Esben Storm honoured with ADG award
Australian filmmaker Esben Storm, who died last year, will be honoured with a new award in his name at the Australian Directors Guild Awards.
The award will be the Esben Storm Award for Best Direction in a Children’s Television Program.
It will be presented at the ADG Awards on May 11.
Storm passed away last March, aged 60.
The head of Storm Productions, which he established in 1978, Esben was particularly known for his work as a director of children’s TV including Round the Twist, Crash Zone, The Genie from Down Under and 2007′s SBS series Kick) . he was also an actor with his last appearance on All Saints.
Storm directed the features 27A (1974), In Search of Anna (1978), With Prejudice (1982), Stanley (1984) , Deadly (1991) and Subterano (2003). He also made documentaries such as The Tasty Bust Reunion and America, and for many years tried, unsuccessfully, to adapt John Marsden’s novel Tomorrow, When the War Began.
The Award is sponsored by the Australian Children’s Television Foundation.
Ray Argall, President of the ADG, said: “Esben Storm was one of Australia’s leading directors and he brought his unique talents to the children’s drama he created. So many much-loved memories have been forever forged into the minds of Australian children who grew up with the characters and stories he brought to life on screen as a director, writer and producer.
“Esben embodied the true spirit of the creative filmmaker – he was driven, passionate and stood up for what he believed. Not something easy to do in the filmmaking business. He was a founding member of the ADG/ASDA and, over the past 30 years, advocated the core values of the directors’ guild. On set and during all phases of production Esben was loved by the crews and cast that worked with him, and he had a special rapport with the young performers he worked with in the children’s television drama he excelled at.”
Jenny Buckland, CEO of the ACTF, said: “Esben and Paul Jennings created Round the Twist, an iconic series that has brought laughter and enjoyment to millions of children around the world for more than 20 years. Esben is connected with many ACTF productions – as a writer, script editor, actor, and most frequently, as a director. He was one of a kind and, to those he worked with, he sparkled, entertained, provoked and challenged, always looking to push the boundaries.”
The entry deadline for the 2012 ADG Awards is February 27.
The 18 categories in the 2012 ADG Awards are:
1. Feature Film
2. Telemovie
3. Animation
4. Documentary Standalone
5. Documentary Feature
6. Documentary Series
7. TV Drama Series
8. TV Mini Series
9. TV Drama Serial
10. TV Comedy
11. TV Reality / light entertainment
12. TV Children’s
13. Cross Platform project
14. Original online project
15. TVC
16. Short film
17. Music video
18. Student
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I had the great good fortune to work with Esben a number of times. I can say after more than 40 years in the industry, that Esben was one out of the bag. He knew the value of the creative process, he was never afraid to listen to the input of others and to weigh up the possibilities, he always made the actor feel at ease and he understood the craft from many angles. He was inspirational and he brought out the best in us, sometimes better than we thought we had to give. He was also a good and gentle human being.
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