A diverse selection of DW documentaries, specials and series won numerous awards at the 15^th World Media Festival in Hamburg this past week. Organized by Intermedia, this year’s festival drew 700 entries from 35 countries.

Winning a gold intermedia-globe in the documentary-magazine format category was PopXport Special, a 10-part production from DW’s popular music show that showcases some of Germany’s most successful recording artists. The Global Ideas web-documentary, Serengeti- Toward an uncertain future, won a gold award in the E-Learning and Education category and the 10-part series, Tracing the past: German-Jewish cultural heritage,  won gold in the Documentaries-Other category. The 28-part Euromaxx series, Europe 28 , which takes a look at all 28 capital cities of the EU,  won a gold award in the documentaries-destinations category as did the music documentary, The Highest Level , in the documentaries-arts category.

Winning a silver intermedia-globe award was the music documentary, The Colón Ring- Wagner in Buenos Aires, in the Documentaries-Arts category and a production from Kino- The German Film Magazine  that explores German film in Brazil and the relationship between the two countries won silver in the documentaries-magazine format category. A report from People and Politics was also awarded silver in the News-Documentary category. It tells the story of children who were abducted by the Nazis in Eastern Europe who as adults are searching for their roots.

The performance at the 2014 World Media Festival in Hamburg comes a few weeks after many DW productions won awards at festivals in Las Vegas and Houston.

DW has made a big impression at two American flim festivals in April. Multiple productions from DW have taken home a total of 14 awards at both events.

Productions from DW stood out at the New York Festivals International TV & Film Awards in Las Vegas, winning a total of seven awards in six categories.  The awards are among the premier international distinctions that can be received in the television industry. Winning Silver World Medals were the DW classical-music documentary films Schumann at Pier 2, which won medals in both the Arts and Feature Films categories, and The Colón Ring – Wagner in Buenos Aires, which won silver in the Documentaries category as well as picking up a Bronze World Medal in the Arts category. Also winning a Bronze World Medal in the History and Society category was the KickOff! special production- 50 years of the Bundesliga.  Winning Finalist Certificates were the Euromaxx series Europe28 in the Travel and Tourism Category along with a video feature news report, Robert, Helene and the Horrors of Oradour in the Heroes category. The awards ceremony was a part of the 2014 NAB entertainment trade show. The two latest awards for Schumann at Pier 2, make a total of 14 that the film has received.

At the 47th annual WorldFest–Houston a rich variety of DW productions won seven “Remi” awards. Many took home a platinum Remi, the highest distinction for each sub-category. Winning a platinum in the Lifestyle Programming– Series category was the 10-part series PopXport special. Other platinum winners in the TV Series- Documentary category were the Brazil and Japan segments of the human interest special Coming Home.  Also taking platinum in the Cultural/Historical Program category was Tracing the Past- German-Jewish Cultural Heritage and again on the list Robert, Helene and the Horrors of Oradour in the Historical Programming Segment category.

Another two-time winner with a gold award in the Documentary category was The Colón Ring – Wagner in Buenos Aires. Also picking up a gold in the Individual On-Camera Talent category was the Euromaxx special Germany by Scooter hosted by Micheal Wigge. Last but not least was Strangers- 6 years later, which won silver in the Documentaries category. The WorldFest- Houston is one of the oldest film festivals in the world and this year DW was among 4,500 entries from 33 countries.

In honor of Richard Wagner’s 200th birthday, DW is producing a documentary titled, The Colón Ring – Wagner in Buenos Aires. The program follows the legendary opera house Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires as its members stage a never before seen 7-hour  condensed version of Wagner’s powerful musical drama, “The Ring of the Nibelung”. The film premiered to an audience of 600 at the Delphi Filmpalast in Berlin on April 14 and drew warm applause and much praise. Global audiences can look forward to the television debut on DW scheduled for May 11 and 18, just before Wagner’s birthday on May 22. The two-part documentary will be broadcast in German, English, Spanish and Arabic. The DVD and Blu-ray box set, which include the performance itself, are also scheduled for release in May. Wagner fans wanting more can go online at www.dw.com and check out Wagner 200, a multimedia special devoted to celebrating the composer and his life’s work.