A win for Uneared Fracking Documentary at Sheffield Doc/Fest

Unearthed has won the Green Award at the Sheffield Doc/Fest, the first time a South African film has won an award at the prestigious festival. The film was applauded as one with critical, international relevance and the Jury praised its ability to inspire action across the world. This is a proud win for the Unearthed team and the South African film and documentary industry.

Now in its 21st year, Sheffield Doc/Fest is one of the top three documentary festivals and markets in the world.

Spokesperson for the jury, Jillian Creasy (Sheffield Green Party) commented as a jury of ranging disciplines (only two of us are filmmakers), we arrived at our decision from very different angles. But we were in no doubt of the frontrunner.

She continued, We chose the winning film for three reasons: We felt the film imparted an important message; It was well told, and in such a way that engages audiences not necessarily involved with or educated in the issues it addresses. And thirdly of all the messages across all the films nominated, we felt this one to be the timeliest, because there is still opportunity to do something about it. For that reason, we'd like it to be seen by as wide an audience as possible.

Accepting her award Jolynn Minnaar said I dedicate this award to filmmakers out there who are telling stories that matter. No matter how hard it is, keep going - it is worth it, I promise!

Unearthed, an independent South African feature documentary, investigates fracking in the United States - the technology's place of origin - in order to understand what this new method of gas extraction could mean for the semi-arid Karoo and other countries who are considering its implementation.

A RARE GLIMPSE INTO THE MURKY WATERS SURROUNDING THE SHALE GAS INDUSTRY.

18 months of research; over 400 interviews; traveling across South Africa, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom; battling gag orders and no trespassing zones; losing cameras to extreme heat and subzero temperatures and suffering first hand chemical exposure from fracking sites...

All this to get to the bottom of fracking and what it means to the vulnerable people in the Karoo, South Africa.

When Jolynn Minnaar first heard about the fracking in the Karoo, her home district, she was optimistic. Companies seeking to drill in this semi-arid area of South Africa promised that the new process of gas extraction was a safe, time-tested one; a practice that would bring widespread prosperity for the poor, rural Karoo communities. But after stumbling across a rumoured case of water contamination in Pennsylvania, Jolynn is drawn into an investigation which takes her across the United States - the home of the fracking technology - in search of answers. Her discoveries leave her horrified. As the South African government lifts the moratorium on fracking, the race against time begins to share her findings with the residents of the Karoo - before its too late.

The film is produced by Dylan Voogt (Stage 5 Films), Stacey Keppler (Zootee Studios) and Saskia Schiel (Stage 5 Films), in partnership with Sabido Productions, National Film and Video Foundation, WorldView and Bertha BritDoc Connect Fund.

00:00

--

LINK:	http://www.filmcontact.com/africa/south-africa/win-unearthed-fracking-...
	See more stories from filmcontact

Most recent headlines