David Green judges Sheffield DocFest Awards 'The Whickers Pitch' Award 2024
Deadline HollyWood
https://deadline.com/2024/06/2024-sheffield-docfest-awards-1235974989/
2024 Pitch Session Winners:
Three pitch sessions took place during the festival for selected emerging directors to pitch their non-fiction projects to panels of judges.
The Whickers Pitch,Film & TV Funding Award 2024 with a prize of £100,000 went to Camels of the Sea, dir. Vikram Singh (India); the development prize of £20,000 went to Replica, dir. Chouwa Liang (China).
The award recognises original and innovative documentary, and uses the generous legacy of its namesake, pioneering broadcaster Alan Whicker, to support emerging, international directors working on their first feature-length documentaries.
The judging panel were: Jane Mote (The Whickers), Raul Niño Zambrano (Sheffield DocFest), David Green (Director), Fozia Khan (Head of Unscripted at Amazon Studios UK), Ibrahim Nash’at (filmmaker and winner of Whickers award 2023) and Robin Smith (Blue Ice Docs Inc).
David Green, Film Director and TV Producer, Whicker’s World, said: “At every stage of The Whickers judging process, I thought the standard was extremely high. I believe it was the highest ever. It was a huge privilege to decide on a winner amongst winners. Alan Whicker would have been intrigued by this process and extremely proud of the outcome. Our winning project is a compelling and warm cinematic film about our relationship with the animal kingdom that touches on critical issues facing the world we live in today.”
The judges were so inspired by Chouwa Liang’s deep dive into the world of A1 boyfriends that they decided to get an AI bot to write the jury citation on their behalf:
“On behalf of the Whickers Development Award Jury, we are thrilled to announce this year’s recipient. This film offers a groundbreaking exploration of AI relationships in China through the lives of three women. It delves into the profound impact of AI companionship, highlighting a significant cultural shift and raising important questions about the future of human relationships in the digital age. The authenticity and depth of the narrative are elevated by the director’s personal connection to the subject.”
Special Mention: Highness and Excellency dir. Sajad Imani (Iran).