The Essex Serpent, NBC Universal and the city of Sarajevo were among the winners of Screen International‘s inaugural Global Production Awards held tonight (May 22) at the Mademoiselle Gray d’Albion Plage in Cannes, France.
Scroll down for full list of winners
Launched by Screen and sister brands KFTV and Broadcast and supported by UK-based screen consultancy firm Olsberg SPI, the awards celebrate outstanding and sustainable work from the world of film and TV production, locations and studios around the globe.
Alongside the competitive categories, NBCUniversal and its affiliates, including Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and NBC Universal Television, were honoured with the special recognition award for the studio’s myriad efforts in the field of sustainability, diversity and innovation across the globe. One innovation was Universal’s below-the-line traineeship on the set of Jordan Peele’s sci-fi horror Nope, which one judge said was “scalable and transferable and could benefit many individuals and industry as a whole”.
Sarajevo won the City of Film award, which rewards a city that helped deliver for international filmmakers and boosted the local economy. The judges praised Sarajevo and its Obala Art Centre for demonstrating a record of creative and commercial success, looking to be net zero emissions free by 2030, and its “more holistic approach to being a film and TV city”.
The Location of the Year Award went to Calgary’s Standing Sets. The Canadian location “provided decades of filmmakers with a rock-solid filmmaking venue, bringing a high level of production support in a stunning natural setting,” according to one judge.
See-Saw Films’ Apple TV+ drama The Essex Serpent won the Outstanding Use of Locations – Film or TV Series prize, for a production that demonstrated a creative use of a location. The location was central to the story, but also presented many challenges. One judge stated: “The location was inherent and central to this story and yet it was replete of challenges.” The filmmakers met the challenges to deliver an outstanding creative result, while respecting and protecting the natural environment.”
The Emerging Location Award went to Film Friendly Samana, a region of the Dominican Republic, which was commended for an increased number of productions, attractive incentives, improved levels of service, growing crew base and infrastructure, and variety in the filming spots offered. Judges praised Dominican Republic Film Commission for its understanding of film tourism and the impact film was going to have on the region.
Australia’s continent wide commission Ausfilm won the Film Commission Team Award, which rewards a commission with an established international reputation for exemplary service to productions. One judge said, “I have worked with companies that have gone to Australia who have been very complimentary of Ausfilm as an organization.”
The Community Impact Award was given to Jordan’sWorkforce Development: A local foundation with global impact. The hotly contested category honoured–a film production or commission that demonstrated commitment to the local communities during filming. One judge said Jordan and the foundation programme gave a “clear demonstration of creating a sustainable economic footprint for film, placing of interns into paying jobs, creating the channels for up-and-coming filmmakers that will create jobs for others.”
Fashion Dis: Season 1 from Canada’a Nikki Ray Media Agency won the Diversity & Inclusion Award, which drew the most submissions of all the GPAs this year, and rewarded a production demonstrating a commitment to diversity, inclusivity and accessibility in their production crews and on set. One judge noted that Fashion Dis, a show celebrating the head-to-toe overhaul of a frustrated style-seeker discouraged by an industry that lacks adaptive options, was “created by individuals with disabilities for those with disabilities.”
Call It!, a smart phone app which enables film and TV industry workers to report incidents of harassment, bullying and abuse to executives or senior producers on their sets, picked up the Production Innovation Award. Judges were impressed that the app, from Creating Safer, Fairer Productions, is “accessible in any territory and can be used in any stages of a production, no matter the budget range of the production.”
Studio of the Year went to London’s Garden Studios. The Sustainable Production Award went to the Nordic TV reality show Farmen
, produced by Fremantle owned Strix Norway, which follows a group contestants who live together on a farming farm and work as a farmer. Judges were impressed how The Farm was innovative in myriad areas and covered much more territory than a typical sustainability plan.Finally, Bristol’s Bottle Yard Studios and its TBY2 Studios’ solar rooftop won the Sustainable Initiative Award, for an
outstanding single green initiative that shows demonstrable results. The judges praised Bottle Yard’s partnership with the local community to build the rooftop. Another joked that the “the sheer bravery of trying to harness the sun in the UK should be applauded.”The GPAs were voted on by expert judges including senior vice president at HBO Jay Roewe; Elvis producer and president of production and development at Bazmark Schuyler Weiss; Amazon Studios’ head of worldwide production and post-production, Tim Clawson; producer and former Sundance executive Bird Runningwater; and the Association of Film Commissioners International’s (AFCI) executive director, Jaclyn Philpott.
Full list Global Production Awards winnersSpecial Recognition NBCUniversal and its affiliates, including Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and NBC Universal Television
City Of Film
City of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Obala Art Centre)
Location Of The Year
Standing Sets – Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Calgary Economic Development)
Outstanding Use Of Location – Film Or TV Series
The Essex Serpent
, See-Saw Films, UK
Emerging Location
Samana, Dominican Republic Film Commission (DGCINE), Dominican RepublicStudio Of The Year
Garden Studios, London, UK
Film Commission Team
The Australian Job, Ausfilm International Ltd (Ausfilm), Australia
Sustainable Production
Farmen
(The Farm), Strix Norway (A Fremantle Company), Sweden/Norway
Community Impact
Workforce Development: A Local Foundation with Global Impact (The Royal Film Commission – Jordan)Diversity & Inclusion
Fashion Dis: Season 1 (Nikki Ray Media Agency, Canada)
Production Innovation
Call It! Call It! Creating Safer and Fairer Productions (UK)
Sustainable Initiative
TBY2 Studios: 1MWp Solar Rooftop Array, The Bottle Yard Studios, Bristol, UK
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