Welsh independent production company Cwmni Da have scooped the Celtic Media Festival’s Gold Torc award for excellence. The Spirit of the Festival Award – a category dedicated to recognise productions wholly or substantially in a Celtic language - was presented at a special Gala Dinner which marked the end of what has been one of the most successful and well-attended Festival to date.

Cwmni Da’s winning production, Dringo i’r Eitha (Extreme Climbing) is a Welsh language documentary which brought climbing prodigy Ioan Doyle to TV viewers for the first time. It was commissioned for S4C's young documentary slot, Wynebau Newydd (New Faces) and succeeded in bringing new viewers to the channel; with a significant percentage of those viewers from across the UK.

Filmed on location in Snowdonia, Greece and California by acclaimed mountain filmmaker Alun Hughes, it has also won awards in Austria and Slovenia.

“The production was a lucky fusion of several elements,” said Alun. “The access given by Ioan and his mother especially, and his climbing mentor Mills, also Roy Parkinson’s outstanding contribution as editor.”

This is Cwmni Da’s fourth Celtic Media Festival award and the company has also enjoyed Bafta Wales success as well as winning the prestigious international The Jules Verne Adventure Film Award in 2006. Established in 1997, Cwmni Da is one of Wales’s largest independent TV production companies, employing 50 full time members of staff. The company’s output includes factual, childrens, comedy, events, sports and drama.

Ifor ap Glyn, producer and one of the three directors of Cwmni Da, said: “To win the Spirit of the Festival award is a great honour – especially given that the Festival was held this year in our home-town of Caernarfon.

“It is important to us to create high-quality Welsh-language content. We have a wealth of talent here in Wales and some excellent filming locations to provide great backdrops for our productions. The Celtic Media Festival provides a fantastic opportunity to meet programme makers from other Celtic nations, to forge links and to share experiences. To be honoured with this award amongst our Celtic peers means a lot to us.”

BBC Scotland were also presented with an award at this evening’s event. Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives received the Jury Award, a special category awarded at the discretion of the international jury for quality of production, direction, technical or craft excellence. This production follows Mark Everett, the lead singer of the cult American rock band The Eels as he discovers more about his famous physicist father, the genius quantum mechanic Hugh Everett the Third.

In addition to tonight’s main awards, the final Bronze Torc Award was presented to RTÉ Raidió Gaeltachta in the Radio Station of the Year category. This brings Ireland’s total number of Festival awards to 10, making them the biggest winners overall at this year’s Event.


ENDS

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Notes:

• The Celtic Media Festival Bronze Torc Awards recognise excellence within the film, TV, radio and digital media industries in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. 18 have been presented over the 3-day event. Winners are listed below:


CYFRES FFEITHIOL / FACTUAL SERIES
Girls Behind Bars
FrielKean Films / BBC Scotland

FFEITHIOL SENGL / FACTUAL SINGLE
Mum and Me
Wellpark Productions

ADDYSG / EDUCATION
Na Dódaí
Imagine Media / BBC Northern Ireland

ADLONIANT / ENTERTAINMENT
Ceolchuairt: Nua Eabhrac
Magamedia / TG4 / BCi

CHWARAEON / SPORT
Waveriders
Inis Films / Besom Productions / NIS / BCi / BBC NI / IFB

CELFYDDYDAU / ARTS
Patrick McCabe: Blood Relations
Midas Productions / Mass Productions / RTÉ

DRAMA HYD NODWEDD / FEATURE LENGTH DRAMA
Whistleblower
Saffron Pictures / Newgrange Pictures / RTÉ

DRAMA FER / SHORT DRAMA
Rearview
Alice Productions

ADLONIANT FFEITHIOL / FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT
In the Name of the Fada
Peer Pressure Productions / RTÉ

GWOBR KIERAN HEGARTY AM RYNGWEITHIO / KIERAN HEGARTY AWARD FOR INTERACTIVITY
www.s4c.co.uk/cyw
S4C / Cube

TEITLAU, BACHAU, DYNODIADAU A HYRWYDDIADAU / TITLES, STINGS, IDENTS & PROMOS
6 Gwlad
J M Creative / S4C

CYFRES DDRAMA / DRAMA SERIES
Y Pris
Fiction Factory / S4C

DOGFEN RADIO / RADIO DOCUMENTARY
Tears, Texts and Telephone Calls
BBC Radio Ulster

MATERION CYFOES / CURRENT AFFAIRS
Y Byd Ar Bedwar - Heroin
ITV Cymru / S4C

CYFLWYNYDD-PERSONOLIAETH RADIO / RADIO PRESENTER-PERSONALITY
Dylan Jones
BBC Radio Cymru

PLANT / CHILDRENS
Dè a-nis?
BBC Gàidhlig / BBC ALBA

POBL IFANC / YOUNG PEOPLE
Seacht
Stirling Film & Television / TG4 / Tyrone Productions / Eo Teilifís

GORSAF RADIO’R FLWYDDYN / RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta

JURY AWARD
Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives
BBC Scotland

SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVAL
Dringo i’r Eitha
Cwmni Da / S4C


• A total of 414 Award entries were received this year, with a shortlist comprising 21 entries each from Scotland and Wales, 20 from Ireland, four from Cornwall and three from Brittany. Full details of all entries, along with information about the entry and judging process, are also available on: www.celticmediafestival.co.uk/shortlist

• The Celtic Media Festival is a celebration of broadcasting and film talent in the Celtic nations. Supported by broadcast, film, cultural and economic organisations, it provides a unique opportunity for those within the film and broadcasting community to network, exchange ideas, attend workshops and promote the richness and diversity of Celtic cultures today. www.celticmediafestival.co.uk

• The Celtic Media Festival is sponsored by Creative Business Wales, Gwynedd Council, Welsh Assembly Government, BBC Cymru Wales, Barcud Derwen, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, TAC, and Film Agency for Wales. Corporate partners include RTE, TG4, BCI, S4C, BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Cymru Wales, BBC Scotland, MG Alba, Scottish Screen, STV, Northern Ireland Screen, Bord Na Gaidhlig, Ofcom and the Welsh Language Board.