UK Dominates FOCAL International Awards

BAFTA-winning documentary, Senna, has topped the ballot with three nods as the nominations for the 9th FOCAL International Awards are unveiled.
The UK has great presence on the shortlist for this year's awards with Queen - Days of Our Lives (Globe Productions) nominated in two categories and BBC Entertainment dominating the category Best Use of Footage in an Entertainment or Drama Production.
Meanwhile there are strong contenders from France and the Netherlands in the Restoration categories and also in the category Best Use of Footage on Non-television Platforms.
All the nominations, that have made the cut, are diverse in terms of both geography and subject matter; entries have been received from Lebanon, Martinique and Thailand as well as across Western and Eastern Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia, with projects telling stories that range from politics and war to F1 racing and football.
"We’ve had a wonderful response for this year’s awards, with more than 180 submissions from 18 countries," said Julie Lewis, General Manager, FOCAL International.
"The quality of entries is exceptionally high, giving the judges an unenviable task to choose between them."
The winners will be revealed at the gala award ceremony on 2 May 2012 at the Lancaster London Hotel.
The FOCAL International Awards in association with AP Archive, now in their ninth year, celebrate the best use of archive footagematerial in a variety of genres, and also recognise the researchers, technicians and producers that access, maintain and use this precious resource.
For tickets for the award ceremony and a full list of nominations check out: www.focalint.org
(LB/GK)