PUMA.Creative and the Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation have announced “The End of the Line” as the winner of the inaugural PUMA.Creative Impact Award.
The annual €50,000 award, the first of its kind in the industry, has been launched to identify and honour the documentary film that made the most significant positive impact on society. The shortlist of five documentaries also included, “The Age of Stupid”, “The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal Court”, “Trouble the Water” and “Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country”, which was also awarded a Special Commendation for its social impact and a €25,000 prize. All five films were judged by a jury which included Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, Morgan Spurlock (Academy Award-nominated Director of “Super Size Me”), Orlando Bagwell (Director of the JustFilms initiative at the Ford Foundation), Emmanuel Jal (musician and activist), and Loretta Minghella OBE.
The shortlist was derived from 70 submitted documentaries, each covering topics ranging from environmental issues to social justice and global conflict; and all five documentaries set out to enlighten and inspire individuals about global issues concerns.
The winning documentary, “The End of the Line”, was the first major feature documentary film revealing the impact of overfishing on the world’s oceans. It’s specially crafted “wake-up call” message compelled its audience to take a more responsible attitude towards the oceans, as well as spread the word to make others in their communities aware of over-fishing. Filmed over two years, the film provided a firsthand analysis of the effects of our global love affair with fish as food. Following investigative reporter Charles Clover as he confronted politicians and celebrity restaurateurs, the documentary revealed the profound implications of a future world with no fish that could impact mass starvation. The film had such a significant effect that many supermarkets, consumer brands and consumers, have now committed to using only sustainably-sourced fish.
Adam Kane – Film Editor, Showbiz-i
