Desperately seeking ... Geoff and the sun!
The FIAT/IFTA Award Screening and the Award Celebration 1999

Missing Award winners is really nothing new for the responsible of the Awards. Car breakdowns, shopping tours that take too long, visa problems ... are only some reasons for not having the Award winners earlier than just on time at the Award celebrations and also for severe health risk of myself.

But the Award organizer was able to learn something from that: In order to avoid all these travelling problems we saved some money for being able to have all the shortlisted producers well in time at the conference. But there was one thing we hadn't reckoned with; our shortlisted producers. "Where is Geoff?" was the most asked question on the 3rd of October, the day of the Award screening 1999. "Did he already arrive or not?". These desperate words aimed at Geoff D'Eon, the producer of Blood on the Coal. Hundreds of hours of planning behind us, even more than a hundred detailed items were requested from the wonderful organizers of the conference 1999 - the so called angels: Amira and Paulina. Who by the way did a really great job. And then this! "Where is Geoff?" All who had been involved were happy and relieved finally to see a healthy Geoff - though it was at that time the day after the screening.

But despite the missing Geoff the Award screening was a full success. For the first time the two present shortlisted producers had the chance to present their programme personally to the delegates. Marianne Kemp (Danmarks Radio, "100 years of Childhood"), Tristan Bourlard (RTBF, "Matamata et Pilipili") and , unfortunately without personal presence of Geoff D'Eon (CBC Canada, "Blood on the Coal") were the three shortlisted producers at the screening chaired by Sue Malden and myself. Never before in the history of the Awards there has been such a close result of the voting. All three programmes were within 10 points difference and each one could have been the winner - but the final lucky one was Tristan Bourlard with "Matamata et Pilipili". Tristan Bourlard was the one who got, on Tuesday night, the FIAT/IFTA Award from the Belgium Ambassador to Chile, Johan Ballageer.

But before this could happen there turned up the other most frequently asked question concerning the ceremony: "Where is the sun?". Visiting the Santa Rita's vineyard, a wonderful and symbolic place for the Award ceremony, for the last preparations on Saturday we had absolutely fantastic weather but then on Tuesday it was rather cloudy and chilly there. But that did no harm to the good atmosphere. I am sure because of the exciting surroundings but also because of the excellent vine, that was served during the Award celebration. Being in Chile at the most beautiful end of the world the idea of connecting people - one of the orignal and most important ideas of the Awards - was the main point given in the speeches held at the ceremony. The idea of connecting people was decided not to remain only theory and therefore Paulina Montaldo was the co-moderator of this evening and solved her task in a very charming way. A task that will most probably find it's "to be continued" thanks to TecMath, one of the sponsors of the FIAT/IFTA Television Archive Award.

Anyway our sponsors: SONY once again sponsored in Chile the social highlight of the FIAT/IFTA annual conference, the excellent farewell dinner, that rounded off the successful ceremony. Gürtler, represented by its Head of Marketing and Communication, Josef Veith, provided again this year the popular give-away-cassettes. Josef Veith also handed over the Gürtler dotation to the Award winner, Tristan Bourlard. Michael Gnoth did the hand over of the TecMath dotation. He represented TecMath together with Simone Schwaer at this year's conference.

The announcement of the winner was made by the Honoured Guest 1999, Mario Conca, General Manager TVN. Our FIAT/IFTA President, Peter Dusek, referred in his committed speech to the importance of the FIAT/IFTA Awards, which will hopefully be given in 2000 again as Television Archive Award AND Innovation Award. You all know: one competition - two chances to win. So, please take your chance and participate! The Award folders and nomination forms for the competition 2000 are already sent out to all of you. But you can also find the Award documents on the Award's homepage . The Programming & Production Commission welcomes your participation. Increase the Awards' importance by your own nomination!

All the best for the new Millennium.

Yours,
Karl Maier ORGANIZER FIAT/IFTA AWARDS