Newcast wins Cannes Corporate TV Award for 'Mission to Mosul'

Warning: Contains images of people with war injuries and hospital procedures that some viewers may find distressing.

Canberra based Newcast Studios has won a prestigious international video award at the Cannes Corporate Media and TV Awards for their documentary of Deakin-based Aspen Medical’s deployment to Iraq to manage trauma field hospitals and maternity units at the height of the fight against ISIS. Newcast was one of a handful of winners from more than 1,000 entries.

The winning video titled ‘Mission to Mosul’ follows the surgeons, doctors, nurses and paramedics who were part of the Aspen Medical team as well as the people of Mosul whose healthcare system had been destroyed by months of fighting between the Iraqi Armed Forces and ISIS.

Aspen Medical was contracted by the World Health Organization and United Nations to manage the hospitals from March 2017 until June this year.  Over the course of the deployment the company saw nearly 50,000 patients and 3,000 babies born.

Damien Maher, Managing Director and of Newcast said, “Receiving this kind of recognition for our production casts an international spotlight on what local companies are capable of achieving and is further proof of the depth of creative talent we have in here in Canberra.

“Logistically, this documentary was extremely challenging. At the time of production ISIS were highly active in Mosul, with our crew whisked in and out of the city by armed guards. The risk to everyone’s safety was very real; people were putting their lives at risk by simply appearing in the documentary, with the local doctors forced to hide their identities for fear of reprisals by ISIS. At times the footage is confronting, with the savagery of ISIS and the battle for Mosul on full display.

“But the risks have outweighed the rewards thanks to receiving this award; a story about the people of Mosul and their basic requirement for healthcare they so desperately needed. I cant emphasise enough how proud our team is to work alongside Aspen Medical, a Canberra company on the front line of the world’s humanitarian efforts”. 

The annual Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards honour the world’s finest corporate films, online media productions and documentaries in one of the world’s most important film centres, Cannes, France. The international competition is open to film producers, clients, agencies, TV stations, as well as students.

A contingent from Newcast and Aspen representing the local Canberra industry will attend the Cannes award ceremony in September.