From left to right: Ambjorn Elder, Pooja Pottenkulam (joint highly commended prize recipients) and Greg Hemmings (first prize winner).
Around the Commonwealth: Canadian film-maker wins Commonwealth Vision Awards
2 July 2009
Film looks at effects of climate change and cultural transformation in a small community in the Canadian Arctic region of Nunavik
Greg Hemmings, a young Canadian film-maker, won First Prize in this year’s Commonwealth Vision Awards at a ceremony held at the Commonwealth Club in London. The Awards, open to film-makers under 35 across the 53 member states of the Commonwealth, is now in its eighth year. This year’s prize was presented by Lord David Puttnam, the Academy Award winning film-maker.
Mr Hemmings’ entry, ‘Papikatuk’, looks at the effects of climate change and cultural transformation in a small community in the Canadian Arctic region of Nunavik. It is narrated by a young Inuit boy named Papikatuk.
The second prize went to Pooja Pottenkulam of India/UK and Ambjorn Elder of UK/Sweden for their joint entry, ‘The Boy Who Spoke Moomoo’, an animated and allegorical story illustrating how, according to reports by UNESCO, that by 2100 half of the more than 7,000 languages spoken on Earth may disappear, many without ever being recorded or documented, resulting in a wealth of knowledge about human nature, history, culture and the natural environment also vanishing. Four other shortlisted entries came from Uganda, India, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Lord Puttnam commented: “This innovative award encourages talent across the Commonwealth, with themes that provoke and stimulate creative films and to date, have helped convey the Commonwealth message in an exciting and imaginative way.”
Dr Danny Sriskandarajah, Director of the Royal Commonwealth Society, said:
“Greg Hemmings’ film is a poignant and beautiful account of how rapidly the world is changing, climatically and culturally, for communities around the world.
Contact
Alice Kawoya, Project Manager.
Phone: +44 (0)20 7766 9206
Email: visionawards@thercs.org
“Greg saw off some stiff competition. This year’s entries showcase the best of film-making around the Commonwealth but also highlight the inspiring ways that young people across the Commonwealth are addressing the many challenges that face them.
“Not many film competitions can boast finalists from Canada, India, South Africa, Uganda and the UK – a testament to the diversity of the modern Commonwealth.”
Notes to Editors
The prestigious Commonwealth Vision Awards, launched in 2001, are jointly organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society (http://www.thercs.org//) and the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (http://www.cba.org.uk//). Film-makers across the 53 Commonwealth countries are invited to send proposals for a short film (3-4 minutes) on this year’s theme (‘Global challenges and the new generation’). A judging panel, chaired by Keshini Navaratnam (former BBC World presenter) and including broadcasting experts and representatives of Commonwealth organisations, commissions a shortlist of films and a final top prize is awarded each year.
The Awards are supported by Warburg Pincus, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the British Council, the Commonwealth Foundation, and the BBC World Service.
The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) is the oldest and largest civil society organisation devoted to the Commonwealth. Founded in 1868, the RCS conducts a range of events and activities aimed at promoting international understanding. It is an independent registered charity that has its headquarters at the Commonwealth Club in London, some 5,000 UK members and a presence in some 40 Commonwealth countries through a network of branches and Commonwealth societies.
Lord David Puttnam is one of the world’s leading film producers, whose credits include Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Chariots of Fire (which won the Academy Award for Best Picture), Memphis Belle, The Killing Fields and The Mission (which won the Palme d'Or). He was Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Columbia Pictures from 1986 to 1988. He was awarded a CBE in 1983, was knighted in 1995 and was created a life peer in 1997, as Baron Puttnam, of Queensgate.
The winning entry can be viewed at http://vimeo.com/4914156
Photographs from the ceremony are available from Alice Kawoya at the RCS.
The format for next year’s awards will change as they are to be included in the new Young Commonwealth Competitions being launched in 2010. More information and entry forms will be available from November 2009.
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