Judges gave one of two awards in this category to a film that gleefully tossed out the rulebook.
Described by the makers as a "fully independent, passion-fuelled labour of love" Pearls on Swine has a highly distinctive narrative style that takes the audience on a house tour where the everyday unravels into theatre, philosophy and fable.
This judges' decision to fly the flag for risk-taking came with an acknowledgment that without a commercial release, such an unconventional project might struggle to reach a wider audience.
A close contender, Heatherwick Studio’s film for Little Island, was lauded for its"strong messaging" by making the unusual decision not to interview the architects but rather "just talk to real people," which judges said made the film "unpredictable and engaging".
Meanwhile,the second winning film by Dion Barrett , about a young Birmingham-based practice, was praised for its authentic portrayal of the firm's ethos and client relationships and described by the judges as "beautifully edited and visually patient."
We consistently receive some great podcast entries, and our past winners include Material Matters and Home Notes, but the award has never gone to a practice.
This year no practice reached the five-strong shortlist which is not a surprise. Successful podcasts take a great deal of time to produce and because listeners' expectations regarding audio quality, editing, and content is now so high, t’s hard for niche podcasters to break through.
The winner Duro Design Disruptors is one that has. Accepting the award via video link, Suneet Langar said the podcast's aim is to tell "real authentic stories that the audience wants to hear."
WINNERS
Pearls on Swine
Intervention Architecture
Best Podcast
