MANILA, PHILIPPINES — From drama to documentaries, media giant GMA Network is set to represent the country in the global scene anew as it takes seven out of nine short-listed Philippine entries at the 2024 New York Festivals TV & Film (NYF) Awards, the only local broadcast company to make it this year.
The action-packed Filipino drama series Black Rider has earned its first-ever international award nomination after being shortlisted in the Entertainment Program: Drama category. Produced by GMA Public Affairs, the series is headlined by Primetime Action Hero Ruru Madrid and weaves together elements of heroism, revenge, justice, and family drama in a compelling narrative on a cinematic scale.
GMA Integrated News’ Sundo: A GMA Integrated News Documentary represents the Philippines in the News Program: News Documentary/Special category. The special, which was the first news documentary and production under GMA Integrated News 360, chronicled the war between Hamas and Israel as told through the lenses of GMA Integrated News’ veteran journalists Raffy Tima and JP Soriano. GMA Integrated News was the first Philippine news organization to deliver live and exclusive reports straight from the Middle East in the Israel-Hamas conflict at that time.
GMA Public Affairs’ flagship documentary program, I-Witness, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, has three entries shortlisted in various categories.
The first is Howie Severino’s story, Boat to School, which is the Philippines’ entry in the Documentary: Heroes category. The episode shows the plight of the students in Liaonan Siargao, who have to traverse the sea using a boat just to go to school, and how one resident takes it upon herself to gather children in her small home to teach them what she can with the little knowledge she has.
On the other hand, Sisid sa Putik (Rise from the Mud) is competing in the Documentary: Community Portraits category. Mav Gonzales‘ story features the old tradition of Agusan Del Norte residents diving into the waters to get mud to plant frog grass.
The list of I-Witness entries includes Bawat Barya (The Price of Dreams), which is shortlisted in the Documentary: Social Issues category. This documentary by Atom Araullo tells the story of two young boys who search for coins in a dirty water channel for a living.
The bi-monthly public affairs program The Atom Araullo Specials earns back-to-back shortlisted entries. The episodes Child’s Game (Batas Bata) and One Deep Breath (Hingang Malalim) are competing in the Documentary: Social Justice and Documentary: Human Concerns categories, respectively.
Held annually, the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards recognizes content in all lengths and forms from over 50 countries.
At the 2023 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, GMA Network brought home two Gold and two Bronze medals, as well as five Finalist Certificates.
