Watertown, NY- WPBS-DT has won three Awards of Merit from The Accolade Global Film Competition. Two Merit Awards were won for locally produced Exploring the 1000 Islands in the categories of History/Biographical and Tourism/Travel. This sixty-minute documentary covers the beauty and wonder of the 1000 Islands, from its earliest explorers and settlers to present day. It encompasses both sides of the border – New York, and Ontario, Canada. Discover the fascinating history of the 1000 Islands, from the first explorers to the development of tourism and the construction of hundreds of luxury hotels eventually destroyed by fire or torn down, to the new millionaires who built gilded-age mansions and castles on many of the islands to the lighthouses that guide massive freighters along the St. Lawrence Seaway. A special thank you to the following organizations for their assistance in the making of Exploring the 1000 Islands: Boldt Castle, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority, the Thousand Islands International Tourism Council, the Thousand Islands Museum, Alan and Marilyn Hutchinson with the Les Corbin Collection, the Town of Alexandria, and Uncle Sam Boat Tours. This documentary, along with a companion photo book is available for purchase at wpbstv.org.
The third Award of Merit was awarded to the 30-minute Public Eye with Jeff Cole: Honor Flight special edition in the Television-Program/Series category. WPBS-DT producer, Roque Murray and WWNY-TV Morning and Noon News Anchor and host of Public Eye, Jeff Cole, had the privilege of traveling on the Sixth Mission Honor Flight out of Syracuse, NY. On board were 80 veterans, three from northern New York, and WWII Veteran Amos Cambron, who was the focus of this special edition of Public Eye. The WWII veteran, Amos Cambron, featured in Public Eye: Honor Flight, passed away in recent weeks. It is fortunate that a small portion of Mr. Cambron’s legacy was captured on film and his trip to Washington was so successful and rewarding for him and his family.
The Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices. They transport the nation’s heroes (free of charge) to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to the senior veterans – World War II survivors, along with those other veterans who may be terminally ill. Honor Flight Syracuse is one of more than 140 Regional Hubs in the National Honor Flight Network. This documentary is available for viewing online at watch.wpbstv.org.
The Accolade recognizes film, television, videography and new media professionals who demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and creativity, and those who produce standout entertainment or contribute to profound social change. Entries are judged by highly qualified professionals in the film and television industry. Information about The Accolade and a list of recent winners can be found at accoladecompetition.org.
In winning an Accolade, WPBS-DT joins the ranks of other high-profile winners of the internationally respected award. Thomas Baker, Ph.D., who chairs The Accolade, had this to say about the latest winners, “The Accolade is not an easy award to win. Entries are received from around the world. The Accolade helps set the standard for craft and creativity. The judges were pleased with the exceptionally high quality of entries. The goal of The Accolade is to help winners achieve the recognition they deserve.”
About WPBS-TV
WPBS-TV is a non-profit public television station serving approximately 650,000 households throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario. WPBS-TV’s mission is to educate, entertain and inform our two-nation audience through superior local and national content and media engagement in order to enhance the lives of those it serves. More information about WPBS is available at www.wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter and Facebook. Download our mobile app at Google Play or the ITunes App Store.
