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This is an online event.OPC Award Winners Share Their Stories: The Peter Jennings Award
Join the OPC for an online discussion with winners of this year’s Peter Jennings Award for best TV, video or documentary about international affairs with a run time over 30 minutes.
On hand will be Waad Al-Kateab, a director of the award-winning film For Sama, and Raney Aronson-Rath, the executive producer of FRONTLINE, PBS’ flagship investigative journalism series.
Al-Kateab became a citizen journalist in 2011, after protests broke out across Syria against the Assad regime. In 2016, she began documenting the Syrian conflict in a series of films titled "Inside Aleppo." These news reports received almost half-a-billion views online, and won 24 awards. For Sama is her first feature film. Al-Kateab was recently named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2020.
Aronson-Rath directs the series’ editorial vision, executive producing over 20 documentaries each year on critical issues facing the country and world.
Moderating the program will be Robert Friedman of Bloomberg News, who served as head judge for the Jennings award jury.
RSVPs are required. Links to the video conference call will be emailed to registrants before the program begins.
"For Sama" also won a BAFTA Award for best documentary, as well as a Peabody Award, a British Independent Film Award, an Academy Award nomination and many other accolades.
Judges for the Peter Jennings Award said:
"A powerful personal story about a mother's love for her young daughter, a city on the brink of destruction and a war that unleashes a terrible humanitarian disaster. Waed Al-Kateab didn't start out as a journalist -- she was driven by her desire to save the city of Aleppo -- but she ended up doing what journalists do: telling a compelling story based on witnessing a human tragedy. Her camera captures stories of love, loss and survival. This is a beautiful documentary about horrible events that continue to wreak havoc on the people of Syria."