Best documentary Emmy for Miners Shot Down

South African film Miners Shot Down, which tells the story of the killing of 34 miners by members of the police at Marikana in 2012, was named Best Documentary at the 2015 International Emmy Awards in New York on 23 November.

Directed by Rehad Desai and produced by Rehad Desai and Anita Khanna with support from the National Film and Video Foundation, Miners Shot Down follows the events that led up to the tragedy of 16 August 2012, when police used live ammunition to suppress a wildcat strike at one of South Africa’s biggest platinum mines.

Resonating with international audiences

The International Emmy award is the latest in a string of accolades that the documentary has received at film festivals across the globe, including the Vaclav Havel Jury Award at the 2014 One World Human Rights Film Festival, the Camera Justitia Jury Award at the 2014 Movies That Matter Festival, and the Cinema for Peace Award for Justice at the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival.

“We are continuously humbled by the way the film is being appreciated by audiences all over the world,” Rehad Desai said in a statement on 12 October, following the film’s nomination for an International Emmy.

“It shows how deeply disturbed people are about what happened at Marikana on 16 August 2012. It is now three years on and the commission of inquiry came to close a year ago. We await a fair and just outcome for the victims.”

Forty nominees from 19 countries competed in 10 categories at this year’s International Emmy Awards, which honour excellence in television programming outside the US.

South Africa part of the judging process

South Africa was one of the countries that took part in the judging process, with the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) chosen to host a semi-final round of judging for the awards.

Ten jurors representing the country’s film and television industry participated in the judging, which took place in Johannesburg in July, and two of these jurors accompanied members of the NFVF to the awards ceremony in New York this week.

“Being recognized by the International Emmys is an honour not only for the NFVF, but for the country as a whole,” NFVF CEO Zama Mkosi said in a statement. “Our industry has come a long way, our films receive rave reviews globally, and our talent is now on a constant basis being utilized to decide successes of major projects.

“This will continue to bring attention to the country, ensuring that the film industry thrives and continues to have massive impact on the local economy.”

Source: staff reporter

Contact the Gauteng Film Commission