Japan Prize 2022 winners

Japan Prize 2022 received 353 entries for Audiovisual Works and Proposal Pitch from 57 countries and regions in the world.

Annual Report 2022
The trophy

The Grand Prix Japan Prize 2022

Title
Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo
Organization
Tobo Media
Country/Region
Canada
Media
Film
Duration
73’00”

Audiovisual Works: The Best Work in Each Division

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

Title
Little Tiger
Feeding the chickens
Organization
Plus Pictures
Country/Region
Denmark
Media
TV
Duration
4’57”

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

Title
Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo
Organization
Tobo Media
Country/Region
Canada
Media
Film
Duration
73’00”

The Best Work in the Youth Division
(The Minister for Foreign Affairs Prize)

Title
Spotless
Organization
IJswater Films
Country/Region
Netherlands
Media
Film
Duration
15’41”

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

Title
Young Plato
Organization
Soilsiú Films
Clin d'Oeil Films
Zadig Productions
Aisling Productions
Country/Region
Ireland
Belgium
France
United Kingdom
Media
Film
Duration
102’30”

The Best Work in the Digital Media Division
(The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Prize)

Title
Cultural Heritage in 8K
Organization
NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)
Tokyo National Museum
Country/Region
Japan
Media
Cross-media

Audiovisual Works: Special Prizes

The Japan Foundation President’s Prize
An excellent work that encourages mutual understanding among nations and races or contributes to cultural exchange

Title
Luce and the rock
Organization
Thuristar
La Cabane
Studio Pupil
Country/Region
Belgium
France
Netherlands
Media
Film
Duration
13’00”

The UNICEF Prize
An excellent work that promotes understanding of the lives of children in difficult situations

Title
Children of the Mist
Organization
VARAN VIETNAM
Country/Region
Vietnam
Media
Film
Duration
90’00”

Proposal Pitch: The Best Proposal

The Hoso Bunka Foundation Prize

Teen Talk
Title
Teen Talk
Organization
Impact Media for Artistic Solutions
Country/Region
Egypt
Target
Teens

Proposal Pitch: Excellent Proposal

The National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan Prize

The Story of the Dew
Title
The Story of the Dew
Organization
Adamant Studios
Country/Region
Bangladesh
Target
Adults

Runners-up (Audiovisual Works)

Pre-school Division

First Runner-up

Title
Let's Go For A Walk
Whale Boat and Rockpool Walk
Organization
Hello Halo Kids
Country/Region
United Kingdom

Second Runner-up

Title
The Mini Kids
Episode 3
Organization
Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation
Country/Region
Norway

Primary Division

First Runner-up

Title
Funny Birds
Organization
Doncvoila Productions
Camera Lucida Productions
Country/Region
France

Second Runner-up

Title
Het Klokhuis: Your body belongs to you
Organization
NTR
Country/Region
Netherlands

Youth Division

First Runner-up

Title
Children of the Mist
Organization
VARAN VIETNAM
Country/Region
Vietnam

Second Runner-up

Title
Oh my pleasure
Go back in the closet
Organization
betevé
Camille Zonca
Country/Region
Spain

Lifelong Learning Division

First Runner-up

Title
Myanmar Diaries
Organization
ZIN Documentaire
Ten Thousand Images
Country/Region
Netherlands
Norway

Second Runner-up

Title
Medullas, time to heal
#MeToo
Organization
Canal Capital
Country/Region
Colombia

Digital Media Division

Runner-up

Title
Gibbon: Beyond the Trees
Organization
Broken Rules
Country/Region
Austria

Pre-school Division

Entry No. I-003

Title
Hopper's Day
Entering Organization
California Institute of the Arts
Producing Organization(s)
California Institute of the Arts
Country/Region
United States
Media
Film
Genre
Animation

Water is a precious resource in the quarry, where a small cricket with a dream finds himself competing for access with an army of ants while trying to avoid a hungry crow and lizard. The water he seeks is not just for himself, but for his glorious garden oasis hidden in an old boot.

Entry No. I-009

Title
See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special
Entering Organization
Sesame Workshop
Producing Organization(s)
Sesame Workshop
Country/Region
United States
Media
TV
Genre
Studio Show

It's Neighbor Day on Sesame Street and everyone has something special to share! See Us Coming Together is a special that celebrates the rich diversity of Asian and Pacific Islander communities as part of Sesame Workshop's ongoing racial justice initiative. The special follows the Sesame Street friends through a community celebration with new friend Ji-Young, a seven-year-old Korean American character.

Entry No. I-010

Title
Luce and the rock
Entering Organization
Miyu Distribution
Producing Organization(s)
Thuristar
Country/Region
France
Media
Film
Genre
Animation

One day, out of nowhere, a giant Rock lays in the middle of the peaceful little village where Luce lives. The villagers can’t even open the door to their houses anymore! Luce is angry: go away Rock, you don’t belong here! And why are you here anyway?

Entry No. I-015

Title
The Mini Kids
Entering Organization
Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation
Producing Organization(s)
Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation
Country/Region
Norway
Media
TV
Genre
Others: Educational fiction

At the age of one year, most Norwegian kids start kindergarten and are separated from their parents for the first time. The Mini Kids aim to introduce a positive fellowship with peers to make this transition smooth and less scary. The program inspires cooperation and positive interaction with other kids.

Entry No. I-024

Title
Little Tiger
Entering Organization
Plus Pictures
Producing Organization(s)
Plus Pictures
Country/Region
Denmark
Media
TV
Genre
Others: Children's TV

Little Tiger sees his mother feeding the chickens and wants to help too. When mother has left, Little Tiger goes into the hen house and waters the ground, which turns into a large puddle of mud filled with the finest earthworms. Does Little Tiger succeed in feeding the chickens?

Entry No. I-026

Title
Proud to be Me!
Entering Organization
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - CBC Kids
Producing Organization(s)
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - CBC Kids
Country/Region
Canada
Media
TV
Genre
Others: Non-Fiction

Join Gary, Tony, and Janaye as they learn to stand up against racism. From exploring concepts like equity, race, and racism, to celebrating the differences that make everyone unique and special, Proud to be Me! is full of fun lessons, fabulous friends, and fantastic tunes!

Entry No. I-040

Title
Let's Go For A Walk
Entering Organization
Hello Halo Kids
Producing Organization(s)
Hello Halo Kids
Country/Region
United Kingdom
Media
TV
Genre
Others: Live action

An accessible way for every child to enjoy being outdoors and appreciate the nature on their doorstep. The walks are always children-led, accompanied by Ranger Hamza, who helps them see the potential for adventure and exploration. There is always a purpose such as walking to the allotment to plant some seeds, but the walk itself is just as much fun.

Entry No. I-044

Title
Kiri and Lou
Entering Organization
Stretchy Ltd
Producing Organization(s)
Kiri and Lou Ltd / Yowza! Animation
Country/Region
New Zealand
Media
TV
Genre
Animation

Kiri is upset when she finds some strangers sitting on Rockaroonie. Kiri and Lou is an animated series about empathy. The themes of sharing, selfishness, self-awareness, and self-realization are explored with Kiri solving the problem of not wanting to share her precious rock by realizing that by sharing end up having more fun and making more friends.

Entry No. I-046

Title
I Love 'Mee'
Entering Organization
NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)
Producing Organization(s)
Japan Broadcasting Corporation / NHK Educational Corporation
Country/Region
Japan
Media
TV
Genre
Animation

The series aims to provide an introduction to comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in an entertaining, approachable way. This episode focuses on tickling. While often innocent, tickling can sometimes be unwanted, and can even be linked to sexual abuse. Tickling serves as a familiar topic from which to explore personal space, the concept of consent, and children’s right to bodily autonomy.

Entry No. I-049

Title
The animals at Petsy start school
Entering Organization
Swedish Educational Broadcasting Company
Producing Organization(s)
Swedish Educational Broadcasting Company / Nexiko AB
Country/Region
Sweden
Media
TV
Genre
Drama

Animals at Petsy preschool encounter both great fun and major setbacks. What to do when someone is bullied for his name? What to say when your friend refuses to go to school? In this episode Wool the dog says stop to his friends’ intrusive hugs because even when friends mean well, they must always listen to the word STOP.

Primary Division

Entry No. E-004

Title
The most boring Granny in the whole world
Entering Organization
AG Animationsfilm
Producing Organization(s)
Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
Country/Region
Germany
Media
Film
Genre
Animation

Greta has the most boring grandma in the whole world. When she falls asleep on the sofa, Greta gets the idea, to play funeral with her grandma. This confronts them with some questions they didn’t ask themselves before. Because what remains when you have to leave life behind?

Entry No. E-017

Title
Space Dragon & Kim
Entering Organization
Balloon House Productions Inc.
Producing Organization(s)
Balloon House Productions Inc.
Country/Region
Canada
Media
TV
Genre
Others: Live-Action Educational/Comedy

Space Dragon gets upset when his house plant dies. Seeing that Space Dragon is anxious to be learning about mortality, Kim shows Space Dragon a caterpillar, a chrysalis, and a butterfly to demonstrate that one thing's ending is another thing's beginning. Space Dragon notices a millipede eating his dead plant. He learns that even though his plant is gone, it's giving life to another creature!

Entry No. E-021

Title
Call Me Wild Child
Entering Organization
Lumian Production House
Producing Organization(s)
Lumian Production House
Country/Region
Taiwan
Media
TV
Genre
Documentary

Hung-Chun and La-Fa are good buddies at school. They sign up for a hunting experience and must go through a series of trials. They need to sneak through barely visible trails as animals did, learn their survival skills in the wild, and stay in the darkened woods at night under the guidance of Coach Ma, a Taiwanese aboriginal who grew up in the mountains.

Entry No. E-044

Title
Nanchou Nan Nan
Entering Organization
“SORAIRO” Association for families with deaf and hard of hearing children
Producing Organization(s)
KOO-KI Co.,Ltd. / invisi / iima / i-mage
Country/Region
Japan
Media
Film
Genre
Animation

One out of ten people is said to have hearing difficulties. There is the misunderstanding that with hearing aids, all the hearing problems will be solved which is not correct. This animated film shows the issues people with hearing difficulties face, and how to make communication easier for them. The film is child friendly with easy to sing-along music, and the cute illustration.

Entry No. E-046

Title
My Life: Dancing Queen
Entering Organization
Big Deal Films
Producing Organization(s)
Big Deal Films
Country/Region
United Kingdom
Media
TV
Genre
Documentary

Twelve-year-old Laleeyah lives on the Crow Creek Native American reservation in South Dakota. For several years running Laleeyah has been crowned the best young dancer on the reservation. But she has developed an illness called hyperthyroidism. As she comes to terms with her illness, Laleeyah still wants to hold on to the things she loves most: dancing, representing her tribe, and her crown.

Entry No. E-059

Title
Het Klokhuis: Your body belongs to you
Entering Organization
NTR
Producing Organization(s)
NTR
Country/Region
Netherlands
Media
TV
Genre
Documentary

Inappropriate/transgressive sexual behavior is a serious social problem. In the episode a psychologist and a woman that experienced sexual abuse when she was a child, talk about the rules and experiences of touching. About when it’s nice to be touched, and when it is not. About that your body belongs to you, and you are in control/charge of it. About what you can do if something bad happens, and that it’s never your fault.

Entry No. E-061

Title
Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo
Entering Organization
Tobo Media
Producing Organization(s)
Tobo Media
Country/Region
Canada
Media
Film
Genre
Animation

Forced to leave their country, Dounia and her grandparents set off in search of a new home. As she travels around the world in search of asylum, Dounia encounters many people and lives many great adventures. And when she encounters an obstacle that seems insurmountable, the wisdom of the ancient world comes to her rescue in the form of the nigella seeds and the legends of her country.

Entry No. E-073

Title
Funny Birds
Entering Organization
MIAM ! distribution
Producing Organization(s)
Doncvoilà Productions / Camera Lucida Productions
Country/Region
France
Media
TV
Genre
Animation

Ellie is entering secondary school. Shy and fascinated by nature, and birds, she spends her time with books. Ellie draws the attention of Anna, the school’s librarian. The day when Ellie must absolutely return a book to Anna, she finds the school library closed. Ellie decides to take it back to Anna’s home, a few miles from school, on an island on the Loire River. An island full of birds...

Entry No. E-079

Title
Talking Heads
Entering Organization
Keplerfilm
Producing Organization(s)
Keplerfilm
Country/Region
Netherlands
Media
TV
Genre
Documentary

A diversity of children take a seat in the barber’s chair of hairdresser Marko. Through the mirror we watch their new haircuts take shape, as we listen to what's going on in their heads: their view on the world, their concerns, and the things in life that really makes them happy. Whether they talk about hope, love, anxiety or growing up, the conversations are always heart-to-heart and without filter.

Entry No. E-080

Title
If you don’t we will
Entering Organization
Sudwestrundfunk
Producing Organization(s)
Sudwestrundfunk
Country/Region
Germany
Media
TV
Genre
Documentary

Twelve-years-old Nina from Indonesia detects how plastic waste finds its way into the land, the rivers, the oceans, and even the air she breathes. Her neighbourhood serves as a dumping ground for filthy plastic waste from Western countries. To raise awareness Nina collects garbage items from all around the world for an exhibition at her school.

Youth Division

Entry No. Y-001

Title
All That Remains To Be Seen
Entering Organization
Danmarks Radio
Producing Organization(s)
Good Company Pictures
Country/Region
Denmark
Media
Film
Genre
Documentary

When Silas suddenly can’t find his friends in the schoolyard, Christina knows all too well what that means: He’s losing his eyesight, just like she did as a child. She knows how everything changes when your eyesight deteriorates. But how do you teach your child to be brave and confident in a world that is slowly going black?

Entry No. Y-008

Title
Oh my pleasure
Entering Organization
beteve
Producing Organization(s)
beteve / Camille Zonca
Country/Region
Spain
Media
TV
Genre
Drama

Oh my pleasure season five highlights young people's new ways of socialization and the new sexual and affective relationships the pandemic has brought. Depression, anxiety, forced lockdowns with family members, job insecurity, dating with masks on, racism towards the Chinese community, the loss of loved ones... All these intertwine with infidelity, fatphobia, sexual work, LGTBI+ people getting back into the closet, and other sex-affective issues.

Entry No. Y-009

Title
Spotless
Entering Organization
Kapitein Kort
Producing Organization(s)
IJswater Films
Country/Region
Netherlands
Media
Film
Genre
Drama

During her menstrual period, 15-year-old Ruby does not dare to ask her mother for tampons or pads, because she knows that there is really no money for them. In order not to be a burden to anyone around her, she tries to solve it herself. A short drama introducing the subject of menstrual poverty, an unknown subject for many.

Entry No. Y-016

Title
Zoom In: Frozen Juvenile
Entering Organization
Phoenix Satellite Television
Producing Organization(s)
Phoenix Satellite Television
Country/Region
China
Media
TV
Genre
Documentary

The story takes place in Henan, where there is a special education school. The principal is convinced that children have different qualities, and together with some of the coaches encouraged the children to take a hit on the ice and snow. In the film, the protagonist Lou Jiayuan, who suffers from autism, and Zhang Jiayi, a deaf child, constantly rewrites their fate through their own efforts.

Entry No. Y-020

Title
Star Wars Kid: The Rise of the Digital Shadows
Entering Organization
National Film Board of Canada
Producing Organization(s)
National Film Board of Canada / URBANIA
Country/Region
Canada
Media
Film
Genre
Documentary

In this Mathieu Fournier documentary on the first viral phenomenon of the digital age, Ghyslain Raza (the Star Wars Kid) breaks his silence and reflects on his story for the first time. In doing so, he also explores our collective experience living in an online world in which we have to make peace with our digital shadows.

Entry No. Y-028

Title
Children of the Mist
Entering Organization
VARAN VIETNAM MEDIA AND PRODUCTION AUDIOVISUAL COMPANY LIMITED
Producing Organization(s)
VARAN VIETNAM MEDIA AND PRODUCTION AUDIOVISUAL COMPANY LIMITED
Country/Region
Vietnam
Media
Film
Genre
Documentary

Di is a 12-year-old girl living in a village lost in the Northwest Vietnam mountains. She belongs to the Hmong ethnic minority where women get married very young, enduring the controversial tradition of bride-kidnapping. While Di is fortunate enough to belong to the first generation in her community and given the opportunity to attend high school, she yearns to rebel against the expectation to marry young.

Entry No. Y-031

Title
Brown, antiracism at the present time
Entering Organization
Channel Encuentro
Producing Organization(s)
Channel Encuentro
Country/Region
Argentina
Media
TV
Genre
Documentary

In Argentina, there are people who perceive themselves as belonging to the Brown Identity collective, who say they are not white, not black, but brown. This group was born as a response to structural racism in Argentina. This episode features Argentine art and the difficulties that this group has in accessing opportunities.

Entry No. Y-036

Title
Inglorious Liaisons
Entering Organization
Vivement Lundi !
Producing Organization(s)
Vivement Lundi !
Country/Region
France
Media
Film
Genre
Animation

Tonight, it's a party for Lucie, Maya, and their friends. Even Jimmy has come, and everyone knows he is here for Maya. But when everything is supposed to happen, Maya and Lucie find out they have hidden feelings for each other. They have trouble finding their place in this evening filled with alcohol, awesome playlists and raging hormones.

Entry No. Y-055

Title
More Than This
Entering Organization
Baby Banksia
Producing Organization(s)
Baby Banksia / Australian Children’s Television Foundation / Shapeshifter Studios / Big Finish Creative
Country/Region
Australia
Media
TV
Genre
Drama

The series follows a group of diverse 17 year olds and explores contemporary issues surrounding teen life, such as relationships, sexuality, school grades, their online social life, and family pressures. In this episode, non-binary student Jamie finds acceptance in the LGBTQI+ tribe through a new friend Zali, but fails to see that Zali is hiding a dark secret.

Entry No. Y-060

Title
Girls for Future
Entering Organization
Radio Bremen
Producing Organization(s)
Irja von Bernstorff
Country/Region
Germany
Media
TV
Genre
Documentary

A movie about 4 young frontline activists, aged between 11 and 14 years in 4 different countries: Senegal, India, Indonesia, and Australia. The four girls represent the voice of a new generation directly affected by climate crisis and environmental degradation. Their courage and power to fight back is contagious.

Lifelong Learning Division

Entry No. L-019

Title
Medullas, time to heal
Entering Organization
Canal Capital
Producing Organization(s)
Canal Capital / Dieciseis 9 Films
Country/Region
Colombia
Media
TV
Genre
Others: Animated Documentary

Through an emotional dialogue between multiple personal stories of diverse women, each episode sensitively addresses the experiences of violation lived by the characters and related to discrimination, violence, and gender inequality. By sharing their real stories and experiences, they deconstruct and re-signify their own memory, which is also represented by the roots of a Nogal, Bogota’s flagship tree.

Entry No. L-023

Title
Young Plato
Entering Organization
Soilsiú Films
Producing Organization(s)
Soilsiú Films / Clin d'Oeil Films / Zadig Productions / Aisling Productions
Country/Region
Ireland
Media
Film
Genre
Documentary

Young Plato charts the dream of Elvis-loving school headmaster Kevin McArevey, a maverick who is determined to change the fortunes of an inner-city community plagued by urban decay, sectarian aggression, poverty, and drugs. The all-boys primary school in post-conflict Belfast becomes a hothouse for questioning violence, as the headmaster sends his young wards home each day armed with the wisdom of the ancient Greek philosophers.

Entry No. L-037

Title
The Recycling Myth
Entering Organization
a & o buero filmproduktion
Producing Organization(s)
a & o buero filmproduktion / The Why Foundation
Country/Region
Germany
Media
TV
Genre
Documentary

What really happens to our plastic waste once we put it in the recycling bin? As the plastic pollution crisis has become an international scandal, the biggest consumer goods brands have declared they have a solution: recycling. But plastic packaging is still more likely to end up being burned or dumped than recycled. The film asks: who is getting rich?

Entry No. L-056

Title
Going Circular
Entering Organization
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen
Producing Organization(s)
Off The Fence / ZDF Studios
Country/Region
Germany
Media
TV
Genre
Drama

Going Circular unlocks the secrets to an innovative concept called circularity, an economic system based on the idea that nothing should go to waste. It is far from the way most of us live our lives today in the twenty first century, but it can save our planet’s resources and save us from the ravages of future climate change.

Entry No. L-064

Title
Alone
Entering Organization
Picbois Productions
Producing Organization(s)
Picbois Productions
Country/Region
Canada
Media
Film
Genre
Documentary

Scared for their lives, Afshin, Alain, and Patricia left their home countries, alone. As unaccompanied minors, they had to start over in Canada, in hopes to live a better life. Mixing real-life footage and animated sequences, Alone is a tribute to hope: how can a child manage to reinvent himself in a new country, after having left everything behind, even his parents?

Entry No. L-070

Title
Myanmar Diaries
Entering Organization
ZIN Documentaire
Producing Organization(s)
ZIN Documentaire / Ten Thousand Images
Country/Region
Netherlands
Media
Film
Genre
Documentary

Myanmar Diaries is built up of short films by ten young anonymous Burmese filmmakers, combined with citizen journalism documenting the junta’s brutality and courageous resistance to it. The film shows how Myanmar goes from the military coup to nation-wide protests and civil disobedience, to barbaric repression where thousands of peaceful protesters are imprisoned and murdered, to a growing popular armed revolt.

Entry No. L-072

Title
Unsung Women
Entering Organization
MIAM ! distribution
Producing Organization(s)
Zadig Productions / Les Films du Bilboquet / ARTE France / Iota Productions / Pictanovo
Country/Region
France
Media
TV
Genre
Animation

If we look closely at the writings of Jules Verne going around the world in 80 days, there seems to be similarities with the adventures and writings of Ida Pfeiffer. This stop motion series points out with humor the invisibility process that 30 women have undergone through history in order to give them the recognition they deserve!

Entry No. L-075

Title
Non Binary
Entering Organization
Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego
Producing Organization(s)
Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego / Channel Encuentro
Country/Region
Argentina
Media
TV
Genre
Documentary

Carolina, a transgender woman, tells us different stories that have allowed the LGBT community to conquer a better life. This episode is about Shanik, who never felt like a man or a woman. From a small city in Patagonia, they were able to modify Argentina’s legal system to have their ID document display “Non Binary” as their gender identity.

Entry No. L-080

Title
Africa From Within
Entering Organization
Insync Productions
Producing Organization(s)
Insync Productions
Country/Region
South Africa
Media
TV
Genre
Others: Wildlife & Conservation genre/ Magazine

The series showcases conservation stories of ordinary people in Africa. It highlights local solutions for environmental problems and features strengths already existing in the community and traditional knowledge systems. The series aims to foster an appreciation of and desire to protect Africa among the locals.

Entry No. L-081

Title
Sexy hands
Entering Organization
SVT
Producing Organization(s)
SVT
Country/Region
Sweden
Media
TV
Genre
Others: Dating studio show

Sexy hands is the world’s first dating show in sign language where deaf singletons look for love. Round after round, where the singles only get to see the candidates’ hands, the candidates are eliminated until only one lucky date remains. Get ready for Sexy hands, inclusive, surprising, and of course romantic.

Digital Media Division

Entry No. D-001

Title
The ultrabit project
Entering Organization
Danmarks Radio
Producing Organization(s)
Danmarks Radio
Country/Region
Denmark
Media
Cross Media

“ultra:bit” is a campaign to inspire children to be creative with technology. It aims at strengthening the impact of content by strong co-creation with the audience, kids, parents, and teachers, transcending traditional platforms and engaging civil society. Using the micro-computers that are distributed to schools in Denmark, kids learn how to code through a wide selection of TV programs, online learning materials, and social media content.

Entry No. D-002

Title
Gibbon: Beyond the Trees
Entering Organization
Broken Rules
Producing Organization(s)
Broken Rules
Country/Region
Austria
Media
Console Game

Gibbon: Beyond the Trees is a game about the beauty of wilderness and the destructive force of human civilization. Players take the viewpoint of a gibbon and must master dynamic movements to swing through a hand-painted jungle, experiencing the story of a lost gibbon searching for home amid rising devastation.

Entry No. D-007

Title
@IAmSophieScholl
Entering Organization
VICE Media GmbH
Producing Organization(s)
VICE Media GmbH
Country/Region
Germany
Media
Cross Media

Using the profile @IAmSophieScholl on social media, the resistance fighter Sophie Scholl lets her followers experience the last ten months of her life in 1942 as if in real time. She shares her everyday life as a student in Munich with her followers and takes them with her into active resistance against the war and Hitler's totalitarianism until she is arrested.

Entry No. D-020

Title
Children's Council Invent Pakapaka
Entering Organization
Pakapaka
Producing Organization(s)
Pakapaka
Country/Region
Argentina
Media
Website

Children’s Council Invent Pakapaka is a gateway to crossmedia content that gives 7 to 11 years old children a possibility to participate in the production of Pakapaka channel's contents. The website structure consists of: who we are, what we do, how to take part, and news. The articles on the website are written by children.

Entry No. D-025

Title
Cultural Heritage in 8K
Entering Organization
NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)
Producing Organization(s)
NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)
Country/Region
Japan
Media
Cross Media

This project aims to teach people about cultural heritages by rendering artifacts into ultra-high-definition 3D CG data with 8K technology and photogrammetry. It offers a new style of viewing, whre observers can freely zoom in and look at artifacts from any angle, view them on a tablet while conducting fieldwork, and even experience a VR learning space.

Finalists (Proposal Pitch)

Proposal Division

Entry No. P-001

The Story of the Dew
Title
The Story of the Dew
Target Group
Adults
Entering Organization
Adamant Studios
Country/Region
Bangladesh

A story about the first transgender news anchor in Bangladesh. While facing all kinds of struggles growing up as a member of a minority gender community, she was determined and ambitious to pursue her life goals. This is a story that will clearly showcase what a person can do if he or she is dedicated to create one’s own identity.

Entry No. P-016

Teen Talk
Title
Teen Talk
Target Group
Teens
Entering Organization
Impact Media for Artistic Solutions
Country/Region
Egypt

Teen Talk will be the first and only news program for children in Egypt and the Arab world. Media professionals and teen reporters will appear in the program inserting sophisticated graphics to grab the interest of young viewers. To have a brighter future, it is important to empower youth with unbiased information and to provide a platform to discuss their issues.

Entry No. P-019

Kidnapping story
Title
Kidnapping story
Target Group
Teens
Entering Organization
5 Palcev Animation Studio
Country/Region
Kyrgyz

Bride kidnapping is a widespread “tradition” in the rural areas of Kyrgyzstan. Girls live in constant threat and fear and men do not understand the traumatic emotional feeling of the girls. This program aims at changing the boys’ perception and to encourage them to try to understand the feelings of the girls, hoping to change their attitude toward this cruel tradition.

Entry No. P-021

Heroic Hands
Title
Heroic Hands
Target Group
Children
Entering Organization
Hayriye Yapim Production Company
Country/Region
Turkey

A story of a girl born with limb deficiency. After meeting the volunteers from a robotic hand device manufacturer, her life changed. This program aims to contribute to a better understanding of how children with limb deficiency feel and how they try to cope with social relations, creating empathy and raising awareness to the people.

Entry No. P-025

My Father, My Hero
Title
My Father, My Hero
Target Group
Teens
Entering Organization
Penny Wise Films Pvt Ltd
Country/Region
India

This is a documentary of a popular physio-therapist in a large hospital who became quadriplegic due to an unexpected accident. He was my father. After going through extreme depression and 3 suicide attempts, he became one of India’s most prominent disabled voices. This documentary aims to work as a catalyst to expediate gaining rights for people with disabilities.

Entry No. P-032

Muppets to Protect Children
Title
Muppets to Protect Children
Target Group
Children
Entering Organization
Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation
Country/Region
Sri Lanka

A documentary of a government officer who uses Muppets for child education on sexual abuse. His creative and fascinating method of providing sexual education has been widely accepted. This film hopes to make an impact on children in a positive way and give society a chance to rethink about exercising creative ways for sexual education.

Final Selection Jurors

COMMITTEE 1

Pre-school, Primary & Digital Media Divisions / Proposal Pitch
Faraz Osman

Leader of Committee 1

Name:
Faraz Osman
Country/Region:
United Kingdom
Title & Organization:
Managing Director
Gold Wala

Faraz Osman is the Founder and Managing Director of independent production company Gold Wala. Recent credits include CBeebies format “What’s On Your Head?” “The Parent Rap” for BBC’s Tiny Happy People, “My Mate’s A Muslim” for BBC Three, short drama “Listen, Dad” for CBBC, and “Yo! MTV Raps Streets.” He has worked with brands including Apple, Red Bull, Sony, vevo and many more. Previously, he held the position of MD at youth focused indie Lemonade Money and was the Editor of Education at Channel 4. Osman is also the current chair of the BAFTA Children’s and Young People Committee, is a regular columnist for Broadcast Magazine and commentator for the Media Podcast.

Tshilidzi Davhana
Name:
Tshilidzi Davhana
Country/Region:
South Africa
Title & Organization:
Genre Manager: Factual Content
South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)

Tshilidzi Davhana is a media practitioner with over 24 years in the broadcasting space and worked on radio and TV programs, design, management, and media policy. She started her career in news, and then ventured into educational and factual content where she worked with local and international media powerhouses. Tshilidzi worked with some of big names in broadcasting such as NHK on projects like “Discover Science,” “FACES” to mention the few, participated in the World Forum of Broadcasting in 2011 hosted by Jalisco TV in Mexico, Panelist at the 2010 Inter-Cultural Dialogues in broadcasting in Chile amongst the few. Her zeal for learning led her to be a recipient of Public Media Alliance Travel Broadcast bursar in 2015 of which she traveled to Canada and hosted by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. She has worked on TV shows which were screened at INPUT and Prix Jeunesse. Her involvement with NHK offered her an opportunity as a preliminary juror for Japan Prize 2019.

Jens Ripke-Desaules
Name:
Jens Ripke-Desaules
Country/Region:
Germany
Title & Organization:
Children and Youth, Head of Editorial Team for Fiction
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)

Jens Ripke-Desaules has been head of the fiction editorial team within the Children and Youth Department at ZDF since May 2020. He started his career as a writer and editor in 1996. Many of the formats he was responsible for have won several awards, including the Grimme Prize, the Prix Jeunesse International or the Chicago Children’s Film Festival. Jens participated in a German-Dutch journalist exchange IJP and returned to ZDF in 2019 after two years at the European Broadcast Union in Geneva. Under his guidance, the fiction editorial team works on numerous commissioned and co-productions in the field of live action and animation for the public TV and web services.

Atsumi Kaori
Name:
Atsumi Kaori
Country/Region:
Japan
Title & Organization:
Director / Producer
NHK Educational

Director and producer in the Children’s Program Department at NHK Educational. Started her career in 2002 as a director in the Language Learning Department. Specializing in the production of programs for pre-school age children from 2005. Currently a member of the media franchising team, developing new projects and content for families and children up to the age of six years. Assists in sales of program format for “Peek-a-boo” in Myanmar (2019–2020), China, and Vietnam.

COMMITTEE 2

Youth & Digital Media Divisions / Proposal Pitch
Nabeelah Shabbir

Leader of Committee 2

Name:
Nabeelah Shabbir
Country/Region:
Netherlands
Title & Organization:
Freelance Journalist and Senior Research Associate,
International Center for Journalists (ICFJ)

Nabeelah Shabbir is a British-Pakistani freelance journalist, formerly of British newspaper The Guardian, with stints at the Financial Times, The Correspondent and Twitter. She has co-authored several journalism research reports at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ) at the University of Oxford, and the Washington-based International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), where she is a Senior Research Associate. She has lived and worked in Cologne, Brussels, Paris, London and Oxford, and is now based in Amsterdam. She has many years of experience in transnational, cross-border storytelling and journalistic collaboration in legacy newsrooms, media research institutes, and news start-ups.

Simon Kessler

Chairperson of Proposal Pitch

Name:
Simon Kessler
Country/Region:
France
Title & Organization:
Documentary Filmmaker

Simon Kessler is a filmmaker and director of photography based in Paris. He has lived and worked in the United States, Canada and Australia. He has directed a number of documentaries for French and international TV networks such as National Geographic, Disney+, Canal+, TF1. His work focuses on intimate portraits of people, places and institutions in moments of transition, with a strong emphasis on social and environmental issues. In 2020, his award-winning documentary Generation Greta (co-written with Johan Boulanger) was selected as a finalist work for the Japan Prize. When he doesn’t make films, Simon likes cooking vegetarian food, playing ukulele and singing with his daughter.

Michelle Chen

Leader of Digital Media Division

Name:
Michelle Chen
Country/Region:
United States
Title & Organization:
Senior Producer, Kids’ Media & Education
The WNET Group

Michelle Chen is Senior Producer, Kids’ Media and Education at WNET, where she has been creating content for public television and digital platforms since 2004. She has received Emmy Awards for her work on the PBS KIDS series Cyberchase and the multiplatform project, Get the Math. Other projects include the groundbreaking educational gaming series Mission US, which has received the Best Work in the Digital Media Division of the Japan Prize and the Games for Change Award for Most Significant Impact; the “Youth Collective” Gen Z engagement initiative; the PBS KIDS video and gaming series Oh Noah!; and professional development series for educators.

Shirley Oran
Name:
Shirley Oran
Country/Region:
Israel
Title & Organization:
VP Kids and Family, Israel
Paramount International

In the kids TV world for over 25 years, out of which 13 years as the head of Nickelodeon Israel. Currently serves as VP Kids and Family of Paramount International, Israel. Shirley has developed, co-created, and served as executive in charge on numerous hit shows for kids, including Rising, teen drama and 11 Israeli Academy Awards winner, Spyders (aired globally on Nickelodeon in 170 countries), Craft Party (remade by CBBC and sold to Warner Italy), Greenhouse - Israeli award winning teen drama (remade by Netflix), and Rescue Team - winner of the Israeli Academy Award for Best Preschool show.

COMMITTEE 3

Lifelong Learning & Digital Media Divisions / Proposal Pitch
Nha-Uyen Chau

Leader of Committee 3

Name:
Nha-Uyen Chau
Country/Region:
Australia
Title & Organization:
Founder / CEO
LGI Media

Nha-Uyen Chau is the Founder and CEO of LGI Media (formerly Looking Glass International). Established in 2006, Nha-Uyen’s overall commitment to strengthening LGI’s presence within the international market has strategically shaped key relationships with both broadcasters and producers around the world. She has recently extended her creative skills by working as an Executive Producer on a number of projects for the international market. In 2019, Nha-Uyen was given the great honour of Commencement Speaker at the Queensland University of Technology (QuT) for the School of Communication graduation ceremony. She holds a Bachelor of Economics Degree from the University of Sydney.

Gune (Gunny) Hyoung
Name:
Gune (Gunny) Hyoung
Country/Region:
Republic of Korea
Title & Organization:
Executive Producer
Korea Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) / EBS International Documentary Festival (EIDF)

Gunny studied architecture first but moved to the Mass Communication (BA) & TV and Film Section (MA) in America. He started with documentary program in EBS and then became one of founding members of the EIDF (EBS International DOC Film Festival). His overseas career started with Radio Netherlands, and Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) in Malaysia for years. Gunny also worked as jury members of international film festivals such as Shanghai, Chicago, and Rio de Janeiro and Decision Makers of Tokyo DOCs, IDFA and HOTDOCS Canada. He also directed several programs for EBS Prime Time documentary series including “Architecture Happiness,” “Our Urban City,” and “Memories of Sten Bergman.” He currently works as Executive Producer of the EIDF. Most of the films presented in the festival are to be aired in Public TV EBS.

Dimitra Kouzi
Name:
Dimitra Kouzi
Country/Region:
Greece
Title & Organization:
Journalists / Director / Producer / Educator
Kouzi Productions

Dimitra Kouzi is a documentary filmmaker, writer, educator, and producer. Her background is in communication (Ludwig Maximilians Universität Munich) and photography. Since 2008, she has been involved with documentary in every creative role. In 2016 she founded KinderDocs Festival for children and young audiences, bringing creative documentary into major contemporary art museums. Her latest documentary, “Passage to Europe,” earned the Japan Foundation President’s Prize (the Japan Prize 2021). Her personal work explores topics such as communication and networks, the change process, and sustainable lifestyles. She worked for more than 18 years as a TV and print journalist and C.E. in Greece and Germany (ERT, ARTE, ZDF, DW). She is currently working on a documentary about Mit Mitropoulos (Galaxidi). Her latest short film, “Do-Nothing Farming,” was part of an exhibition at the Megaron Athens Concert Hall. She is fluent in Greek, English, and German.

Ruth Zowdu

Chairperson of Audiovisual Works

Name:
Ruth Zowdu
Country/Region:
Canada
Title & Organization:
Senior Managing Director, Ontario Region
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)

Ruth Zowdu is the Senior Managing Director for Ontario with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and a 30-year veteran of the broadcasting industry. Ruth manages teams across eight news bureaus including stations in Ottawa, Canada’s capital and Toronto, one of the world’s most multicultural cities. The teams produce a range of content for television, radio, and digital media. Under her leadership, Ruth’s teams have won awards in investigative journalism, podcast production, and video storytelling. A passionate advocate for equity, Ruth was awarded a 2022 CBC Edi Award for her contributions to creating more inclusive newsrooms.

Preliminary Selection Jurors

COMMITTEE 1

Audiovisual Works (Pre-school Division)

Leader of Committee 1

Name:
Iida Kanako
Country/Region:
Japan
Title & Organization:
Executive Producer for "Synapusyu"
TV TOKYO Corporation

Graduated from University of Tokyo’s department of French language and literature. Joined TV TOKYO in 2011 and has since worked in various departments, such as Sales or Production. Gave birth to a baby boy in 2018. After returning from her maternity leave, Kanako created a new TV program, “Synapusyu” targeting infants she realized during her time away that there is a lack of educational content for this demographic. Currently works as executive producer for “Synapusyu”, not only managing the program’s production and broadcasting, but also its social media and promotional goods.

Name:
Svetlana Chernova
Country/Region:
Kyrgyz
Title & Organization:
Producer
5 Palcev Animation Studio

Ms Svetlana Chernova is a producer, screenwriter, and animator from 5 Palcev Animation Studio, Kyrgyzstan, the fnalist of the Japan Prize 2009 and the winner of the Excellent Proposal Prize of the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan Prize, 2020. She has extensive 16 years of experience in the production of edutainment animation series for pre-school and primary school children for nationwide state media in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkey. Her mission is to create quality educational content based on her expertise in the psychology of children’s development, diversity, and inclusion.

Name:
Péter Vácz
Country/Region:
Hungary
Title & Organization:
Animation Director

Péter Vácz is an award-winning animation director from Budapest, Hungary. He graduated from Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design with his flm ‘Rabbit and Deer ’ in 2013 which has won over 125 festival awards in more than 60 countries. Since then Péter created two award-winning music videos for the famous British rock band James (All I’m Saying 2014, and Dear John 2016), a live-action short flm (Pillowface, 2018) and several poem animations (Streamschool, Satellite Dish & Strawberry). He is currently working on his next animated short flm ‘Dog Ear ’. Besides his professional work Péter is also a passionate teacher giving workshops and masterclasses worldwide and since 2020 he is the artistic director of the ILLYÉS ANIM two-year animation course in Hungary.

Name:
Yamanaka Kosuke
Country/Region:
Japan
Title & Organization:
Director
NHK Educational

Kosuke Yamanaka joined NHK Educational Corporation in 2010. After working as a director on language and art programs, he took up his current position producing children’s programs. He became a father while working on art programs, and this led to his becoming interested in picture books, which in turn led him to produce many documentaries on the theme of picture book authors. Yamanaka currently produces Okaasan to Issho (With Mother), a daily entertainment program for children aged two to four years. This 25-minute program is formulated around three pillars: songs, puppet shows, and calisthenics. With a history spanning 60 years, it widely permeates Japan’s child-raising generation. Yamanaka also develops new children’s programming.

COMMITTEE 2

Audiovisual Works (Primary Division)

Leader of Committee 2

Name:
Hsiao Pei, Lin
Country/Region:
Taiwan
Title & Organization:
Producer
Taiwan Public Television Service Foundation (PTS)

Hsiao Pei, Lin has worked as a producer and commissioning editor at PTS since 1992. She produced lots of educational TV shows for children and young adults. Her works (as a producer), have been selected & screened in many flm festivals, including Prix Jeunesse, Japan Prize, Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, Banff World Media Festival, Asian Television Award, Input (International Public Television Screening Conference) and some other flm festivals. Also winner of Asian Television Award, Chicago International Children’s Film festival (Children jury & adult jury).

Name:
Warinnet Termsirikamol
Country/Region:
Thailand
Title & Organization:
Managing Director
Be Amazing Edutainment Co.

Managing Director of Be Amazing Edutainment Co., Ltd. which is open since 2004. Executive Producer for Pre-school Program, Primary Program and Family Program. Most of Program are about Science and STEM or Coding Education. Executive Director and Moderator of Science and Mathematic Teacher’s Workshop about Educational Trending every year since 2016. My Pre-school Program “House of Little Scientist” Got 2nd Runner-up from Japan Prize on 2015. And Primary School “Jigsaw” was Nominees in Prix Jeunesse on 2022.

Name:
Nils Stokke
Country/Region:
Norway
Title & Organization:
Producer / CEO
Spark

Nils Stokke is founder and CEO of Spark, an indie production company based in Oslo, Norway. He has developed and is the producer of several award-winning shows including Brillebjørn/Bo Bear and Kongen av Gulset/King of Gulset. Nils started his career at the entertainment department at NRK and was announced head of NRK Children’s (NRK Super) in 2009, a position he held for four years. He holds an MBA from the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (NHH) and an MA in Media Studies from New York University.

Name:
Martina Heid
Country/Region:
Germany
Title & Organization:
Producer
Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)

Martina has been producing audiovisual content for more than 30 years. Since 2010 she has been a freelancer in the children’s and family programs at Westdeutscher Rundfunk, where she works as a producer for the “Show with the Elephant”. Martina is passionate about producing strong stories and content at children’s level: entertaining, high-quality program that both encourages and challenges children, reaching and inspiring them wherever children fnd it in a multi-platform world.

COMMITTEE 3

Audiovisual Works (Youth Division)

Leader of Committee 3

Name:
Soghra Setayesh
Country/Region:
Afghanistan
Title & Organization:
Filmmaker
Academy of Art (Kabul)

Soghra Setayesh was born in Qom, Iran. She graduated in f lm directing from Kabul University in 2014. She has made two short fction flms and seven documentary flms. The content of her flms focuses on humanitarian issues, especially women’s rights. Soghra and her husband Ali Kiyan, who run Academy of Art institute, have held fve rounds of Mehrgan International Film Festivals in Kabul, Afghanistan so far and she has experience as a jury in some domestics’ flm festivals. She has also acted in more than 30 short flms and about 10 theater performances.

Name:
Nagata Ryutaro
Country/Region:
Japan
Title & Organization:
President
NOMB LLC.

Having worked broadly in marketing (advertising, sales promotions) for Tokyu Agency Inc., Louis Vuitton Japan K.K., and Gap Japan K.K., NAGATA Ryutaro promoted gender equality—including equality for sexual minorities—as Promotional Director for Gender Diversity and Equality at the Shibuya City Offce. He currently serves as a marketing director for Dalia Incorporated, and has established NOMB LLC. In addition, he provides support for business marketing and strategic D&I (diversity and inclusion) activities.

Name:
Aseneth Suárez Ruiz
Country/Region:
Colombia
Title & Organization:
Content Director / Producer
MÁQUINA ANDANTE MEDIA LAB.

Aseneth Suárez Ruiz is a Colombian documentary flmmaker, producer and creator of edu-content. She study documentary in Barcelona. She produced and directed two feature length documentaries, Parador Hungaro (2014) and Clara (2021), as well as the documentary short, These are not Our Memories (2022). She worked on various projects for television like the animated series Storytime with Sound Effects and The Invisible Forces. Also the documentary program Flags on Mars. All of them nominated and awarded in several festivals as Prix Jeunesse, Kidscreen, Comkids, Input, Japan Prize.

Name:
Martina Peštaj
Country/Region:
Slovenia
Title & Organization:
Head of Children's and Youth Programmes
RTV SLOVENIJA

MARTINA PEŠTAJ is the Head of Children’s and Youth Programmes at RTV Slovenija, where she has worked for number of years as a creator, editor, and scriptwriter. She is a selector for foreign animation and life-action series for children. As a Media Psychologist and TV expert she regularly collaborates with the Slovenian Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Education on various cultural and art programmes in the feld of media education. She publishes articles and gives lectures about children, TV, flm, and internet.

COMMITTEE 4

Audiovisual Works (Lifelong Learning Division)

Leader of Committee 4

Name:
Eren Isabella McGinnis
Country/Region:
United States
Title & Organization:
Independent Filmmaker
Camino Sisters Productions

Mexican American flmmaker Eren Isabella McGinnis has over 22 credits including POV’s Tobacco Blues, The Girl Next Door (shortlisted for an Oscar), Beyond the Border, The Spirituals, and Precious Knowledge. As a Fulbright scholar, she spent a year writing and flmmaking in Juchitán, México, while her flm works shine a light on social justice and culture. Eren is one of the co-founders of Café Sisters Productions, an all-woman f lmmaking collective dedicated to bringing a feminist edge to their creations and also to the creative Dos Vatos Productions team. Recent projects have brought her to Poland, Germany, South Korea, and Spain.

Name:
Sagi Bornstein
Country/Region:
Israel
Title & Organization:
Producer
udiVsagi production

Sagi Bornstein is a director, producer and editor of documentaries. He studied photography at Camera Obscure flm school and worked as an editor for leading Israeli broadcasters before starting his own production company. His work as a director and producer includes #Kafka’s Last Story (2011, Arte, Dok Leipzig, DocAviv), #uploading_ holocaust (2016, BR, Krakow Film Festival, DocAviv), Golda (2019, DocNYC, DocAviv) and Viral Dreams (2021, HotDocs, DocAviv).

Name:
Thando Shozi
Country/Region:
South Africa
Title & Organization:
Managing Director
Sunrise Emandleni Enterprises PTY (LTD)

Thando Shozi is Managing Director and freelance Producer. Previously, she worked as Head of Factual for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). She left the SABC in 2021 after 27 years of service in different roles and she started her own company—Sunrise Emandleni Enterprises PTY (LTD) which specialises in training, consulting services, and productions in the South African flm and TV industry. Thando is a Communications graduate and EURODOC alumni.

Name:
Lefteris Fylaktos
Country/Region:
Greece
Title & Organization:
Head of Culture, Education & Children's Programming
Greek Broadcasting Corporation (ERT)

Head of Culture, Education & Children’s Programming Greek Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) Lefteris Fylaktos is a documentary flmmaker and visual anthropologist, living in Athens, Greece. Since 2020, he is HoD of Culture, Education and Children’s Programming for ERT, the Greek Public Broadcaster. He is the National Coordinator for INPUT Greece and a member of ERT’s Film Commission. He has been active since 1997 in the conception and production of audiovisual content as television director and commissioning editor for ERT and as independent documentary flmmaker. He has experience in cross-media projects and has served as jury and delegate for media organisations such as INPUT, Prix-Europa, Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival.

COMMITTEE 5

Audiovisual Works (Digital Media Division)

Leader of Committee 5

Name:
Charles Ayats
Country/Region:
France
Title & Organization:
Interactive Designer

Charles Ayats is author, director and designer of interactive and immersive experiences. He obtained a Master’s degree in Interactive Digital Experience from the Ecole de l’image Les Gobelins in Paris. As an interactive designer of web documentaries, he creates participatory experiences, often enriched with game mechanics to facilitate transmission of knowledge, exemplifed by Type:Rider (2013) on the history of typography. Always on the lookout for new formats to tell his stories, he is awarded with different VR and AR experiences: SENS VR (2016), 7 lives (2019), Scream VR (2019) or M.O.A (2020).

Name:
Luca Carrubba
Country/Region:
Spain
Title & Organization:
Co-Director
ArsGames

Carrubba holds a PhD in Fine Arts, is a sociologist of communication and a specialist in interactive technology. Throughout his career he has collaborated with different institutions in Spain and the Americas. As a researcher he has published numerous articles and essays on technology, art and digital culture, teaching in different international universities. He is currently curator of the exhibition Homo Ludens: video games to understand the present, by La Caixa Foundation. Before and after all this, Carrubba is co-director of Arsgames, an international organization that works at the crossroads between art, science, technology and citizen participation with video games.

Name:
Anne-Sophie Brieger
Country/Region:
Canada
Title & Organization:
Vice President Operations / Production
SAGO MINI

Anne-Sophie Brieger—Vice President Operations/Production, Sago Sago Toys (Canada).
Anne-Sophie heads Sago Mini—a Toronto-based studio—that produces digital and physical play experiences for preschoolers and toddlers. The studio’s mission is to inspire the next generation of creative thinkers through beautifully crafted play. It produces three subscription services Sago Mini World, Sago Mini School and Sago Mini Boxes which encourage children to use their imagination, learn through play and express their creativity. With more than 4 million monthly active users, the brand is loved by parents, educators and children around the globe. Prior to working in the digital space, Anne-Sophie was a television producer creating award-winning shows; from culinary documentaries to children’s animation for networks including TVOntario, National Geographic Kids, Teletoon, PBS and Food Network. When she’s not at the studio, Anne-Sophie pursues her passion for play by teaching yoga to school-aged children and growing her collection of children’s books.

Name:
Kakinuma Midori
Country/Region:
Japan
Title & Organization:
Director, Welfare Issues, Program Production Center 1, Content Creators Center
NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)

Joined NHK in 2011, after obtaining MA in flm and new media. Many of her works aim to foster awareness about sensitive issues, such as child abuse and sexuality education. One of the programs she directed in 2020, and another in 2021, were nominated as fnalists for the Japan Prize. Responsible for the launch of NHK Citizen Lab, the frst popular science platform run by a Japanese broadcaster. NHK Citizen Lab encourages the general public to take part in the gathering of academically useful research data in the natural and social sciences.

Past Japan Prize

TOP