Crave French-language drama series, Empathie, about a former criminologist turned psychiatrist, swept the special awards categories at this week’s Rockies Awards International Program Competition at the Banff World Media Festival (BANFF).
Produced by Montreal’s Trio Orange, Empathie captured the Grand Jury Prize, Rogers Prize for Excellence in Canadian Content, the Prix Francophone, as well as Drama Series: Non-English Language.
Other Canadian winners included AMI docuseries Tous en choeur, Indigenous basketball doc Saints and Warriors, and CBC Podcasts’ Toy Soldiers. Writer/actor, producer Brendan Halloran was also recognized for hockey whodunnit web comedy, Dying Seconds, with the Carrie Hunter Emerging Talent Prize.
Juried by a panel of over 150 senior international industry professionals, this year’s awards featured entries from 45 countries, with 151 nominees from 21 countries across 29 categories.
International Program Competition winners include:
Comedy & Variety
The Graham Norton Show
So Television
UK
Competition Series & Game Shows
Destination X
Twofour, BBC One
UK
Docuseries
Tous en choeur
Sphere Media, AMI Télé
CANADA
Lifestyle
No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski
Studio Ramsay Global, National Geographic
USA
Reality Series
Bloodlines
Seefood TV, TV 2 Norway, Seefood Distribution
NORWAY
Children & Youth
Animation: Children
Pudsey and the Thread of Hope
BBC Studios Kids & Family, BBC
UK
Animation: Preschool
The Scarecrows’ Wedding
Magic Light Pictures, BBC, ZDF
UK
Live Action: Children
Knee High Spies
Werner Film Productions, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Children’s Television Foundation, Screen Australia, VicScreen
AUSTRALIA
Live Action: Youth
Crongton
New Pictures, BBC
UK
Documentary & Factual
Arts & Culture
The Last Musician of Auschwitz
Two Rivers Media, BBC, Access Entertainment, Sphere Abacus
UK
Crime & Investigative
Don’t Date Brandon
Wag Entertainment, See it Now Studios, Paramount+, Fremantle International
UK/USA
Environmental & Wildlife
A Real Bug’s Life
Plimsoll Productions
USA
History & Biography
The Twister: Caught in the Storm
RAW
UK, US
Science & Technology
A.I. Love You
Nordisk Film TV Denmark
DENMARK
Short Form Non-Fiction
Guardians
Zandland, The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales, United For Wildlife
UK
Social Issues & Current Affairs
Love+War
Little Monster Films
USA
Sports Documentary
Saints And Warriors
InnoNative, Grand Scheme, Uninterrupted Canada, First Take Entertainment
CANADA
Podcasts
Toy Soldier
CBC
AUSTRALIA/CANADA
Scripted
Animated Series
The Simpsons
20th Television Animation
USA
Best Performance in a Comedy
Aimee Lou Wood, Film Club
Gaumont, BBC
UK
Best Performance in a Drama
Malin Åkerman, The Hunting Wives
Lionsgate Television, 3 Arts
USA
Best Use of Music in a Series
Stranger Things
Picture Music Company, Inc.
USA
Comedy Series: English Language
The Chair Company
HBO, HyperObject Industries, Zanin Corp
USA
Comedy Series: Non-English Language
Fag Hag (Mariliendre)
Atresmedia, Suma Content
SPAIN
Drama Series: English Language
The Pitt
HBO Max, John Wells Productions, R. Scott Gemmill Productions, Warner Bros. Television
USA
Drama Series: Non-English Language
Empathie
Trio Orange
CANADA
Feature Length Film
Mountainhead
HBO Films, Project Zeus, Hot Seat Attractions
USA
Limited Series
Prisoner 951
Dancing Ledge Productions, BBC
UK
Web Series and Content Creators
Moonbird
Kutikina Productions, Sheoak Films, SBS
AUSTRALIA
Special Prizes
Grand Jury Prize
Empathie
Trio Orange
CANADA
Carrie Hunter Emerging Talent Prize
Brendan Halloran
Dying Seconds
CANADA
Prix Francophone
Empathie
Trio Orange
CANADA
Rogers Prize for Excellence in Canadian Content
Empathie
Trio Orange
CANADA
Find the full list of Rockie Awards winners here.
