Cover your ears, it’s horn tooting time here! Last night at the News & Documentary Emmy Awards ceremony, Independent Lens films won three Emmy Awards, for Editing; Investigative Journalism, Long-Form; and Best Documentary. Independent Lens had been nominated for 10 News & Doc Emmys overall. [Read more on RealScreen.]
Congrats to Detropia for winning Best Editing-Documentary, for the film which was also named one of the Top Five Documentaries last year by the National Board of Review. ]The filmmakers were feelin’ good at the Emmys last night!]
The Invisible War, which was also nominated this past year for an Academy Award and won an Independent Spirit Award, received two fantastic honors at the Emmys: Outstanding Investigative Journalism-Long Form; and Best Documentary.
In a statement sent out after the awards, the Invisible War filmmakers wrote:
“These awards mean so much to us, our executive producers, and distributors. Above all, these awards recognize countless survivors of military sexual assault — all of whom are much more courageous than we could ever be… These Emmy Awards are dedicated to all of the service members who selflessly share their stories in hopes of instigating change.
“When we set out to make this film, we were told time and again not to pursue it. We were told that military sexual assault was an issue that no one would watch, believe, or care about. We were told that no one would listen, and not to waste our time. But after being entrusted with heartbreaking and harrowing stories from courageous survivors, each one uncannily echoing the other, we knew we had to make this film. Everyone we spoke to had served in different branches, during different decades, and across different parts of the country, but their stories of injustice were eerily similar.
“The awards we received last night are a reminder that survivors stories cannot be silenced, that we can win this battle, and that together, we are #NotInvisible.”
Independent Lens extends our hearty congratulations to all the many deserved winners of News & Documentary Awards, including our friends at POV and FRONTLINE.
