Basement Films for Channel 4
Providing a voice to Palestinian filmmakers and journalists, this project looked at life in Gaza under the huge Israeli military response to the October 7 attacks.
As the thousands of dead became numbers, the producers strived to portray the conflict through civilian eyes and to show people trying to live their lives in the most horrific of circumstances - giving viewers a glimpse of the hardships but also the strong human spirit displayed by many of those affected.
The film received glowing praise for being bold and showing the reality of life in Gaza, with The Guardian awarding a five-star review and our judges similarly enthused by it.
The reporting “immerses you like never before - real people with names and families and lives, under fire in their homes, streets, hospitals,” stated one judge. Another wrote of how “it captured the horror and the humanity of living in a warzone, beautifully weaving footage from journalists on the ground living and working from within the story”.
Kill Zone: Inside Gaza was “the most powerful and visceral of the current affairs stories,” another judge concluded. “It combined courageous and selfless journalism with a film that had heart wrenching emotional heart.”
SHORTLISTED
Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods
BBC Current Affairs for BBC
The team behind this documentary gathered evidence from more than 20 women to demonstrate the breadth and severity of Mohamed Al-Fayed’s crimes. From the morning of release, it dominated the news agenda and hundreds more women have come forward since transmission.
Inside Iran: The Fight for Freedom
Envy for Hardcast Productions
Told by the women who risked their lives and freedom to oppose the Islamic Republic, this documentary is a harrowing portrait of a year inside Iran. The team spoke to over 150 protesters and in doing so provided a rare look into the regime’s repression of the protests.
Surviving October 7th: We Will Dance Again
HSCC / SIPUR / MGM / Bitachon 365 / See It Now Studios, HSCC-Slutzky Communications for BBC
This profound and emotionally charged documentary is a raw depiction of human resilience and survival amid one of the most tragic events in recent history. Our judges were impressed with its boldness, authenticity, and the profound impact it leaves on its audience.
Ukraine’s War: The Other Side
Sean Langan and Tiger Nest for ITV1
An intimate look at the trauma of war told through soldiers and civilians on the frontline of Russian occupied Ukraine, this film is a testament to the power of documentary filmmaking in capturing complex, often overlooked human stories behind major global events.
Undercover School: Cruelty in the Classroom
BBC Panorama for BBC
Panorama’s long-term undercover exercise in a school presented technical and journalistic challenges, but team pulled it off with aplomb. The resulting film captured powerful evidence of wrongdoing and delivered an important investigation with vulnerable children at its heart.
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