Winner of the 2017 FOCAL International Lifetime Achievement Award announced
FOCAL International press release – London – 7 March, 2017.
FOCAL International, the Federation of Commercial Audio-visual Libraries, today announced that pioneering producer-director, Serge Viallet, is to receive the FOCAL International Award for Lifetime Achievement, at the fourteenth annual FOCAL International Awards, to be presented on 25th May, 2017.
This Award is a gift of the FOCAL International Executive, as a mark of gratitude for Serge’s dedicated and exhaustive support of the footage archive world through his prodigious body of work.
Historian and archive expert, Jerry Kuehl, comments: “Serge Viallet makes programmes that are scrupulous in their commitment to archival integrity – and eminently watchable. In the era of ‘post-truth’and ‘alternative facts’ he stands for the finest in our documentary tradition. He richly deserves this recognition.”
Not only has Serge been a great friend and champion of archives from behind the camera, and on the industry’s frontline, he has also played an important role in facilitating the preservation of over 30 years of Medecins Sans Frontiere footage, shot for and by the famed humanitarian organization, and this collection is now safely established at INA, France’s national audiovisual archive.
“The FOCAL executive is delighted to award Serge Viallet with this year’s lifetime achievement award. His filmmaking represents some of the best examples of understanding the integrity of archival footage, while still creating new & engaging ways of looking at history. What better place to honour this dedication to the craft than at the 2018 FOCAL International awards on the 25th May.” Sue Malden – FOCAL International Chair
Hardeep Singh-Cohli will host the gala FOCAL International Awards Ceremony on 25th May at the Lancaster London Hotel. Apart from the Lifetime Achievement Award, fourteen further awards will be presented on 25th May to celebrate the achievement of producers and directors in the creative use of footage in all variety of genres, across all media platforms plus the contribution made to the global production industry by archivists, film libraries, researchers and technicians, as well as the work done to restore and preserve these irreplaceable assets.
Jurors from across the world are shortlisting the FOCAL International Awards 2017; these fascinating and diverse submissions are joined together by their creative & integral use of archive footage. The FOCAL awards have become a vital way of celebrating the best and most effective use of archive footage in storytelling on screen and this year is no different. And while they celebrate productions, the awards also celebrate the people that make everything possible, with exceptionally strong competition for the categories of best archive researcher, library and footage employee of the year.
The final shortlist of all categories will be announced on 17th March and all details on the productions will be listed on our website.
Tickets for the Gala Awards Ceremony 25th May go on sale today, so you’ll need to hurry if you want to book a table and take advantage of our Early Bird prices! www.focalint.org/focal-international-awards
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Please talk with MARY EGAN at FOCAL International if you are interested, mary@focalint.org, +44 (0)20 3178 3535