1001 Inventions wins Best Film in New York

The film 1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets, starring Oscar-winning actor Sir Ben Kingsley, has won eight major industry awards at the 53rd New York Festivals® International Television & Film Awards held on 3rd May 2010 in New York.

The film won the most prestigious award of the evening, Grand Winner for Best Film in addition to five gold medals and two silver medals:

► Grand Winner for Best Film
Gold Winner for Best Film in Society and Social Issues
Gold Winner for Best Film in Arts and Humanities
Gold Winner for Best Direction
Gold Winner for Best Writing
Gold Winner for Best Film for an Event Venue
Silver Winner for Best Narration and Performance
Silver Winner for Best Cinematography
Finalist Certificate for Best Original Music

Best Film at New York Film Festival 1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets
Receiving NY Fest. Int. TV & Film Awards for 1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets (from left to right):
Gerry Balcar, Zakiya Petty (The Edge Picture Company), Phil Blundell (Film’s Executive Co-Producer and Managing Director of The Edge Picture Company), Alan Deakins (Film’s Director)…

The New York Festivals® International Television & Film Awards recognize “The World’s Best Work” in news, documentary, information and entertainment programming as well as in music videos, infomercials, promotion spots, openings and ID’s. Now entering its 53nd year, the total number of entries continues to grow, now representing over 30 different countries, making the NYF® Television & Film Awards one of the most well known and widely respected competitions on the globe.

Previous awards for the film 1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets include:
► Grand Winner for Best Education Film (World Media Festival, Hamburg 2010)
► Gold Award for Best Education Film for Schools (World Media Festival, Hamburg 2010)
 Gold Award for Best Education Film (IVCA, London 2010)
 Gold Award for Best Photography (IVCA, London 2010)
 Silver Award for Best Drama (IVCA, London 2010)
 Silver Award for Best Original Music (IVCA, London 2010)

The movie was sponsored by the Jameel Foundation and produced by the Foundation for Science Technology and Civilisation (FSTC) and The Edge Picture Company as an introductory film for the 1001 Inventions exhibition that was launched at London’s Science Museum in January 2010. Described by critics as London’s most successful new exhibition, it received more than 100,000 visitors in its opening weeks. The exhibition is expected to stay in London until the end of June 2010 before starting a five-year journey across the world.

In the movie a group of young school children take a field trip to a dusty old library after their teacher challenges them to research the era known as the “Dark Ages” and find its relevance to present-day civilisation, a chore they resent until they meet a mysterious librarian (Kingsley) who takes them on a journey to the past revealing a thousand years of scientific and cultural excellence that took place in the Muslim world between the 7th and 17th century.

The film was also released on the internet where it has proved a huge hit receiving over one million downloads in the first month of being aired.

Click here to watch 1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets
Click here to learn more about the 1001 Inventions Exhibition
► Click here for the NewYorkFestivals.com
Click here for the 1001 Inventions and the IVCA Awards