Toronto, January 31, 2011 – The National Film Board of Canada has just received international awards for two of its productions.
The interactive web documentary HIGHRISE/Out My Window won the Cross-Media Prize for School and Youth Education at BaKaFORUM 2011, held in Basel, Switzerland from January 27–29. The feature documentary A Drummer’s Dream by director John Walker won the FIPA d’Or Grand Prize in the Performing Arts category at the 24th Festival international des programmes audiovisuels (FIPA) held in Biarritz, France from January 24–30.
About HIGHRISE/Out My Window
HIGHRISE is a multi-year, multimedia, collaborative documentary experiment about the human experience in global vertical suburbs. Under the direction of documentary-maker Katerina Cizek and National Film Board Senior Producer Gerry Flahive, the HIGHRISE team is generating web documentaries, live presentations, installations, mobile projects and, yes, documentary films. Visit <highrise.NFB.ca> HIGHRISE’s first international production, Out My Window <highrise.NFB.ca/outmywindow> is also one of the world’s first interactive 360º documentaries, delivered entirely on the Web. Meet remarkable high-rise residents in 13 cities who harness the human spirit—and the power of community—to resurrect meaning amid the ruins of Modernism.
About the BaKaFORUM
BaKaFORUM TV and Media Forum is a meeting point and platform for discussion and co-operation among broadcasters and independent producers, as well as cultural, educational and societal organizations interested in quality TV work, global education and educational development. The annual conference includes sessions, a contest, screenings and workshops. During the year, BaKaFORUM is committed to continually supporting common initiatives and projects that are in line with its mandate.
About A Drummer’s Dream
A rare and unique assembly of some of the greatest drummers in the world. Explosive talent, passion, humour and irresistible personalities come together in a magical setting when seven diverse musicians create a profound and unforgettable experience of transcendence. You’ve never seen drummers like this before.
About the 24th Festival international des programmes audiovisuels (FIPA)
The FIPA is six days of ideal television—clear and thoughtful, independent, exacting, sensitive and insightful about the modern world—selected from the past year’s international productions. The festival, created with the founding principles of “independence and quality,” strives in a spirit of co-operation to recognize, reward and promote audiovisual works, with the ultimate goal of contributing to the evolution and understanding of the audiovisual language.
