The votes are in and Independent Lens viewers have spoken! Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey is the winner of the Independent Lens 2013-2014 Audience Award. Congratulations to filmmaker Ramona S. Diaz and her team. The music-filled film [official site] about Journey’s new lead singer Arnel Pineda’s hard road to stardom charmed both fans of the band and those much less familiar with the story.
“It was such an honor when Independent Lens chose our film to open the inaugural PBS Indies Showcase last fall,” writes filmmaker Diaz from Manila, Philippines, when informed of the news. “And now — some ten months later — to be awarded this Audience Award truly takes our breath away. It is so humbling to hear from audiences across the country who have been inspired, awed, and reinvigorated by Arnel Pineda’s enduring story.”
Naturally, from our (admittedly biased) standpoint all Independent Lens films this season were winners in our book, but the sheer numbers of votes for a vast number of different films this year bears that out, too. So it’s quite an honor to take the prize, and we extend our congratulations again to Don’t Stop Believin’.
Check out this list of past winners of the Independent Lens Audience Award to revisit previous viewer favorites.
Thanks again to everyone who voted and we look forward to seeing you for our next season this fall.
