BROADCAST ACADEMY PRIZE WINNERS VISIT IBC

IBC 2019 was a busy affair for the Broadcast Academy, with more than a 100 people attending a two-day programme filled with panel discussions and practical training sessions on 15 and 16 September.

Participants at Broadcast Academy training sessions, held in partnership with IBC and EVS, will have been inspired by the stories of previous Broadcast Academy graduates, who also had a busy and thrilling event.

Vera Bichler, who completed the Sports Live Directing course held at the National Film and Television School (NFTS) in 2018 with seasoned director and Broadcast Academy expert John Watts at the helm, has gone on to become the first woman to direct a football match for Austrian broadcaster ORF.

Vera visited IBC where she was nominated for the newly created Young Pioneer Award. On Sunday 16 September evening, in front of a full auditorium, she took to the stage to claim the trophy: “It feels surreal to have won this prize, to be at such a huge trade show such as IBC, and to be able to have one-to-one experiences and catch up with experts”, Vera commented.

Josephine Mankfu Talla and Refat Hmaid, two students from the Broadcast Academy course held in Tunis last March, were in the room to cheer on Vera. Josephine and Refat, both directors, won an all-expenses paid trip to Amsterdam to attend IBC.

Vera, Josephine and Refat all participated to the training sessions, where they shared with the new Broadcast Academy students their experience with the Academy.

“The Broadcast Academy doesn’t only provide you with practical skills through its sessions, but also gives you the ability to create something new in terms of sports live directing” explained Josephine, who announced her intention to create a women directors association back in Cameroon, where she works as a director for Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV).

During a lounge talk session, Josephine shared the stage with HBS’ CEO Dan Miodownik, who underlined the importance of finding new talents in the industry and giving them a platform: “Empower the people who are starting a career: this is where we should be investing. Find the people, build their stories, and help create role models for all to be inspired by.”