Kelly Ward and Cliff MacGillivray, writers of the Waking Thor episode of JAKERS! THE ADVENTURES OF PIGGLEY WINKS, that airs on PBS, won the newly upped $25,000 Humanitas Prize for Childrens Animation on June 29, 2005, during a luncheon ceremony at the Universal Hilton Hotel, in Universal City, California. Nine winning writers, representing a diverse slate of work, won these prestigious prizes and $135,000 were awarded in sis categories for film and television writers whose work entertain, engage and enrich the viewing public.
Its the first time in the organizations history that the prize money in a category has been increased. Frank Desiderio, president of the Humanitas Prize, stated, We want to send a clear message that writing for children is just as important as writing feature films. We plan to reach out to childrens writers and find out how we can help them connect in meaningful ways with their audiences.
In the winning JAKERS episode, Piggley Winks friends pet fish dies unexpectedly, he tries to help his friend grieve. Cited for its sensitive reminder that we can count on others.
Motion Picture Academy President, Frank Pierson, received the Kieser Award for his vision as a filmmaker, his leadership in the industry and for his willingness to share his knowledge as a teacher. The Kieser Award is named after producer and priest Fr.Ellwood Bud Kieser, the founder of the Humanitas Prize.
Since its inception in 1974, the Humanitas Prize has presented more than 215 prizes and dispersed more than $2 million in prize money to television and motion picture writers whose work honestly explores the complexities of the human experience and sheds light on the positive values of life. The Humanitas Prize holds nine Master Writers Workshops every year, presented by todays leading writers. For more information and for a list of all the winners, please visit the Website at www.humanitasprize.org.
