"Under the Wire" Wins FOCAL's Inaugural Audience Award

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An immersive portrait of modern war correspondence and a devastating insight into the Syrian conflict, FOCAL was honored to recognize Arrow Media’s Under the Wire as its inaugural audience award winner. The multiple award-winning film was directed by Chris Martin and archive produced by Jacqui Edwards, Rima Marrouch and Dana K. Trometer. 

“I’m absolutely thrilled that Under the Wire has received the prestigious audience award,” said Tom Brisley, Creative Director at Arrow Media and producer of Under the Wire says about the award. “Archive was absolutely vital so that the film could reflect the facts and authenticity of Paul Conroy and Marie Colvin’s fateful trip into Syria in 2012.”

Brisley accepted the crystal award at FOCAL’s Members day at the Channel 4 Screening room on November 28th, 2019. Upon accepting the award, Brisley paid homage to the legacy of Marie Colvin, who was killed during that fateful journey to Homs and the ongoing legacy of Paul Conroy’s photojournalism, as well as the unimaginable courage of everyday Syrians who contributed to the making of the film through their own recordings and by smuggling footage out of the country.

“The audience award has been introduced as a way for our ceremony guests to engage with some of the incredible films and TV work that is nominated at each year’s competition,” said Madeline Bates, Director of Outreach at FOCAL International says. “We’re delighted that Under the Wire, the result of fastidious research and cooperation between Paul Conroy, the Arrow team and Syrian activists, has won the inaugural audience award. The film reminds us of the importance of telling the truth of conflict and the absolutely essential need for doing so.” 

More About the Audience Award

The FOCAL Audience Award was introduced by the organisation at the 2019 Gala Ceremony. All guests at the ceremony were invited to view and vote on a selection of the 2019 FOCAL Award nominees to then vote on which production they felt to be the most deserved.