The winners of the Rory Peck 2016 awards focus on the stories of refugees

Greek reporter Will Vassilopoulos, Italian Marco Salustro, German journalist Marcel Mettelsiefen and ‘Angel’ İstek Alcu, local informant in Diyarbakir and first woman awarded the Martin Adler Prize, among the winners.

This week the independent reporters who are behind the camera to bring us the news and world news have received a tribute at the 2016 Rory Peck Awards ceremony, sponsored by Sony Professional Solutions Europe and presented by Julie Etchingham, by ITV News, and Clarissa Ward, of the CNN.

The event, held at the BFI enclosure at the London Southbank, recognized the important contribution of independent cameras when collecting news worldwide, as well as serving to highlight the increasingly difficult conditions of their work.

The Rory Peck news award was given to the Greek reporter Will vassilopouolos for Fear and Esperation: Refugees and Migrants Pour into grece (fear and despair: a constant flow of refugees and emigrants arrives in Greece), commissioned by Agence France Presse (AFP). The images of Will, captured between October 2015 and March 2016, show immigrants and refugees upon arrival on the island of Lesbos, overcrowded in boats and boats, as well as their rescue in the open sea in the middle of the night.

They also cover the events in the improvised uncontrolled growth camp located in Idomeni, on the northern border of Greece with Macedonia, which has become a critical point of the immigration crisis. For the jury, the "exceptional" material of Will stands out for the human vision of his narrative and attention to details. "The Mediterranean images have become so common that there is a risk of visual fatigue, but these shots without a doubt stand out. Will captured the shots, let them breathe and evolve, working with long sequences to provide the entire narrative arch." Will received his prize at the hands of James Mates, European editor of ITV News and president of the jury in the news category.

The Rory Peck Prize for the best report was awarded to the Independent Italian journalist Marco Salustro for Libya’s Migrant Trade: Europe or Die (the commerce of emigrants in Libya: Europe or death), in charge and issued by Vice News. Rolled in June 2015, the Marco documentary reveals the infrahuman conditions offered by the unofficial detention camps, led by local militias in Tripoli, as well as the abuse and abuse suffered by hundreds of immigrants at the hands of those who claim to worry about their well -being. It is a shocking history about human trafficking and the abuse of human rights. The jury highlighted the way in which Marco's work shows the moral complexity of the situation facing the Libyan government and its inability to resolve it.

"It transmits the authentic sense of fear, insecurity and lack of hope of immigrants. No UN agency will come to save them or protect them. There are also no government really interested in helping them. They are trapped in Limbo. It is a film that does not easily forget, you are recorded." Marco received his prize at the hands of the filmmaker Brian Woods, from True Vision Productions, who presided over the jury for the category of reports.

The Sony impact award in the current category was collected by the German independent filmmaker Marcel Mettelsiefen, awarded by Children on The Frontline: The Escape (Children in the Front: The flight), his second work about the family of one of the main rebel commander in Aleppo. Marcel follows the fate of three young sisters, his brother and his mother after his father's capture for Isis and his decision to leave a home devastated by war to undertake a new life as refugees in Goslar (Germany).

The jury described Marcel's work as beautiful and timely. "The way in which this film immerses you in the complex, desperate and hopeful inner life of this family is amazing. It is honest, emotional, deep and poetic. It is a documentary moving from a mature and responsible filmmaker, whose work we should see all at this time." The recording was partially funded by Marcel himself. Produced by ITN Productions for Channel 4 in association with ZDF and PBS Frontline. The award was presented by Michael Harrit, Marketing Director of Media Solutions at Sony Professional Solutions Europe, which was also part of the jury.

2016, a difficult year

In his speech, Michael Harrit said that “2016 has been a year of great international movement, we have witnessed extraordinary political and social uprisings. We must all continue supporting the community of news collection, since the individual efforts of these independent reporters require a great technical capacity and courage. Sony continues to offer tools and workflows so that these professionals of great talent can give them exceptional use. Become a tribute to the great impact of your work and serve to give them the thanks that they deserve so much. ”

The independent informant ‘Angel’ Istak Alcu received the Martin Adler Prize, which constitutes recognition of the outstanding collaboration of local independent journalists. Angel, who lives and works in Diyarbikar, in Southeast Kurdish in Turkey, has forged a reputation as one of the most brave, expert and confidence in the region, which allows him to bring those independent and reliable stories outside the region.

Tina Carr, director of the Rory Peck Foundation, said: “Tonight, the winners and finalists have shown us that some of the best examples of news and current issues are produced by independent journalists, coming from very diverse environments and with a wide range of experiences. This ceremony offers us an opportunity to celebrate that diversity and talent. It is also a reminder that autonomous reporters are in the heart of journalism independent.