‘A brilliant (brave) and engaging presenter’
Flying Shoe Films for Channel 4.0 YouTube
Presented by Harry Pinero, a black Muslim man, this documentary sets out to tackle issues of racism, the climate crisis and the refugee crisis through the prism of football.
Safety was a huge concern for this documentary, and meticulous research took place before any filming. With help from local journalists, anti-hate groups, and the film crew on the ground, the documentary was able to uncover evidence linking hardcore Italian football fans known as ‘Ulturas’ to far-right groups, and to orchestrate a prank that tricked the far-right crowd into raising money for refugees. All the proceed went to a refugee football team in Milan.
Judges praised the use of social media to create for positive change, describing the documentary as a “tour de force” of “fearless journalism, great jokes, seamless integration of social media and brilliant storytelling”.
The judges also praised Pinero in particular, with one describing him as a “brilliant (brave) and engaging presenter” and predicting he would have “a bright future in this important space”. Another referred to him as “a rising star”.
SHORTLISTED
Black Stroke
BPCS Films for Netflix Still Watching YouTube
Some 87% of black people in the UK do not swim – a shocking statistic that has remained largely unchallenged. Exploring the diverse reasons behind the stat, Black Stroke seeks to destigmatize this cultural myth by teaching three black people to swim. Behind the scenes, the film created job opportunities by hiring an almost entirely black crew, and platforming companies that design swimming caps for afro hair.
Dom A Lloyd: Cymru Heddiw
Carlam for Hansh
Dom and Lloyd blend Welsh poetry with issues that currently affect young people in a celebration of Black History Month in Wales. This documentary reflects what it means to be a young, successful, Welsh black person today. It highlights the importance of representation, and challenges the perception of the Welsh language as white or middle-class.
Ewan McVicar: Back Tae Ayr
BBC Scotland for BBC iPlayer
This documentary follows DJ Ewan McVicar’s return to his hometown of Ayr, an underrepresented part of Scotland. The documentary set out to provide a huge morale boost to the local community, and to offer a positive depiction of an area with high levels of socio-economic deprivation. The film was made accessible to the entire UK via iPlayer and hit 200,000 views on Facebook.
The Black Alien Project
Mighty Productions for Channel 4 Documentaries YouTube Channel
Focusing on Arthur, a French man who has undergone surgery to become an alien, this documentary raises questions around cosmetic surgery, and the lengths people have gone to in a bid to alter their appearance. Throughout filming, Arthur and the documentary-maker formed an unlikely friendship, adding an emotional theme to the narrative. Within a month of release, the film achieved 3.6 million views across all platforms it was posted on.
Virginity For Sale
Dare for Channel 4 Documentaries YouTube
This documentary opens up the world of sexual violence on the internet. Presenter Daisy Maskell discovered that young women were auctioning their virginity online to the highest bidder. Going undercover, Maskell posed as a young woman wanting to sell her virginity and filmed conversations with three bidders, and explored the risks of abuse and people trafficking which are associated with the auctions. When the documentary was posted to YouTube, it amassed 385k views.
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