Special Prizes

• CUP AWARDED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC

Once again, the Prix Italia will be awarding a Special Prize offered by the President of the Republic. This prestigious prize, a silver cup, will be awarded to a television programme that pays particular attention to safeguarding and promoting the rights of society's most disadvantaged and vulnerable.


• MINISTRY OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES SPECIAL PRIZE

In occasion of the “European Year of Equal Opportunities”, the Minister of Equal Opportunities, Hon. Barbara Pollastrini, and the Prix Italia Secretariat have jointly agreed to highlight this theme during the 59th edition of the Festival.

The Minister of Equal Opportunities has proposed to create a special Prize to be assigned to the programme presented in the competition of the Prix Italia that better deal with the themes of Equal Opportunities.

Also, during the event, a meeting will be held on the issue of Equal Opportunities in the media. An occasion to confront different international experiences.


• “COMMUNICATION FOR LIFE” SPECIAL PRIZE

A Special Prize of Euro 10.000,00 on the theme “Communication for Life” is being established for television programmes (documentaries, docu-dramas, dramas), dealing with economic, social, political and cultural realities in emergency situations (such as war, famine, natural catastrophes, ethnic-religious intolerance, repression etc.). Each member organisation of the Prix Italia may send a maximum of three programmes.

The characteristics of the Prize:

Once again, the Special Prize is reinforcing its identity as a quality prize with a high level of social commitment, aimed at defending human life and dignity and, at the same time, celebrating the courage and hope of today's most vulnerable and disadvantaged populations and social groups. This year 37 programmes has been entered in the competition.


• SIGNIS SPECIAL PRIZE

SIGNIS, The World Catholic Association for Communication, came into being in November 2001, with the merger of Unda (the International Catholic Association for Radio and Television) and OCIC (International Catholic Organization for Cinema and Audio-visual). As such SIGNIS inherited the best of the heritage and traditions of Unda and OCIC, both of which can trace their activities back to 1928. SIGNIS aims to bring together professional associations, institutions and individuals from across the globe who are active in the fields of audio-visual media and new technologies. It represents catholic professionals working in television channels but also catholic television channels world wide. In the organization is also a special TVdesk which tries to gather catholic TV-producers from all over the world. SIGNIS presently unites member associations from 140 countries, 40 in Africa, 17 in Asia, 27 in Europe, 35 in Latin America and the Caribbean, 19 in the Pacific and 2 in North America. 28 International Organizations are also members of SIGNIS. The association has juries in more than 30 international film and television festivals including Berlin, Monte-Carlo, Cannes, Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata, Ouagadougou, Milan, La Havana, Zanzibar, San Sebastian, Toulouse, and at the Prix Italia.

In 2006 the SIGNIS jury gave its award to The Road to Guantanamo produced by Channel 4 (UK) and directed by Michael Winterbottom y Mat Whitecross.