American Documentary

POV films listed finalists for the Silver Gavel Awards two years in a row

New York, N.Y. — March 11, 2020 — The Feeling of Being Watched and Blowin’ Up, which premiered in 2019 as part of POV’s 32nd season, were listed as finalists for the 2020 Silver Gavel Awards in the Television category. The winners of the award will be honored at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. this summer.

Last year, Dark Money which premiered as part of POV’s 31st season won the 2019 Silver Gavel Award in the Documentary Category. The Silver Gavel Awards, presented by the American Bar Association (ABA), recognize work in media and the arts that have been exemplary in helping to foster the American public’s understanding of law and the legal system.

About The Feeling of Being Watched

In the Chicago suburb where journalist Assia Boundaoui grew up, most residents in her Muslim immigrant neighborhood believe they are under surveillance. Assia investigates and uncovers FBI documents about "Operation Vulgar Betrayal," one of the largest pre-9/11 counterterrorism probes conducted on domestic soil, right in Assia's hometown.

Credits

Director: Assia Boundaoui; Producer: Jessica Devaney; Editor: Rabab Haj Yahya; Executive Producers: Assia Boundaoui, Alex Bushe; Executive Producers for POV: Justine Nagan, Chris White

About Blowin’ Up

Working within a broken criminal justice system, a team of rebel heroines work to change the way women arrested for prostitution are prosecuted. With intimate camerawork that lingers on details and brings the Queens criminal courtroom to life, Blowin' Up celebrates acts of steadfast defiance, even as it reveals the hurdles these women must face.

Credits

Director: Stephanie Wang-Breal; Editor: Jonathan Oppenheim; Executive Producers: Ann derry, Jean Tsien; Executive Producers for POV: Justine Nagan, Chris White