Berlin, 23 October 2010 – The EBU announced today that Jaap van Heusden has been awarded the 2010 Prix Genève-Europe for the best TV fiction script written by a newcomer and produced or commissioned by a national broadcaster. 

The fiction comedy Win Win, submitted by Dutch public broadcaster NTR, was written and directed by Jaap van Heusden and produced by IJswater Films in Amsterdam. It was selected by an international jury of five fiction professionals from among fourteen entries.

Presenting the award, Louis Heinsman, Head of International Relations at Nederlandse Publiek Omroep  (NPO) and Chairman of the EATC, said, “This third year of the grand prize submissions previously won a bursary and have been through the script workshops organized by the European Alliance for Television and Culture. Indeed, one scriptwriter this year even won the Prix Genève-Europe in 2007.”

Louis Heinsman, President of EATC with Marina Blok,
coordinator for TV Fiction

“Year by year the quality of submissions for this prize has improved,” stated the jury. “This very high standard gave the jury members a challenging yet enjoyable task. We were looking for writing that showed enthusiasm for what film can do that no other medium can." The jury expected originality of setting and theme and above all characters that were both engaging but with a difference, which has the potential to take the story in unexpected directions.

The winning film is a comedy set in the current financial crisis. To Ivan, the protagonist, it is a strange land where he gains an understanding of where he belongs in the real world. He doesn't win the girl but he does win the confidence to take control of his own life.

Note to editors:

Prix Genève-Europe: set up in 1987 by the European Alliance for Television and Culture (EATC), now comprising the European Broadcasting Union, EBU Members ARD, France Télévisions pôle France 2, NPO, SSR–Idée suisse, YLE and ZDF, and the City & Canton of Geneva.  The EUR 6,000 prize is intended to encourage new scriptwriters to work in television. The Prix Genève-Europe is one of 13 prizes in 8 categories at Prix Europa, the prestigious festival for Television, Radio & Emerging Media for European broadcasters and producers. 

EATC Writing Bursary: Every year, EATC members can also choose a promising new scriptwriter who has written a fiction synopsis of any genre to receive a Writing Bursary comprising CHF 5,000 and two scriptwriting workshops. Additional bursaries are also available for candidates put forward by other national broadcasters from Europe.

Four Prix Genève-Europe 2010 entries are projects or recipients of EATC bursaries and writing workshops (or winner of a past PGE):

•Win Win, Jaap van Heusden (2008 bursary)
•V comme Vian,  Didier Vinson (2008 bursary)
•La Petite Chambre, Stéphanie Chuat & Véronique Reymond (2006 bursary). Nominated as the Swiss entry for the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars 2011.
•Belleville Story, Arnaud Malherbe (Co-writer with Dalila Kerchouche of 2007 PGE winning script Harkis)

For further information about Prix Genève-Europe, joining EATC, or candidates for Writing Bursaries please contact:  Lynne Polak, Eurovision TV, [email protected]