By Lee Gluckman
Chairman, U.S. International Film & Video Festival

Being able to meet with the talented people who win in our competition is a highlight for me. This past summer, I had an exciting two weeks in July traveling from Los Angeles to Singapore to Los Angeles, then to two cities in Spain to meet with Best of Festival winners in the 2009 U.S. International Film & Video Festival. Later I was in Australia to honor the winners of the One World Award and then in Geneva for “Selma!” After that, it was on to New York City to honor the “Get That Pickle . . .” episode of the series “Between the Lions.”

AT ‘ASIAN PITCH’ IN SINGAPORE
My trip to Singapore was to present a Best of Festival (Grand Prix) Award to MediaCorp and NHK for the production “Supermen of Malegaon,” which was produced by Faiza A. Khan from Mumbai, India.

Fumio Narashima, Deputy Director, NHK (left), with Lucas Chow, President of MediaCorp; Gluckman

The “Supermen” film tells of an Indian town and its residents’ efforts to improve their dreary lives as its tiny film industry takes on a production of “Superman.” A member of the Best of Festival judging team from the International Quorum of Motion Picture Producers said the production “so utterly catches the reason to exist for all filmmakers.”

The production was created under the new Asian Pitch, sponsored by NHK and MediaCorp. It encourages independent filmmakers who live and work in Asia to tell stories of their country or of Asia.  This project, I believe, will become one of the most successful programming development concepts in television. 

The final day of the Asian Pitch, which was hosted by Lucas Chow, president of MediaCorp, was filled with excitement because three of the previous winners of the pitch had their productions screened by the audience. Afterward, it was time for official opening statements by both Mr. Chow and Mr. Fumio Narashima, deputy director, NHK.  I then was able to present both the First Place Gold Camera Awards and the Best of Festival Award to the studios and the producers of “Supermen of Malegaon.”

But the best part was yet to come, since the 2009 Asian Pitch decisions for “green-lighted” productions were made with anxious producers and production companies present.  And, just as the Asian Pitch is trendsetting, new ground was broken with the awarding of three new projects. In addition, the next three concepts were so strong that those producers were sent back to polish their work with the chance that they, too, would receive “green-lights.” 

And, there was more – the women who created “Supermen” had such a unique concept for this year’s pitch that they were awarded the production of their new project to be shot in India.  The crowd went crazy.

It’s interesting to note that all of these exceptional productions are being taken to the international television marketplace, i.e., MIP and MIPCOM, for sale by MediaCorp and NHK.  Buyers, get busy! These are outstanding productions!

Asian Pitch, “Supermen…” group

Doña Leonor Flores, prime minister
of tourism; Gluckman

The first stop was in Cáceres, in the province of Extremadura, three hours from Madrid. There, I presented a Certificate of Creative Excellence award for the tourism project “Guadalupe Light of Extremadura.”  It was commissioned by Comisariado Centenario de Guadalupe and Junta de Extremadura.

In Cáceres, I met Doña Leonor Flores, Prime Minister of Culture & Tourism of the Junta de Extremadura (Government of the Autonomous Community of Extremadura) and her staff in the historic center of the city.  After the awards presentation, a press conference was held, and then we had a wonderful walk around. 

Gluckman with Don Javier Santamaría Herranz, president of the Segovia Government (Diputación de Segovia), and David Cooper of Video On

The city was celebrating its medieval faire, making it all the more fun.  A huge lunch was had by all before ending the events at 2000 hours.  This was an incredible day with incredible people.

The next day, David Cooper and I drove to Segovia to present the Silver Screen Award to the city and province of Segovia.  Here, at a press conference, we presented an award for "Segovia Tourism: Everything For All" to Don Javier Santamaría Herranz, President of the Segovia Government (Diputación de Segovia), along with Don José Carlos Monsalve Rodriguez, Deputy Director of Culture & Tourism; and, Sofia Collazo López, General Manager of Tourism.  Later we walked around the city, stopping to enjoy some drink and then had a wonderful lunch hosted by Don José Carlos.

Sophie Hyde (from left) and Bryan Mason of Closer Productions with Sarah Wishart, producer of “Beyond Beliefs”

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA
Some 150 people gathered at the Mercury Theatre here to applaud the production, “Beyond Beliefs,” which took a look at non-Muslim and Muslim culture in Australia in an attempt to bring the groups a better understanding of each other. The production won the One World Award, sponsored by the International Quorum of Motion Picture Producers (IQ). This event was even more special because longtime friend and IQ Board member Donna Svanberg of Capitol Productions in Sydney was there to represent IQ.

The production was an effort of Issues Deliberation Australia/America (IDA) and Closer Productions. IDA is a not-for-profit, non-partisan think tank founded to encourage research, consultation, education and debate on social and public policy issues affecting Australia, America and the world. Closer Productions in Adelaide is a creative partnership between Bryan Mason and Sophie Hyde. 

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
Bernie Forster of Forster Productions was the reason I was here. He directed “Selma,” which tied for Best of Festival in Education. This production was one of six screened at Cinema Bio in the Carouge district of Geneva. All were supported by World Association for the School as an Instrument of Peace (EIP: [Ecole Instrument de Paix]) and coordinated by Philippe Clivag of Base-Court.The film represented the first starring role for actress Nadine Landert.

Philippe Clivaz (producer of Base-Court, Shortfilm.ch) Monique Prindezis, Secretary General of World Association for the School as an Instrument of Peace
(EIP: [Ecole Instrument de Paix]); Nadine Landert, star of "Selma!";
Gluckman, Bernie Forster, director

NEW YORK CITY
The final stop on the awards trek took place in September and honored the “Between the Lions” series, one segment of which tied for Best of Festival/Grand Prix in Education. The popular children’s program is a co-production of WGBH, Boston; Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB); and, Sirius Thinking, New York. All had representatives at the presentations party.

During the event, Brigid Sullivan, vice president of Children's Programming at WGBH and executive producer of the series, thanked me by saying, “You have no idea how important this award is to us.”
All I could think in reply was how important it is to us to honor the very finest productions that are made from around the world.

Gluckman (from left) Marie Antoon, executive director, MPB (Mississippi Public Broadcast); Judy Stoia, executive producer of Between the Lions series; Brigid Sullivan, VP children's programming, WGBH; Norman Stiles, executive producer for Sirius Thinking, and Christopher Lerf, executive producer for Sirius Thinking.