Super Channel, Canada’s only national English pay television network, is pleased to announce the winners of its Feature Documentary Awards.
And the awards go to…
The Coconut
Director/Producer – Nimisha Mukerji
The Coconut is an intimate family portrait following the misadventures of 22-year old Shani Banerjee, an aspiring American folk singer struggling with her mother’s illness (Multiple Sclerosis) and her father’s own musical ambitions. As the pressures in Shani’s life mount, music becomes a reflection of the responsibilities she cannot escape.
The Story of Burqa
Director/Producer – Brishkay Ahmed
The burqa has been used and abused by Kings, politicians, fashionistas, and fundamentalists. Interesting theories exist about its origin. Some even say it’s not Afghan. Aspiring entrepreneurs, negotiating buyers, arguing historians, and inspired artists join an animated “Burqa” on her journey to tell the provocative and entertaining story of the burqa.
Each project will receive 15 to 20 hours of mentorship – The Coconut with Paul Saltzman (Prom Night in Mississippi, Map of the Human Heart) and The Story of Burqa with White Pine Pictures (Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould, Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Romeo Dallaire).
Each project also receives $3,000 to be used to attend the 2011 Toronto Documentary Forum, for which Observer status has been granted, and to further develop the project.
“The response we got to our first Feature Documentary Award offering was terrific and certainly made it a challenge to choose only these two excellent projects,” said Marguerite Pigott, Super Channel’s Creative Development Group Lead. “We are very grateful to the mentors for their participation. Their commitment affirms Super Channel’s decision to support opportunities for Canadian documentary producers.”
