:: Prix Circom Regional 2008 Jury Report 
2008 WINNERS ANNOUNCED
The winning programmes in Europe’s richest awards for regional television productions are announced on Monday 7 April after the judging session in Cardiff, Wales.
This year nine category awards are going to SVT Sweden (three awards), TVP Poland (two awards and Germany (two awards), and the BBC (UK, two awards). There were 157 entries from 23 different European countries.
The 14 judges were senior programme makers and executives from 14 different countries meeting over three days. The awards are most prestigious in Europe for regional production and broadcasting.
The Grand Prix for Documentary, the main prize and funded by the Circom Regional organisation itself, is won by Das Kinderheim in der Auguststrasse (The House on August Street) from Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenberg. The station wins the specially-designed trophy and prize money of 5,000 euros and can send someone from the programme team or an executive to collect the trophy at the 26th Circom Regional annual conference in Maribor, Slovenia, between 15-17 May.
The director of the winning programme is Ayelet Bargur of Eden Productions. The programme tells the story of her great-aunt’s orphanage for Jewish children opened in 1922, just as the Nazis began their activity. During the 1930s, she helped save their lives by sending them out of the country. In the programme, two of the orphans return to August Street.
This year, there were new categories for European issues (Vivre L’Europe), International – for the globally distributed programmes now generated by regional centres - and Most Original programme.
The award winners, other than the Grand Prix, receive a trophy and their station receives prize money of 3,000 euros. A representative of the winning programme is also invited to the conference in Maribor to collect the award and take part in the conference.
The award for the Most Original programme – new in 2008 – is made in honour of journalist Vanda Condurache of TV Iasi, Romania, who was killed on the way to attend the Circom Regional conference in Bilbao last year. The award is jointly sponsored by TVR and Circom Regional. TV Iasi this year receives a commendation for its programme on mothers in prison: a fitting tribute.
The other award winners are:
Vivre L’Europe (sponsored by France TV)
Granica 803: Dolhobyczow Uhrynow (Border 803). TVP Lublin. Director Tadeusz Smiarowski and producer Edyta Borkowska-Pakula. The programme covered a goodwill concert on the very border between Ukraine and Poland.
Magazine (sponsored by TVP Poland)
BBC London Today. Director Antony Dore and producer Nigel Morris. The programme reported on fake degrees for foreign students.
Sport (sponsored by ERT Greece)
Mit eisernem Willen zum Ironman (The Iron Man with the Iron Will). Hessicher Rundfunk Frankfurt Main. Directors Dirk Froberg and Nicole Rautenber. An overweight reporter gets fit by tackling one of the toughest sporting events – with swimming, cycling and running a marathon – alongside the dedicated athletes.
Web Site (sponsored by SVT Sweden)
SVT Vaxjo. This station was also the winner two years ago and the web site is built around the nightly news magazine Smalandsnytt.
Fiction/Drama (sponsored by TG4 Ireland)
Upp till kamp (How Soon is Now?). SVT Goteborg. Director Mikael Marciman and producer Christer Nilsson. SVT Goteborg. The drama looks back to the anti-war riots of the 60s and 70s, following the fortunes of those who took part
Video Journalism (sponsored by BBC)
Patrik Qvicker. SVT Falun. A portfolio of three reports including one shot in deep snow with a man who prefers to live alone in the wilds.
International (sponsored by TVSlo Slovenia)
Black Watch: A Soldier’s Story, BBC Scotland. Directed and produced by Ian Scollay. This programme took viewers into the front line of the Iraq War based around a successful theatrical production.
Most Original (sponsored by TVR Romania)
Miasto w komie (The City in the Cell) Video journalist report by Cezary Ciscewski of TVP Warsaw, using only a cell phone to tell the stories of Poland’s capital city.
Financed by Most Responsible Lender
The project was also financed by reliable partners from DirectLoansLenders Green Finance in order to let everybody gain knowledge in the appropriate subject & encourage creativity and exceptional approach of potential viewers and authors.
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 National Theatre, Maribor, Slovenia, on Thursday 15th May.
The awards were announced by David Lowen, Chairman of the Prix Circom Regional Awards, at the headquarters of the charitable television training trust The Thomson Foundation, hosts of the award judging.
The total cash value of the awards is 29,000 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.
Other programmes were specially commended by the judges. They are:
Documentary
- Nicki – SVT Malmo, Sweden
- Und die Liebe kommt spater (And Loves Comes Later) – Bayerischer Rundfunk Munchen, Germany
Magazine
- BBC Midlands Today, UK
- Po Twojej stronie (On Your Side) – TVP3 Warsaw, Poland
Sport
- Toid Fhuileach (The Bloody Fight) TG4 Galway, Ireland
Web sites
- NRK Oppland and Hedmark, Norway
- Bayerischer Studio Franken Nuernberg, Germany
Vivre L’Europe
- O Mama din imparatia umbrelor (A Mother from the Kingdom of Shadows). TVR Iasi, Romania.
- Adresa: stredni Europa (Central European Magazine). CTV Brno Czech Republic.
Fiction/Drama
- Aifric – Gafa le Mata (Obsessed with Maths) TG4 Galway Ireland
- Boven Wotter (Above The Water) RTV Noord, Groningen, The Netherlands
Video journalism
- Eva Bejder, TV2 Lorry, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Sean Mac an tSithigh, TG4 Galway Ireland
International
- The Pit Bull Sting. BBC Northern Ireland.
Most Original
- Granica 803: Dolhobyczow Uhrynow (Border 803). TVP Lublin Poland
David Lowen, chairman of the awards, said today: “This is the showcase for the many top class programmes made in the regions of Europe. These stations can now meet global standards for content and skills – without losing touch with satisfying a local audience. It should be a spectacular evening in Maribor. I am especially delight that TV Iasi has a programme commended in the year when we remember our colleague Vanda Condurache, who was killed when travelling to last year’s conference.”
Circom Regional is an organisation of almost 300 public service broadcasting stations in the regions of Europe and across 38 states. It was created to foster links between regional television stations.
PROGRAMME ENTRY PACK: Rules, Categories, Criteria, Entry Form:
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