9th Annual Shorty Awards Recognize the Best of Social Media Projects and Campaigns
POV Digital’s Entries Highlight Successes in Building Audiences Through Social Media, Elevating Stories of and by People of Color
New York, N.Y. — April 24, 2017 — Digital storytelling projects from POV were among this year’s honorees for the 9th Annual Shorty Awards. POV received two Audience Honors from the annual contest in the Non-Profit and Snapchat Discover categories. Additionally, POV’s Snapchat Films, the first films to premiere on the social media app last year, received a Gold Distinction in its category.
For the Non-Profit category, POV highlighted its achievements in elevating its brand on various social media channels to create excitement around its 30th anniversary beginning this June. More information on the campaign, which was produced by American Documentary, Inc. and POV Digital, is available here:
http://shortyawards.com/9th/
POV highlighted its work on Snapchat in particular, with its Snapchat Films receiving both a Gold Distinction and Audience Honor in the Snapchat Discover category.
As the first producer of films for Snapchat Discover, POV broke new ground on where and how a film can be shared. The series signaled to filmmakers, for the first time, the potential of using Snapchat as a platform for a new kind of nonfiction cinematic storytelling and it continued POV’s tradition of presenting contemporary stories that express perspectives rarely featured in mainstream media and in promoting dialogue around critical social issues.
More information on that project, which was produced by POV Digital | American Documentary Inc. and NowThis, is available here:
http://shortyawards.com/9th/
More About POV Digital Iniatives
POV also collaborated with The New York Times in 2016 to embed documentary filmmakers inside the Race/Related team, producing widely seen work such as the audience-driven “Racist Objects” series, a set of animated videos about implicit bias and an Instagram-based exploration of “Awkward Race Questions,” among others.
POV Digital co-productions in 2016 included Whiteness Project, an interactive investigation into how Americans who identify as white experience their race, and Exit, an interconnected set of documentary experiences about post-apocalyptic living that is optimized for touch- and motion-aware mobile devices.
About the Shorty Awards
The Shorty Awards honor the best of social media by recognizing the influencers, brands and organizations on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram, Snapchat, Vine and more. Winners are chosen through a combination of votes from the public and scores given by the Real Time Academy.
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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.
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.
