ITV

Tag: Georges Leclere

  • Simone Singh wows everyone at the iEmmys

    Simone Singh wows everyone at the iEmmys

    NEW YORK: It was an initiative to project an Indian television actor internationally. Indiantelevision.com founder and CEO Anil Wanvari’s exercise to have Indian TV actor Simone Singh present an award at The 31st Annual International Emmy Awards in New York on 24 November was a resounding success.Wanvari, who returned late last night, says Simone charmed her way into the hearts of more than 1,000 television professionals and artistes from more than 75 countries as she gave away the Popular Arts Award.

    Points out International Emmy executive director Georges Leclere, “Simone was the star of the evening. She was fabulous. We were delighted to have had her as a presenter.”
    “Fantastic,” adds Paul Zilk, another member of the board.

    “The way she spoke, it appeared so natural. It came from the heart,” exclaims Sesame Workshop chief operating officer H. Melvin Ming.

    Dressed in an Arjun Khanna ensemble, which made her look like a princess, the diminutive Simone went on stage to give away the second last award at the function and was billed as the television sensation from Bollywood, India. This is the very first time in Indian television history that an Indian actor presented an award at the Emmys.

    Driven in her Maserati, along with Wanvari, she arrived at the venue of The International Emmy Awards at the Hilton Hotel to a red carpet welcome on 54th Street, Manhattan. The paparazzi swarmed all over her, pleading and cajoling her to look their way. Singh complied without batting an eyelid. She was also interviewed by the hit American show Entertainment Tonight.

    The gala event, in which the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (IATAS) announced this year’s winners, was hosted by veteran television broadcaster Bob Costas (HBO’s On The Record with Bob Costas). Popular TV celebs and acclaimed actors like Sarah Jessica Parker, Joanna Lumley, Jesse L. Martin, Lorraine Bracco, Susie Castillo, Miss USA, Carson Kresslev and Thom Filicia were co-presenters with Simone Singh.

    Fred Cohen, President, International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences said at the occasion, “The mission of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is to celebrate the diversity of content that the global television community provides to viewers around the world. In that regard, it is especially pleasing to see that quality programming from various nations were honoured this evening.”

    True to Cohen’s word, the highlight of the evening proved to be Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s Nikolaj and Julie, which won for the second year in a row in the Drama series category. Also, programmes from Germany were awarded in two categories. Colonia Media Filmproduktion’s Mein Vater (Coming Home) bagged the TV Movies/Mini-series while Starcrest Media’s Das Leben Geht Weiter (Life Goes On) took the Documentary category.

    The year Directorate Emmy Award was presented to Director General of BBC, Greg Dyke. Upon receiving the award, Dyke said that he was honoured to receive this prestigious award and thanked the people who work for BBC in Britain and across the world for their creativity, originality and the sheer hard work they put in everyday to enable the BBC to produce and broadcast high quality programmes.

    The Founders Emmy Award, conferred upon individuals and organizations whose creative accomplishments contribute to the quality of global television production, was presented to HBO. Past recipients include Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman and CEO, Sony Corporation of America, John Hendricks, Founder, CEO and Chairman of Discovery Communications, Inc.; Hisashi Hieda; Fuji Television, Robert Halmi, Hallmark; Don Hewitt, Executive Producer of 60 Minutes, Jim Henson; and Bill Cosby.

    A script reading of Upstream, written by Jo Kasch, winner of the Sir Peter Ustinov Scriptwriting Award for 2003 by International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, held on the day before and a silent auction held during the cocktail reception on the awards night were the other highlights of the event.

  • Emmy Awards’ semi-finals in Jordan next month

    NEW YORK: The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has announced that it will host the semifinal round of its Asian/African Arts Programming category for the 2003 International Emmy Awards in Jordan next month.
    The judging will take place in Amman, Jordan on 2 September. The overall event will be organized by the Middle East Center for Culture and Development from 1 to 6 September.
    A company release quoted the academy’s executive director Georges Leclere, as saying, “We are grateful to our board member Bassam Hajjawi, in partnership with IMZ’s Franz Patay and Henk van der Meulen, who have arranged for the judging to take place for the first time ever in Jordan. We hope to encourage even more participation for the International Emmy Awards from this region.”
    The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which is a division of the National Television Academy, is the largest organization of global broadcasters, with representatives from over 50 countries on its board.
    The preliminary judging round of the International Emmy Awards took place in April and May and was presided by over 200 judges, who were experts in the TV industry.
    Eight programme categories were judged — Arts Programming, Children and Young People, Documentary, Drama Series, News Coverage, Popular Arts Scripted, Popular Arts Non-Scripted, and TV Movies/Mini-series. The first semifinals event took place in Montreux, Switzerland on 13 and 14 May.
    Other semifinal judging took place between May and August in Montreux, Switzerland; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Moscow, Russia; London, England; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Toronto and Montreal, Canada; Almaty, Kazakhstan; Madrid, Spain; Hilversum, the Netherlands; Bangkok, Thailand; Miami, US; Guayaquil, Ecuador; and Mexico City, Mexico.
    The release states that the finals judging will be late in September and nominees will be announced at MIPCOM on 10 October. All nominated programmes will be screened at the 5th iEmmys festival on 23 November and the winners will be announced at the 31st International Emmy Awards Gala in New York City on 24 November.

  • Indiantelevision.com CEO Anil Wanvari on iEmmy Awards board

    MUMBAI: indiantelevision.com and The Indian Telly Awards founder Anil Wanvari has been unanimously elected by a majority vote as an Associate of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, US for a period of two years with immediate effect.
    The decision was taken by the Board of Directors of the International Academy of Television Arts and Science, in a meeting held at its headquarters in New York on 30 June. The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is the division of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and is the largest organization in the world of international broadcasters.


    indiantelevision.com and The Indian Telly Awards founder Anil Wanvari holding the Indian Telly.
    Congratulating Wanvari on his appointment, Bruce L Paisner, Chairman, the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, says: “I know from my own experience that you will find your involvement with the International TV Academy and its activities to be highly worthwhile. We, the Executive Committee, look forward to your active engagement for the next two years.”
    Adds International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences executive director Georges Leclere: “We believe that there is a lot that Wanvari can bring to the Academy. And we are looking forward to that especially considering his position in the Indian television market.”
    Says Wanvari: “I feel grateful for the honour that the academy has bestowed on me. I look forward to contributing in every way I can to make the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences more relevant to the Indian television community.”
    About The Academy 
    The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences was founded in 1969 to promote excellence in international television and is the organization that awards International Emmys to the best television programs produced outside the US It is part of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences; however, it operates under its own Board of Directors with a global focus. Every November, The International Academy produces the iEMMYs Festival and International Emmy Awards Gala in New York City.
    The academy is the largest organization of global broadcasters, with representatives from over 50 countries on its Board. Sixty per cent of the 100-member Board of Directors come from countries based outside of the US, and represent the world’s largest production, distribution and broadcast companies.
    The apex body is decided to fostering relationships between international broadcasters as well as encouraging excellence in worldwide television programming by recognizing it through its prestigious International Emmy Award and nurturing it through its outreach and educational programs such as its Peter Ustinov Television Script Writing Award. Prospective Associates are nominated by current members, and are elected by a majority vote of the full Board of Directors for a renewable two-year term.
    The Indian Telly Awards is a brand owned by Anil Wanvari and it is the first awards instituted to recognize excellence both on and off the television screen in India. They have become the de facto industry standard for felicitating talent in more than 50 categories right from best actor to best TV daily to TV cameraman to TV scriptwriter to best distribution executive to TV CEO.