Tuesday, 03 November 2009 16:48

The Grierson British Documentary Awards 2009 were given at the National Film Theatre, BFI Southbank on 3rd November. 
The winner of the Trustees Award 2009 was Norma Percy, doyenne of UK documentary filmmakers (ISRAEL AND THE ARABS: ELUSIVE PEACE, IRAN AND THE WEST, ENDGAME IN IRELAND, THE DEATH OF YUGOSLAVIA)


The Grierson Awards, which were founded in 1972 in the memory of John Grierson upon his death, are the ultimate UK prizes for documentary filmmakers.  Hosted this year by Andrew Marr at the NFT in London on 3rd November, ten awards were presented in front of a packed audience.  Students of the Bournemouth Screen and Media Academy should be aware that the annual Grierson Best Newcomer Award includes a cash prize of £3,000 (keep an eye on the Grierson website www.griersontrust.org for future calls for entries).

The doyenne of documentary making, Norma Percy, was at the forefront of the evening’s event on 3rd November as she received the Grierson Trust’s highest accolade, The Trustee’s Award, in recognition of her outstanding achievement and contribution to the art of documentary filmmaking during a career spanning more than 30 years in a professional partnership with her colleague, producer Brian Lapping.  She then went on to win the 2009 Envy Best Documentary Series prize - along with her Brook Lapping colleagues Dai Richards, Delphine Jaudeau and Paul Mitchell - for IRAN AND THE WEST. The judges described the series saying: “With its extraordinary access, Iran and the West told a gripping story with a consistent and clear narrative, often revealing new material and throwing a timely light on events today.  An important historical record, which never faltered.”

The full results of the Grierson Awards 2009 were:
Envy Best Documentary Series IRAN AND THE WEST  - Norma Percy, Dai Richards, Delphine Jaudeau, Paul Mitchell for Brook Lapping Productions (BBC Two)
Shell International Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue AFGHAN STAR - Havana Marking for (Roast Beef Productions - More 4)
History Today Best Historical Documentary (Presented by Paul Lay, Editor of History Today) THRILLER IN MANILLA - John Dower for Darlow Smithson Productions (More 4)
UK Film Council Best Cinema Documentary BURMA VJ - Anders Østergaard for Magic Hour Films
Most Entertaining Documentary THE YES MEN: FIX THE WORLD - Andy Bichibaum, Mike Bonnano for Renegade Pictures (UK) Ltd/Arte/Article Z/Channel 4 Britdoc Foundation
Best Drama Documentary HOUSE OF SADDAM - Alex Holmes, Jim O’Hanlon for BBC Productions/HBO (BBC Two)
Best Arts Documentary THE MONA LISA CURSE - Mandy Chang for Oxford Film and Television (Channel 4)
Best Newcomer Elizabeth Stopford for Storyville:  I'M NOT DEAD YET - Passion Pictures (BBC Four)
Best Science Documentary CHARLES DARWIN AND THE TREE OF LIFE - Sacha Mirzeoff for BBC Natural History Unit/Open University (BBC One)
 
Summing up this year’s awards, Chairman of The Grierson Trust, Murray Weston, said: “Competition for the Grierson Awards has been especially fierce this year with outstanding quality on show and the quantity of productions entered has increased significantly on 2008.  Documentary production may therefore seem to be in rude health.  But looking forward, there are continuing challenges for filmmakers trying to make sense of the new economics of production and distribution as audiences fragment and online delivery becomes increasingly powerful.  Documentary makers have always been resourceful, and coping with change has been part of their repertoire since Grierson’s time.  There is therefore a quiet confidence in this community, and John Grierson would be proud to know that his spirit continues to influence this important sector of the film business in the UK.”