Burbank, California – October 16, 2017: Today Cinema Without Borders announced Kanopy as the winner of the CWB’s Seal of Excellence Award for the Best International Cinema Streaming Site.
Other nominees were Amazon, Criterion, Fandor, Filmatique, Film Movement, Film Struck, Hulu, Kanopy, kino Lorber, Netflix and Snagfilms .
Kanopy received the majority of the jury’s vote, and Criterion came in second.
“The jury of Cinema Without Borders is delighted to announce Kanopy as the winner of CWB’s Seal of Excellence Award as the Best International Cinema Streaming Site. Not only does Kanopy carry the majority of the masterpieces of International Cinema, but also uses an innovative way to allow international cinema fans to access their treasure-trove of content at no cost: through public library membership or affiliation with a school.” said Bijan Tehrani, a jury member and Editor in Chief of Cinema Without Borders. “Another advantage of Kanopy is its international reach and also its creative design of the site, which makes it very easy for the visitor to find their desired content.”
In reaction to winning the CWB’s Seal of Excellence Award as the Best International Cinema Streaming Site, Olivia Humphrey, Kanopy CEO, wrote: “We are honored to be selected as the winner of the ‘Cinema Without Borders Seal of Excellence Award’. It is so rewarding and motivating to know that our hard work in curating stories from around the world is having an impact and being recognized. Kanopy stands in good company with all of the other nominees, many of whom we represent, and the great work that we are collectively doing on behalf of making world cinema more accessible to everyone.”
The CWB Seal of Excellence jury members for the Best International Cinema Streaming site were: Susan Morgan Cooper, James Koenig, Mike Libonati, Steven Richmond, and Bijan Tehrani.
When selecting the winner, jury members considered the number of available international films, pricing and affordability, international service, and ease-of-use.
About Jury Members:
Susan Morgan Cooper
Susan Morgan Cooper is a Director/Producer/ Writer and her credits include:
To the Moon and Back, Documentary, Director/Producer/Writer 2016 (A cinematic act of love and courage’ … Broadway World) – Hopper [In his own words] Documentary, Producer/Writer 2013 (“I was moved to tears” Mike Medavoy) – Mulberry Child, Documentary, Director/Producer/Writer 2012 (‘A powerful and touching film’… 31/2 stars. Roger Ebert) – An Unlikely Weapon [The Eddie Adams Story]..Documentary, Director/Producer/Writer 2008 ( ‘A terrific documentary’ The Hollywood Reporter) – Making Of Shadows in The Sun, Documentary, Director/Producer/Writer 2005 – Heroes And Sheroes. Television Series, Director/Producer/Writer 2000 Mirjana: One Girl’s Journey, Documentary, Director/Producer/Writer 1997 – Stringers, Narrative Short Director/Producer/Writer 1990 – Hadley’s Rebellion, Narrative Feature Associate Producer 1989
James Koenig is someone whose voice is heard in various arts arenas. He graduated from Northwestern University with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in voice continuing studies in Italy, Germany, and California. As a classical singer he has sung in opera and concert venues around the United States and in Europe. He also enjoys teaching, directing, and writing. He is the founder/director of the eighteen-year-old Scandinavian Film Festival L.A. He says “My life seems to be filled with translations, sub-titles, super-titles, and sub-texts!” As a writer he has written theatrical pieces, articles for Odyssey Classical Music Publications in the U.K., journalistic pieces for a variety of publications, and a novel, as well as choral and liturgical works. He has been a contributor to a number of film publications including Cinema Without Borders. He was decorated by the Finnish government as a Knight of the Order of the Finnish Lion for his musical and cultural contributions.
Mike Libonati
Mike has been an animation and visual effects instructor for over 15 years. His students have had their work presented at Siggraph, CTN Animation Expo and various film festivals throughout the country. In addition to teaching, Mike works in 2D and 3D development in Los Angeles for various clients for both film and television including projects for Disney, Universal and Fox. Mike has also worked on renderings for architectural lighting design on projects such as the Coex Mall in Korea, Asia’s largest underground mall, and Tesla Motor Company in Los Angeles. Mike has a Master’s Degree from CalArts in Experimental Animation. He currently teaches animation at ELAC.
Steven Richmond
Steven Richmond is the founder and owner of Andromeda Creative, a boutique digital marketing firm specializing in original content, communications, and operations. He helps companies enhance their digital presence and brand identity using forward-thinking web strategies, cost-effective solutions, and the core fundamentals of timeless storytelling. Past clients include the COLCOA French Film Festival, the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, the Polish Film Festival Los Angeles, the Santa Cruz Film Festival, European Languages and Movies in America, and many more.
where the early concept of virtual human animated characters was pioneered.
Bijan Tehrani
Bijan Tehrani a film director, film critic and writer, works as founder and Editor in Chief of Cinema Without Borders while teaching Language & History of film workshops and organizes film screening events and festivals. Bijan has won several awards in international film festivals and book fairs for his short films and children’s books as in the process of publishing a few new children books and directing two documentary films. Bijan is perusing new ideas for creating an international film community to help distribution of independent international films.