ITVS Film The English Surgeon Nabs An Emmy at the 31st Annual News and Documentary Emmy® Awards
The Film Captures One Doctor's Commitment to Bring Hope to a Desperate People
San Francisco, (CA)—The Independent Television Service (ITVS) announced today that The English Surgeon, by director Geoffrey Smith, has won an Emmy® in the Outstanding Science and Technology Programming category. An ITVS International production, this is the story of acclaimed British neurosurgeon Henry Marsh, who has traveled to Ukraine for 15 years to treat patients who have been left to die; of his friend and medical colleague in Kyiv who carries on the fight despite official hostility and archaic surgical conditions; and of a young patient who hopes that Henry can save his life. Tense, heartbreaking, and humorous, The English Surgeon is a depiction of one doctor's commitment to relieving suffering and the emotional turmoil he undergoes in bringing hope to a desperate people. The English Surgeon is an Eyeline Films and Bungalow Town production for BBC and ITVS International. The program aired on the P.O.V series in 2009.
“The English Surgeon is an exceptional film about an extraordinary man who is deeply committed to a people who have been forgotten. The film is breathtaking and inspiring, and it deserves such a prestigious honor,” said ITVS CEO and President Sally Jo Fifer.
Since 1997, ITVS-funded projects have garnered 14 wins at the News and Documentary Emmys®. A complete list of the 31st Annual News & Documentary Emmy Award recipients is available on the Academy's website at www.emmyonline.tv.
About ITVS
The Independent Television Service funds and presents award-winning documentaries and dramas on public television, innovative new media projects on the Web, and the Emmy® Award-winning weekly series Independent Lens on Tuesday nights at 10pm on PBS. ITVS is a miracle of public policy created by media activists, citizens, and politicians seeking to foster plurality and diversity in public television. ITVS was established by a historic mandate of Congress to champion independently produced programs that take creative risks, spark public dialogue, and serve underserved audiences. Since its inception in 1991, ITVS programs have revitalized the relationship between the public and public television, bringing television audiences face-to-face with the lives and concerns of their fellow Americans. For more information about ITVS, visit itvs.org. ITVS is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.
About ITVS International
ITVS International is a division of the Independent Television Service that promotes an international exchange of documentary films made by independent producers, bringing international voices to U.S. audiences and American stories to audiences abroad. More information about ITVS International is available online at itvs.org/international.
CONTACT: Voleine Amilcar, ITVS: voleine_amilcar@itvs.org, 415-356-8383, ext 244