Piper Alpha documentary honoured

via D&G Standard 
 

A documentary about the Piper Alpha disaster has won a top award at the film festival where it received its world premiere.

Fire In The Night, which focuses on the 1988 North Sea tragedy which killed 167 people, scooped the Audience Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF).
The piece combines archive footage, audio recordings and interviews with some of the survivors of the disaster, some of whom were interviewed on camera for the first time.
Anthony Wonke, who directed the documentary, said: "It's 25 years ago this July that Piper Alpha exploded and sunk into the North Sea and we hope that with this film the memory of that fateful night that affected so many lives will act as a suitable remembrance.

"I'd like to thank everyone who voted for Fire In The Night, it really does mean an awful lot to everyone involved, especially all the men who took part in the film. I know that they will be incredibly touched and thankful that the public engaged with this film and their story in such a positive way."
The award was voted for by cinema-goers who attended public screenings, and films from across the festival were eligible for the gong.
This year marked a return to the festival of the award following a two-year absence from the annual celebration of the big screen. The 2013 award was supported by Sainsbury's Bank.
EIFF artistic director Chris Fujiwara said: "The Audience Award, which we reinstated this year after a two-year hiatus, is not only one of the most significant of EIFF's initiatives designed to engage audiences with cinema, it's also one of the most fun.
"We're delighted by the enthusiasm shown by our audience members who took part in choosing this award, and we're grateful for the support and commitment of Sainsbury's Bank."