Print text only.

Prix Europa 

Awards for the best European television, radio and Internet productions

Television, radio and the Internet cross frontiers and as such these medium carry a certain responsibility for bringing together the nations of Europe. For all their diversity, the peoples of Europe are relatives from one big family. History has therefore given us two tasks: to accept that we have a common destiny and to learn solidarity. We have to turn a continent of conflict into a continent of good neighbours.

Prix Europa’s overriding objective is the promotion of the “Made in Europe” trademark, based on a mosaic of quality programmes reflecting Europe’s different cultures. Having said this, it also a driving force for exchanging programmes in the audiovisual market. Thus, the aim of Prix Europa is to publicize productions throughout Europe, to support their distribution and their use.

Every year, Prix Europa invites the best TV, radio and Internet programme-makers and managers from all over Europe to engage in debate and take part in the competition. The Prix is a venue for discussion on the quality and future of programmes. It also provides a forum to discuss the possibilities of the Internet as well as open a dialogue between decision-makers on European media policy.

Programmes 

Prix Europa honours programmes that have been produced in Europe by European producers. The programmes’ quality, subject matter and form have to win over both the audience and experts. 

Programme-makers can choose from the entire spectrum of contemporary issues, however, the programmes submitted to Prix Europe must, by their themes, viewpoint and style, provide an insight into the lives of people in a European town, region or country and what moves them. These programmes should bear the unmistakable cultural imprint of their place of origin yet also reach people of other cultures, thus making them suitable for broadcasting outside the country of origin.

In 2006 there are 13 Prix Europa awards, the winners of which will receive €6,000. 

Television 

The Prix Europa Television competition will be held in four categories.

Fiction 

Films with a complete story line (minimum length 30 minutes) and episodes from a TV fiction series (including mini-series) and serials.

Documentary 

Films with a minimum length of 15 minutes.

Current Affairs 

This category focuses on in-depth information and reporting in the area of investigative journalism. The programmes must demonstrate that they are analytical by going beyond the headlines and news summaries, that they are not afraid of tackling controversial issues, do not bow to time or censorship issues and that they have shown responsible reporting. 

These programmes might stem from daily or weekly formats or can be special programmes such as reports, discussions, special focus programmes, magazines, etc. Minimum length: 5 minutes.

IRIS 

IRIS looks for programmes that tackle the multicultural character of European societies and which contribute towards understanding and tolerance between people of different origins, cultures and religions.

Programmes can be:

• fiction (TV drama, episodes from series, comedy, entertainment)
• non-fiction (documentaries, reportages, magazines, talk shows).    

There is no minimum or maximum length. The entrant decides the category in which the production is to be entered.

TV Fiction 

Television Programme of the Year 2006

This prize will be donated by the Directorate of Communication of the Council of Europe, a patron of Prix Europa.

Special Prix Europa

The Special Prix Europa in the Fiction category will be awarded to the best TV series, mini-series or seriaI.

This prize is donated by YLE, a patron of Prix Europa.

TV Documentary 

Television Programme of the Year 2006

Special Prix Europa

The Special Prix Europa in the Documentary category will be awarded to the best programme from a local or regional television station, or to the best low-budget production.

This prize is donated by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, a patron of Prix Europa.

TV Current Affairs 

ln the Current Affairs category, the jury will award a Prix Europa.

Prix Europa Iris 

Prix Europa IRIS Multicultural Television Programme of the Year 2006

IRIS stands for equality and tolerance. It seeks to be an incentive for programme-makers to devote their attention to the multicultural spectrum of modern European society.

The Prix Europa IRIS will be donated by Nederlandse Programma Stichting.

Special awards 

Prix Genève-Europe

The Prix Genève-Europe (PGE) was created by the European Alliance for Television and Culture (EATC) in 1987 to encourage new authors towards careers in television.

The Prix Genève-Europe for the Best Fiction Script by a Newcomer is awarded annually to a new author by a special jury.

The PGE entries are scripts of already produced fiction telefilms (the jury will judge the script by screening the work) written by authors who may not, as author or co-author, have had more than two works in any drama format produced and broadcast. The scenario must be an original work, not an adaptation, and have been produced after 1 January 2005. It must be submitted by a national broadcaster based in Europe.

The award will consist of prize money for the author amounting to €6,000, a certificate, and the possibility to participate in a special scriptwriting workshop the following year. ln addition the EATC offers its members an annual Writing Bursary for a promising new scriptwriter of their choice. Candidates may not, as author or co-author, have had more than one work in any drama format produced and broadcast.

Each bursary includes CHF 10,000 and two special scriptwriting workshops.

Besides the bursaries for EATC members, three additional bursaries can be attributed to candidates proposed by other national European broadcasters.

Prix Europa – Spot

The Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany is encouraging, for the third year, all young European film-makers to participant in the Prix Europa – Spot competition. This year, the competition is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the signing of the “Treaty of Rome”, which laid the foundations for the European Union.

Entries must celebrate this milestone birthday in a way that transcends national, cultural and language borders and expresses the desires and hopes for the future. European unification should be shown in a dynamic way, as an opportunity for change, as a source of hope and confidence.

Participants should either be trained in the media field or have recently completed such training. The entries should be one minute long and cross aIl language barriers by the use of strong visuals.

The Foreign Office intends to use spots for its public relations work in Germany and abroad (exhibitions, lectures, trade fairs and websites) irrespective of how well they do in the competition. Entrants must therefore own the copyright of their work.

The Prix Europa – Spot will be awarded by a special jury.

The donor and patron of this prize is the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany.

For information: This year, the One Minutes Foundation is cooperating with Prix Europa. Thus, all suitable entries in the One Minutes Foundation competition (organizes in conjunction with the European Cultural Foundation) are also entitled to participate in the Prix Europa – Spot.

Radio 

Prix Europa Radio is open to all radio organizations based in Europe and all independent producers from Europe providing they own the legal rights of the entered production. If the broadcasting organizations of a country have united to form an association, then only this association may submit entries.

Each entrant has 100 minutes of presentation time per category at its disposal which may be spread over two entries.

If the broadcasting organizations of a country have united to form an association, this association will be allotted a total presentation time of 150 minutes per category, which can be spread over a maximum three entries. However, these three entries must stem from at least two of these united broadcasting organizations.

If only one production is entered in any one category, it may be up to 60 minutes long.

All entries must be submitted unabridged (i.e. the original version as broadcast). If editing cannot be avoided in order to fit into the Prix Europa time format, this has to be declared in the accompanying scripts. The organizer reserves the right to make a preselection according to the following criteria:

• date of receipt
• country quota
• quality    

There are two categories in the Prix Europa Radio competition: documentary and drama.

Documentary 

Prix Europa – Best European Radio Documentary of 2006

Prix Europa – Radio Österreich1

This prize will be donated by Radio Österreich 1 (ORF), a patron of Prix Europa.

Drama 

Prix Europa – Best European Radio Drama of 2006

Prix Europa – Radio France

This prize will be donated by Radio France, a patron of Prix Europa.

Internet 

The prize will be awarded to either a broadband or narrowband online project from a European broad-casting organization or their cooperating media partners. Projects which have vision, creativity and are adapted to their purpose are encouraged to apply. Projects will be judged on the ideas behind them, the way they have been executed, their quality, and their commitment to public values.

The project may stand alone, i.e. independent of a linear programme, or it may have a direct relationship with a television or radio production, or a channel. If there are links between old and new media they should develop the strengths of the different media.

Sites may be: fictional, documentary, portals, news, sports, games or concern media players, online TV and radio services.

The jury will be a professional forum for producers of online projects. For this reason, each final candidate organization will be obliged to send a delegate to introduce their entry, to demonstrate its practical implementation and to take part in the adjudication. If more entries are made than presentation time allows, the organizers reserve the right to make a preselection.

For information and conditions:
www.prix-europa.de 

pj /ep