CDS Filmmaker Award

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CDS Filmmaker Award Overview

CDS Filmmaker Award Overview

This $7,500 annual prize recognizes documentary films that combine originality and creativity with firsthand experience in examining central issues of contemporary life and culture. In keeping with the CDS mission, the award was created to honor and support documentary artists whose works are potential catalysts for education and change. The award goes to filmmakers who best connect the power of the documentary tradition with community life, who best lead viewers to understand and reflect on themselves and the world portrayed.

The award winners are selected from among films in competition at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, held each spring in Durham, North Carolina.

2012: Fernand Melgar, Special Flight

2011: Peter D. Richardson, How To Die in Oregon

2010: Robin Hessman, My Perestroika

2009: Anders Østergaard, Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country

2008: Meg McLagan and Daria Sommers, Lioness

2007: Kaoru Ikeya, The Ants

2006: Zach Niles and Banker White, The Refugee All Stars

2005: Susan Stern, The Self-Made Man

2004: Jehane Noujaim, Control Room

2003: Linda Goode Bryant and Laura Poitras, Flag Wars

2002: Marco Williams and Whitney Dow, Two Towns of Jasper

2001: Heddy Honigmann, Crazy

banner image:

Still image from How To Die in Oregon.

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