Erebus Documentary Sweeps the Industry Awards!

The Documentary New Zealand Trust presents
THE DOCUMENTARY EDGE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2014.

Erebus Documentary Sweeps the Industry Awards!

Having earned “Best New Zealand Feature” at the awards ceremony held at theDocumentary Edge Festival 2014 opening night, it was a clean sweep for Charlotte Purdy and Peter Burger, as their film Erebus: Operation Overdue dominated the industry awards held at Q Theatre last night.

Ahead of its final Auckland screening on June 2nd and subsequent screenings in Wellington when the festival continues in Miramar from June 5th, Purdy and Burger picked up the gong for “Best New Zealand Director”, as well as the film winning “Best Cinematography” and “Best Editing”. The judges noted that the film was an “absorbing combination of skillful docudrama and powerful testimony.”

God Loves Uganda was the other big winner at the Industry awards, with Ross Roger Williams picking up his second award at this year’s festival. Upon learning of his latest, Williams once again thanked the Documentary Edge Festival and dedicated the award to “… all the brave souls who worked with me in making God Loves Uganda a reality.”

“As a gay man of African descent, it is very difficult to stand up to people who either want to see you behind bars or dead. I thank the 2014 Documentary Edge Festival for recognizing that and supporting all the real hero’s in this fight against LGBTI injustice in Uganda.”

The most heartfelt and celebrated announcement of the evening was greeted with loud applause when the Documentary NZ Trust honoured documentary maestro Steve James as the “2014 Documentary Edge International Superhero” for not just his lifetime achievements in filmmaking from his seminal film Hoop Dreams to his latest film, Life Itself, as well as his mentoring and support of other filmmakers.

Festival co-director Alex Lee said, “The Industry Awards are important to allow us to recognise craft skills. It also provides us an opportunity to honour industry legend Steve James for his lifetime work and contribution to the documentary industry joining inaugural recipient, Ally Derks, Founder and Director International Documentary Festival Amsterdam in our international hall of fame”.

Full winners from last night’s ceremony as below:

Best International Director – Roger Ross Williams (God Loves Uganda)
Best New Zealand Director – Peter Burger/Charlotte Purdy (Erebus: Operation Overdue)
Best New Zealand Cinematography – Erebus: Operation Overdue
Best New Zealand Editing – Erebus: Operation Overdue
Best New Zealand Emerging Filmmaker – Toby Ricketts (Manila – No Limitations)
Documentary Edge International Superhero Award – Steve James (Hoop Dreams/Life Itself)
Best Pitch – David Farrier – The Tickle King.

For more information and to keep up to speed with the latest news regarding the 2014 season, visit
www.documentaryedge.org.nz

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