and Documentary Emmy® Awards is available at www.emmyonline.tv.

Produced by American Documentary, Inc., POV is public television’s premier showcase for nonfiction films. The series airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on PBS from June to September, with primetime specials during the year. Since 1988, POV has been the home for the world’s boldest contemporary filmmakers, celebrating intriguing personal stories that spark conversation and inspire action. With our documentary broadcasts, original online programming and dynamic community engagement campaigns, we are committed to supporting films that capture the imagination and present diverse perspectives.

POV Community Engagement and Education (www.pbs.org/pov/engage)

POV’s Community Engagement and Education team works with educators, community organizations and PBS stations to present more than 650 free screenings every year. In addition, we distribute free discussion guides and standards-aligned lesson plans for each of our films. With our community partners, we inspire dialogue around the most important social issues of our time.

POV Digital (www.pbs.org/pov/)

Since 1994, POV Digital has driven new storytelling initiatives and interactive production for POV. The department created PBS’s first program website and its first web-based documentary (POV’s Borders) and has won major awards, including a Webby Award (and six nominations) and an Online News Association Award. POV Digital continues to explore the future of independent nonfiction media through its digital productions and the POV Hackathon lab, where media makers and technologists collaborate to reinvent storytelling forms. @povdocs on Twitter.

American Documentary, Inc. (www.amdoc.org/)

American Documentary, Inc. (AmDoc) is a multimedia company dedicated to creating, identifying and presenting contemporary stories that express opinions and perspectives rarely featured in mainstream media outlets. AmDoc is a catalyst for public culture, developing collaborative strategic engagement activities around socially relevant content on television, online and in community settings. These activities are designed to trigger action, from dialogue and feedback to educational opportunities and community participation.

Major funding for POV is provided by PBS, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Corporation for Public Broadcasting and National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding comes from Wyncote Foundation, Ann Tenenbaum and Thomas H. Lee, Nancy Blachman and David desJardins, Bertha Foundation, The Fledgling Fund, Marguerite Casey Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Ettinger Foundation and public television viewers. POV is presented by a consortium of public television stations, including KQED San Francisco, WGBH Boston and THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG.

Contacts:
POV Communications: 212-989-7425. Alternate contact: 206-790-8697.
Cathy Fisher, cfisher@pov.org; Brian Geldin bgeldin@pov.org

POV online pressroom: www.pbs.org/pov/pressroom

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POV Pressroom
Produced by American Documentary, Inc., POV is public television’s premier showcase for nonfiction films. Since 1988, POV has been the home for the world’s boldest contemporary filmmakers, celebrating intriguing personal stories that spark conversation and inspire action. Always an innovator, POV discovers fresh new voices and creates interactive experiences that shine a light on social issues and elevate the art of storytelling. With our documentary broadcasts, original online programming and dynamic community engagement campaigns, we are committed to supporting films that capture the imagination and present diverse perspectives.