Japan Prize 2018

Prize Winners
Jurors
Past Japan Prize

Annual Report 2018

Prize Winners

The Grand Prix Japan Prize

Title: My Life
Born To Vlog
Organization: Blakeway North
Country / Region: United Kingdom
Category: Primary

This program documents the daily life of Nikki Lilly, a 12-year-old vlogger with over 100,000 followers world-wide. Nikki delivers positive and inspiring messages on her video blog while living with a rare life-threatening medical condition called AVM (arteriovenous malformation).Nikki was first diagnosed with AVM when she was six years old. This blood vessel disorder caused severe headaches, nosebleeds, and swelling on one side of her face. Gradually, Nikki began to feel isolated and different. However, once she launched her own YouTube channel, her videos went viral, allowing her to connect with the world. In addition to recounting Nikki’s daily life, this program provides tips on how to produce vlogs safely and deal with online trolling. It aims to help people of YouTube generation gain confidence in their appearance as well as in their relationships with other people.

Audiovisual Division

The Best Work in Each Category

The Best Work in the Pre-school Category
(The Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Prize)

Title: Preschool Docs
Giulia and Sophie go to swim class
Organization: KRO–NCRV
Country / Region: Netherlands
Category: Pre-school

This short documentary follows hearing-impaired twin sisters in their swimming class. In order to captivate a preschool audience, the program is narrated by children and the camera depicts the world as seen through their eyes. As Giulia and Sophie take off their hearing aids and plunge into the water, so the world of sound fades away and a new one emerges. In this world of sight and touch, the sisters communicate with gestures and glances. As they move freely through the water, the viewer is able to swim alongside and share their world as well.

The Best Work in the Primary Category
(The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Prize)

Title: My Life
Born To Vlog
Organization: Blakeway North
Country / Region: United Kingdom
Category: Primary

The Best Work in the Youth Category
(The Minister of Foreign Affairs Prize)

Title: #tagged
Organization: VERTOV, KRO-NCRV, NPO
Country / Region: Netherlands
Category: Youth

#tagged is a drama that follows Elise, a fourteen-year-old girl addicted to social media and depicts the devastating consequences of losing control of your online persona. The style of the program is unique in that the entire story unfolds within the screen of Elise’s smartphone. Elise is inseparable from her smartphone. The morning after a party, she receives a string of messages from her friends. When she opens her SNS app, she is shocked to find damaging photos of herself lying unconscious in the arms of her friends. The photos had been tagged by her friends and went viral, quickly reaching the point of no return. The aim of the drams is to make teens and adults more aware of the impact of smartphones and social media, and provoke discussion on how to use these powerful devices.

The Best Work in the Lifelong Learning Category
(The Governor of Tokyo Prize)

Title: Employable Me
Organization: Northern Pictures, ABC
Country / Region: Australia
Category: Lifelong Learning

Employable Me is an uplifting documentary which follows people with neuro diverse conditions in their search for employment. It aims to tackle the serious issue of unemployment among jobseekers with developmental disorders, who are often highly skilled in certain areas while lacking ability in others. In this program, three protagonists receive counseling and support from professionals with the aim of uncovering their hidden skills and matching them with roles that can harness their strengths. Professional advice is also made available to the employers, highlighting the importance of raising awareness and educating the public. The program sends out the clear message that everyone deserves a role in society.

The Best Work in the Creative Frontier Category
(The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Prize)

Title: Bury me, my Love
Organization: The Pixel Hunt, Figs, ARTE France
Country / Region: France
Category: Creative Frontier

Bury me, my Love is an interactive game inspired by the real accounts of a Syrian refugee. Nour, a young Syrian woman, has fled the country following unrest. Her husband Majd tries to help her on her journey using a mobile phone messaging app. The objective of the game player is to help Nour safely navigate the terrain and water and complete her endeavor by sending her messages. Such a form of communication is common among many Syrian refugees, and the game is designed to give players a first-hand experience of the brutality of their attempts at escape.

Special Prizes

The Japan Foundation President’s Prize

Title: KIDS ON THE SILK ROAD Girl against gravity
Organization: Pedersen & Co. in cooperation with Toolbox Film,
DR Ultra
Country / Region: Denmark
Category: Primary

This program is part of a documentary series which portrays the lives of children living in countries along the Silk Road. Narrated by the children themselves, the series depicts their struggles and triumphs as they go through various challenges. The protagonist of this episode is an 11-year-old girl in Mongolia who dreams of one day becoming an acrobat. She attends a circus school where competition among children is fierce. Despite poverty and problems at home, she finds strength in rising above adversity.

The UNICEF Prize

Title: Sister
Organization: VTV, EBS
Country / Region: Vietnam, Republic of Korea
Category: Primary

Set in a small village in the highest part of Vietnam, this program documents the inner world of an eight-year-old girl, Pia. In an environment where girls are expected to help with household chores, Pia struggles to take care of her two mischievous younger brothers. She longs to have a younger sister, but to her dismay, the family welcomes a new baby boy. Once she begins to take care of the baby, she finds herself growing to love him. The documentary portrays the family as they help each other sustain a simple but happy life.

TV Proposal Division

The Best Proposal

The Hoso Bunka Foundation Prize

Title: LIFE
Organization: Vientos Culturales A.C.
Country / Region: Mexico
Category: Youth

In the state of Chiapas in Mexico, a young man embarks on a mission to tackle the alarmingly high rate of suicide among young people in his community. Close to the border with Guatemala, Chiapas has the largest number of indigenous people in Mexico. Poverty, violence, and drug abuse are rampant. In addition, the region has seen a steep rise in the number of suicides among young people of indigenous decent. In order to address this issue and build a support network for those in need, the protagonist plans a village fair where young people are encouraged to express themselves through art.

Excellent Proposal

The National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan Prize

Title: REVOLUTION IN THE DESERT
Organization: Buren Zohist Production
Country / Region: Mongolia
Category: Adults

This is a documentary about a woman who leads a toilet revolution in the South Gobi desert of Mongolia. 15 years ago, a large-scale mining site was built on the woman’s homeland which was originally preserved for nomadic people. As there were no toilets along the 240 km stretch of road to and from the mines, the truck drivers had no choice but to relieve themselves by the roadside. Realizing that this very habit was causing serious environmental destruction to the land, the woman launches a campaign to build eco-friendly toilets and change people’s minds about sanitation.

Jurors

Final Selection Jurors

COMMITTEE 1

Audiovisual Division [Pre-School, Primary, & Creative Frontier Categories] / TV Proposal Division

Leader of Committee 1

Name :: Kez Margrie
Country / Region :: United Kingdom
Title & Oraganization :: Commissioning Editor
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Name :: Monica Maruri Castillo
Country / Region :: Ecuador
Title & Oraganization :: Executive Director
Instituto Iberoamericano del Patrimonio Natural y Cultural (IPANC) - Convenio Andrés Bello

Name :: Sojin An
Country / Region :: Republic of Korea
Title & Oraganization :: Head of Children Programs Department
Korea Educational Broadcasting System

Name :: Atsushi Yamada
Country / Region :: Japan
Title & Oraganization :: Deputy Head,
Youth & Education Programs Division, Program Production Department
Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK)

COMMITTEE 2

Audiovisual Division [Youth & Creative Frontier Categories] / TV Proposal Division

Chairperson of Audiovisual Division

Name :: Jacqueline Hlongwane
Country / Region :: South Africa
Title & Oraganization :: Programme Manager SABC2
South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)

Leader of Committee 2

Name :: Anna Birgersson-Dahlberg
Country / Region :: Sweden
Title & Oraganization :: Head of Development and Training
Swedish Educational Broadcasting Company (UR)

Name :: Will Pedigo
Country / Region :: United States
Title & Oraganization :: Executive Producer
Nashville Public Television (NPT)

Name :: Naomi Preisig
Country / Region :: Switzerland
Title & Oraganization :: Head of SRF Zambo, Children's Programme
Swiss Radio and Television (SRF)

COMMITTEE 3

Audiovisual Division [Lifelong Learning & Creative Frontier Categories] / TV Proposal Division

Chairperson of Proposal Division

Name :: Hidayah Ong
Country / Region :: Singapore
Title & Oraganization :: Executive Producer / Director
THY Creative Productions & Consultancy

Leader of Committee 3

Name :: Mohamad Soueid
Country / Region :: United Arab Emirates
Title & Oraganization :: Head of Documentaries
Al Arabiya TV Channel

Leader of Creative Frontier Category

Name :: Rob McLaughlin
Country / Region :: Canada
Title & Oraganization :: Executive Director, Digital Content and Strategy
National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

Name :: Rob Hartel
Country / Region :: United Kingdom
Title & Oraganization :: Executive Producer
Windfall Films Ltd.