2010 BANFF WINNER FOR BEST CANADIAN PROGRAM
PRESS RELEASE!
Force Four Entertainment picked up the Banff Rockie Award for Best Canadian Program for the one-hour documentary 65_RedRoses at the Banff World Television Festival on Tuesday, June 15th. Directed by Nimisha Mukerji and Philip Lyall, the film tells the heart-wrenching story of Eva Markvoort, a beautiful, high –spirited young woman with Cystic Fibrosis, as she awaits a double lung transplant.
The film was produced by Force Four partner John Ritchie and Executive Produced by Force Four partners Rob Bromley and Gillian Lowrey, for CBC News Network’s The Passionate Eye. Commissioning Editor for CBC was Andrew Johnson. Funding was also provided by Knowledge.
Eva Markvoort lived for two years with her new lungs and recently passed away, causing an outpouring of emotion from around the world, as the film, distributed by PBS International, has screened in more than a dozen countries, picking up three awards at the Vancouver Film Festival and awards at the 2009 Hot Docs Film Festival, Mendocino International Film Festival, as well as Omaha and Arizona’s International Film Festivals.
Spurred on by demand from around the world, the filmmakers are making DVD’s available for pre-order on the official website, www.65RedRoses.com. A portion of all proceeds will go to honoring the movement Eva Markvoort created for organ donation.
The win at the Banff Rockie Awards signifies that the jury, comprised of top broadcasters from around the world, judged the documentary to be the best program produced in Canada in 2009, across all genres.
Force Four Entertainment is a leading production company, producing television in all genres, from scripted drama and comedies to factual entertainment and documentaries. The company’s many awards include the prestigious Peabody and multiple Gemini Awards.
65_Red Roses was directed and produced by Nimisha Mukerji and Philip Lyall, and is their first feature length documentary. The two young talents were last month awarded the Don Haig Award for most promising new filmmakers at the 2010 Hot Docs Festival in Toronto.
