Reel Injun wins Peabody Award
Recognizing – in a word – “excellence”
April 5, 2011 – REEL INJUN, the documentary by Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond, was honoured with a prestigious Peabody Award, recognizing the best in electronic media. The awards will be presented May 23 at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and puts the film in the company of projects as illustrious and diverse as Glee, The Onion News Network and the legendary series Roots.
About the Peabody Awards:
The intent of the Peabody Awards is to recognize the most outstanding achievements in electronic media, including radio, television and cable. The competition is also open to entries produced for alternative means of electronic distribution, including corporate video, educational media, home-video release, World Wide Web and CD–ROM. Programs produced and intended for wide theatrical motion picture release are not eligible for a Peabody Award.
The Award is determined by one criterion – “Excellence.” Because submissions are accepted from a wide variety of sources and styles, deliberations seek “Excellence On Its Own Terms.” Each entry is evaluated on the achievement of standards it establishes within its own contexts. Entries are self-selected by those making submissions and as a result the quality of competing works is extraordinarily high. The Peabody Awards are then presented only to “the best of the best.”
Reel Injun Honoured at Geminis
Three awards and two runners-up
November 14, 2010 – At the star-studded 25th Annual Gemini Awards, Reel Injun took home three awards, including the prestigious Canada Award, a prize designed to recognize work that explores the racial and cultural diversity of Canada by fostering greater awareness. The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television described the film here:
“Reel Injun is an entertaining and insightful look at the Hollywood Indian, exploring the portrayal of North American Natives through a century of cinema. Travelling through the heartland of America and into the Canadian North, Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond looks at how the myth of “the Injun” has influenced the world’s understanding – and misunderstanding – of Natives. With clips from hundreds of classic and recent films, and candid interviews with celebrated Native and non-Native directors, writers, actors, and activists including Clint Eastwood, Robbie Robertson, Graham Greene, Adam Beach, and Zacharias Kunuk, Reel Injun traces the evolution of cinema’s depiction of Native people from the silent film era to present day.”
Reel Injun also took home award for Best Direction in a Documentary Program and Best Visual Research, in addition to being a runner-up for the Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary Program and the award for Best Original Music Score for a Documentary Program or Series.
About the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television
Established in 1979, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is a national, non-profit, professional association dedicated to the promotion, recognition, and celebration of exceptional achievements in Canadian film and television. Unifying professionals across Canada, the Academy is a vital and integral force, representing all areas of the film and television industries.
