Director & Editor: Pau Ortiz
Producer & Director of Photography: María Nova López

The Other Side of the Wall is an outstanding and gripping insight into the realities of undocumented migration and family rupture. In an intimately told story, young Hondurans Ale and Rocio are faced with the greatest challenge possible when their mother is imprisoned under dubious charges. Without a father, they are forced to act as parents to their two younger siblings. But as undocumented immigrants, their right to live, work and study in Mexico is under threat and with rising tensions between them, there is no obvious way out of a desperate situation.

The film has already effected positive change for the family itself and has demonstrated – in screenings to politicians and the public – that it has the capacity to change minds and public opinion at a much broader level.

” In a group of very strong films, The Other Side of the Wall is an outstanding and gripping insight into the realities of undocumented migration and family rupture. In an intimately told story, beautifully filmed and edited, the two central characters Ale and Rocio are mesmerising. Their warmth, humanity and mutual love shine through, and their extraordinary resilience in an extraordinarily difficult situation destroys stereotypes of “illegal migrants” at a stroke. The film has already effected positive change for the family itself and has demonstrated – in screenings to politicians and the public – that it has the capacity to change minds and public opinion at a much broader level.”

Feature Documentary Award Jury

Producers: Vladimir Hernandez & Charlie Newland
Reporter: Stephanie Hegarty

This interactive website tells the story of an ordinary teenager forced to do something extraordinarily brutal. Falmata is one of hundreds, possibly even thousands, of teenagers kidnapped by Boko Haram in northern Nigeria and given a choice – between becoming a wife or a suicide bomber.

After being abducted, imprisoned, strapped with a suicide vest and then escaping, she saved herself and countless other people from becoming another statistic in this barbaric war. Using the details that she shared with the team, the site brings Falmata’s compelling story to life using animation, photography and informational graphics, allowing the reader to experience her journey along with her. Her story was translated into 19 languages in text, radio and video, and reached millions of readers.

” The judges were moved by the remarkable story of Falmata, one of the hundreds of young women, most of them teenagers, who have been abducted by militants in Nigeria and forced to carry out suicide bombings for them. This visual feature stands out for its original editorial angle on the story and for its simple but effective digital presentation.  Falmata’s story is visualised with stylish, memorable illustrations – sensitively protecting this vulnerable young woman’s identity without obscuring any of the emotional impact of her ordeal. The judges were impressed that the producers worked hard to make this important story accessible to wide audiences – translating it into 15 different languages and creating additional content for social media channels, encouraging audience engagement.”

Digital Media Award Jury

Series Director: James Bluemel
Executive Producer: Will Anderson
Series Editor: Simon Sykes

Shot over three years and in 31 countries, the multi-award winning Exodus series is a gripping account of the experiences of refugees arriving in Europe, told from their own point of view.

In Greece, a couple are struggling to get enough money for a smuggler to take their family to Germany, and can only afford to send one of them. Nazifa is six months pregnant, and they hope that if the baby is born there, their chances of being given asylum will be greater. Meanwhile, already in Germany, Syrian Isra’a and her family are settling in to their new lives, but the Europe that welcomed them has changed. The politics of the far right is gaining momentum, and it is more difficult than ever for refugees to cross borders. In Morocco, Mussa has already travelled 4000 miles from Guinea. Now there is one more obstacle to overcome: a six-metre high fence that separates Morocco from Spain.

” A gripping account of the experiences of war refugee families and individuals arriving in Europe told from the viewpoint of the refugees themselves. The cameras capture the fear and drama of their journeys up close, revealing the shocking reality and human impact of the bureaucratic and physical barriers that Europe has constructed, yet carrying hope for a better future.  The film’s unique and intimate access, its choice of cast and its skilful editing succeeds in engaging viewers of all ages in the realities of migration. The jury commends the producers and broadcaster for documenting this important international story, at a time when the British news agenda has moved on.”

Television Documentary Award Jury

Journalists: Azmat Khan & Anand Gopal
Photographer: Giles Price

Over the course of nearly two years, Azmat Khan and Anand Gopal visited the sites of nearly 150 airstrikes across northern Iraq. It was the first time that anyone had sought to conduct a systematic ground survey of the civilian death toll since the US-led anti-ISIS air war began in 2014. They found that 1 in 5 US-led coalition airstrikes killed civilians—a rate 31 times higher than the official count.

A hugely ambitious project, it not only uncovered a deep injustice whereby people are being needlessly killed, not compensated and worse, deemed sympathisers with ISIS until proven innocent, but it also sparked a change in how the US deals with such casualties. Blending data journalism, war reporting and narrative storytelling, the investigation prompted immediate impact from current and former US government officials. It has also spurred UN investigators, NGOs and academic institutions to conduct similar studies in countries such as Yemen and Afghanistan.

 

” This piece of work set out to prove the inconsistencies between the reported number of civilian deaths by US drones in Iraq, and the actual number. It was an ambitious project spanning two years of work, but it achieved not only an exclusive revelation that uncovered a deep injustice whereby people are being needlessly killed, not compensated and worse, deemed sympathisers with ISIS until proven innocent, but it sparked a change in how the US deals with such casualties. We were deeply impressed at how meticulously and tirelessly the reporters worked to uncover facts and speak to people on the ground, but also how they gained access to the US military. There was excellent use of multi-media throughout. It is a long read but compelling from paragraph to paragraph, beautifully told, and no one can failed to be moved by the story of Basim Razzo, who lost his wife and daughter, and is the key protagonist in the feature. This set the gold standard for how this type of journalism should be covered.”

Print Award Jury

Director: Anthony Barwell
Producer: Lisa Dupenois
Presenter: Amani Zain

Jordan has been in the midst of an ongoing drought, putting pressure on the country’s quickly depleting water reserves. Alarmingly, almost half of the water distributed to homes across the country is lost through illegal wells and faulty pipes. According to the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, it is estimated that by 2025 Jordan’s water needs will exceed its resources by more than 26 percent.

However, there is one initiative that is tackling the problem head on. Earthrise visited Jordan’s Water Wise Women, a programme that puts women at the heart of efforts to combat water scarcity by training local women to be plumbers. These empowered women are not only challenging stereotypes by thriving in the male-dominated profession of plumbing, but also dealing with leakages in their communities and implementing a range of water management techniques.

” Our winning choice showcases women in Jordan thriving in the male-dominated profession of plumbing.  By shedding light on this hidden world, as well as on the larger, under-reported issue of Jordan’s water shortages, the film has relevance locally, regionally and globally.  In a world where, as we are informed, a woman needs to be accompanied if a male plumber attends the home, this story offers a powerful solution.  The project’s visible impact both on women’s lives as well as on the water situation – strained both by climate change and the refugee crisis – offers hope of sustainable change. The film is creatively shot and edited and successfully balances fact with entertainment.  The presenter Amina Zain is engaging and gives a sense of real involvement in the story, particularly in the sequences where she interacts naturally with the women plumbers. The empowerment of the women comes through strongly, via a variety of voices, and has the potential to inspire women everywhere.”

Women Entrepreneurs Reporting Award Jury

Director & Producer: Anders Hammer
Filmed: Rania Mustafa Ali
Additional filming: Ayman Al Husseen & Anders Hammer

A deeply personal and immersive piece that gave viewers a fresh and authentic perspective, Escape from Syria was filmed by Rania Mustafa Ali, 20, as she journeyed from war-torn Kobane in Syria to Austria. Her cheerful determination and humorous interactions with other refugees made the brutality and insecurity that often surrounded her all the more shocking.

Rania was cheated by people smugglers, teargassed and beaten at the Macedonian border and risked drowning in the Mediterranean, travelling in a boat meant to hold 15 people but stuffed with over 50. Her powerful footage showed what many refugees face on their perilous journey to Europe in hope of securing a safe future. The film became a viral phenomenon and has had over 8 million views on The Guardian’s website and Facebook page – over 80,000 of those sharing the link to the film with others.

” It’s easy to understand why this film was watched by over 8 million people. It’s a deeply personal and immersive piece that gave viewers a fresh and authentic perspective on the Syrian refugee crisis at a time when public interest was waning. The footage is raw and powerful, particularly the scenes showing terrified families in an overcrowded boat and of refugees choking on teargas at the Macedonian border. But it’s Rania’s humanity, resilience and humour that really lifts this piece to another level. Her cheerful determination and humourous interactions with other refugees make the brutality and insecurity that often surrounds her all the more shocking. Being able to identify with this young woman, who is forced to put herself in danger in order to avoid danger, is crucial for humanising the situation of refugees in Europe and creating greater solidarity with them.”

Refugee Reporting Award Jury

Director & Editor: Roopa Gogineni
Executive Producer: Kathleen Lingo
Editor: Andrew Joseph Cross

A long-standing civil war in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan and a government chokehold on media fuels the creation of a satirical puppet show, Bisha TV, to spread news of the conflict. Ganja, the pacifist son of a rebel commander, travels the countryside with a puppet of President Omar al-Bashir, filming episodes for the wildly popular web series.

This short film weaves together the story of Ganja’s life in the Nuba Mountains, his creative process working under extraordinary conditions, and darkly hilarious scenes from Bisha TV. Through Ganja’s work – and the comic escapades of two Sudanese strongmen – we see an unlikely flowering of political humor and the true power of grassroots media.

” A beautifully shot and brilliantly executed film, notable for its use of humour to effectively communicate an important story of oppression and resistance.  The jury felt the film-maker’s approach delivered a superbly accessible film with huge potential to reach and engage a younger audience.  The film smartly found a way to capture the approach of its subjects – the puppeteers – and deliver a similar impact to its own audience.  Yet it included some truly shocking moments, leaving the viewer in no doubt that this story is no joke.  The jury commends the film-maker for a bold approach that will encourage others to think creatively about how to tackle difficult topics in film.  This originality, the sensitivity of its application and the quality of the filmmaking all helped this film to truly stand out from the pack.”

Short Film Award Jury