ITVS Garners Four Wins at the 29th Annual News and Documentary Emmy® Awards

San Francisco, (CA)—Independent Television Service (ITVS) announced today that three of its acclaimed films have won four Emmys at the 29th annual News and Documentary Emmy® Awards. The awards recognize outstanding achievement in broadcast journalism during the 2007 calendar year. Since 1997, ITVS-funded projects have garnered 13 wins at the News and Documentary Emmys. 

The Emmy® Award–winning PBS series Independent Lens’s presentation of BILLY STRAYHORN: Lush Life took home the award for “Best Documentary,” building on the series’ past two Emmy wins in the News and Documentary category. Directed by Robert Levi, the film examines the life of the composer of “Take the ‘A’ Train” and other Duke Ellington hits, who struggled with obscurity and prejudice as a successful gay man in the tumultuous years of the mid–20th century. The series’ past two News and Documentary Emmy wins include A LION'S TRAIL (2006) for “Outstanding Cultural and Artistic Programming” and BE GOOD, SMILE PRETTY (2004) for “Best Documentary.” In 2007, Independent Lens received its first national primetime Emmy Award in the “Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking” category for its special presentation of A LION IN THE HOUSE, which follows six years in the lives of five families fighting childhood cancer. 

“BILLY STRAYHORN: Lush Life is an exceptional film about an extraordinary man—an American musical genius. We are thrilled that the film has received such a prestigious honor,” said Independent Lens series producer Lois Vossen. 

OPERATION HOMECOMING: Writing the Wartime Experience, a co-production of ITVS and a presentation of WETA, received two Emmys, for “Outstanding Informational Programming – Long Form” and “Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Music and Sound.” Directed by Richard Robbins, OPERATION HOMECOMING: Writing the Wartime Experience aired as part of America at a Crossroads, a series of documentaries developed by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that explore the challenges confronting the post-9/11 world. Topics include the war on terrorism, the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the experiences of American troops, the struggle for balance within the Islamic world and Muslim life in America, and perspectives on America’s role globally. A Documentary Group production, the film was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2008. 

The ITVS co-production and P.O.V. presentation MADE IN L.A. was awarded an Emmy in the “Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story – Long Form” category. Directed by Almudena Carracedo, the film documents the lives, struggles and personal transformations of three Latina immigrants working in garment factories and explores the complex impact of globalization on the U.S. apparel industry and its largely immigrant workforce. 

“We are extremely proud of the amazing recognition these films have achieved. It is wonderful to see the hard work, determination and artistic vision of these outstanding independent filmmakers recognized with such esteemed awards,” said Sally Jo Fifer, ITVS president and CEO. 

The following is a complete list of the winners: 

BEST DOCUMENTARY Independent Lens BILLY STRAYHORN: Lush Life Producer/Director: Robert Levi Producers: Joshua Blum, George Seminara Executive Producer: Sally Jo Fifer ( ITVS) 

OUTSTANDING CONTINUING COVERAGE OF A NEWS STORY – LONG FORM P.O.V. Made in L.A. Executive Producers: Sally Jo Fifer, Simon Kilmurry, Cara Mertes Producer/Director: Almudena Carracedo Producer: Robert Bahar 

OUTSTANDING INFORMATIONAL PROGRAMMING – LONG FORM America at a Crossroads OPERATION HOMECOMING: Writing the Wartime Experience Series Executive Producers: Jeff Bieber, Dalton Delan Series Producer: Leo Eaton Program Executive Producers: Tom Yellin, Sally Jo Fifer (ITVS) Program Director/Producer: Richard Robbins 

OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN A CRAFT: MUSIC AND SOUND America at a Crossroads OPERATION HOMECOMING: Writing the Wartime Experience Sound Editor: Glen Frazier Rerecording Mixer: Terrance Dwyer Foley Artist: Monique Raymond Sound Effects Editors: Sam Lionde, Matthew Slivinski Dialog Editors: David Ball, Vince Tennent 

About ITVS 

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 10 PM 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 Independent Lens

Independent Lens is an Emmy® Award winning weekly series airing on PBS. The acclaimed anthology series features documentaries and a limited number of fiction films united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement and unflinching visions of their independent producers. Independent Lens features unforgettable stories about unique individuals, communities and moments in history. Presented by ITVS, the series is supported by interactive companion websites and national publicity and community engagement campaigns. Independent Lens is jointly curated by ITVS and PBS and is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, with additional funding provided by PBS and the National Endowment for the Arts. The series producer is Lois Vossen. Further information about the series is available at www.pbs.org/independentlens. 

Contact: Voleine Amilcar, ITVS voleine_amilcar@itvs.org or 415-356-8383, ext., 244