Phil Grabsky
Encyclopedia
Phil Grabsky is a British documentary
film-maker based in Brighton, East Sussex. His company Seventh Art Productions has produced documentaries for television and cinema.
Grabsky’s work such as I, Caesar, Spain - In the Shadow on the Sun, The Great Commanders and the Tim Marlow on...
series, has been broadcast on various U.K. channels such as BBC
, Channel 4
, Five and Sky Arts
, and internationally around the world.
His film The Boy who Plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan was released in cinemas in 2003 and tells the story of 8-year-old Mir and his family living in post-Taliban Afghanistan. The film has been shown across the globe and won 13 awards including the Gold Hugo in Chicago for Best Film and first prize at the Valladolid International Film Festival. Phil continued to film Mir and his family in Afghanistan, and has released a second update on Mir and his family in 'The Boy from Bamiyan' in 2011.
2006 saw the completion of In Search of Mozart. The film illustrates the life and work of the composer through interviews and live performance. The film premiered at London’s Barbican concert hall. Subsequently it has gone on to become one of the top 100 grossing documentaries in Australia.
Heavy Water: A Film for Chernobyl (2006) explores the Chernobyl nuclear disaster through Mario Petrucci’s poetry. Phil worked in conjunction with director David Bickerstaff for this project which went on to win Best Short Documentary at the Cinequest International Film Festival.
In 2007 Grabsky completed Escape from Luanda which tells the tale of three students at Angola’s only music school.
Phil Grabsky's most recent film In Search of Beethoven, focusing on the life and work of the German composer was released in 2009.
In addition to making films, Phil has released four books and often serves as a judge for various awards including BAFTA, Emmys, RTS
and the One World
awards.
- Silver Award for Excellence - Park City Film Music Festival
In Search of Mozart (2006)
- Best Documentary - Dubrovnik Film Festival
Heavy Water: A Film for Chernobyl (2006)
- Winner – Special Mention - Ourense International Independent Film Festival
The Boy who Plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan (2003)
- Best Film, Cinematography and Editing - Gold Hugo in Chicago
- First prize - Valladolid International Film Festival
- Best Original Score (Dimitri Tchamouroff) – RTS Awards
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
film-maker based in Brighton, East Sussex. His company Seventh Art Productions has produced documentaries for television and cinema.
Grabsky’s work such as I, Caesar, Spain - In the Shadow on the Sun, The Great Commanders and the Tim Marlow on...
Tim Marlow
Tim Marlow is a British writer, broadcaster and art historian. He is best known for his regular feature on Channel Five - Tim Marlow on..., an occasional series in which he looks at current art exhibitions. He has also had several other art programs, radio programs and publications...
series, has been broadcast on various U.K. channels such as BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, Five and Sky Arts
Sky Arts
Sky Arts and Sky Arts HD is the brand name for a group of art-oriented television channels offering 18 hours a day of programmes dedicated to highbrow arts, including theatrical performances, movies, documentaries and music...
, and internationally around the world.
His film The Boy who Plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan was released in cinemas in 2003 and tells the story of 8-year-old Mir and his family living in post-Taliban Afghanistan. The film has been shown across the globe and won 13 awards including the Gold Hugo in Chicago for Best Film and first prize at the Valladolid International Film Festival. Phil continued to film Mir and his family in Afghanistan, and has released a second update on Mir and his family in 'The Boy from Bamiyan' in 2011.
2006 saw the completion of In Search of Mozart. The film illustrates the life and work of the composer through interviews and live performance. The film premiered at London’s Barbican concert hall. Subsequently it has gone on to become one of the top 100 grossing documentaries in Australia.
Heavy Water: A Film for Chernobyl (2006) explores the Chernobyl nuclear disaster through Mario Petrucci’s poetry. Phil worked in conjunction with director David Bickerstaff for this project which went on to win Best Short Documentary at the Cinequest International Film Festival.
In 2007 Grabsky completed Escape from Luanda which tells the tale of three students at Angola’s only music school.
Phil Grabsky's most recent film In Search of Beethoven, focusing on the life and work of the German composer was released in 2009.
In addition to making films, Phil has released four books and often serves as a judge for various awards including BAFTA, Emmys, RTS
Royal Television Society
The Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
and the One World
One World Broadcasting Trust
One World Media is a non-profit organisation, registered in the the UK as a charitable trust. Its current director is Marion Bowman. The charity promotes media that contributes to global dialogue and understanding, human rights and development, mobilising a global media community that shares the...
awards.
Feature documentaries
- The Boy from Bamiyan (2011)
- In Search of Beethoven (2009)
- Escape from Luanda (2007)
- Heavy Water: A Film for ChernobylChernobylChernobyl or Chornobyl is an abandoned city in northern Ukraine, in Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. The city had been the administrative centre of the Chernobyl Raion since 1932....
(2006) - In Search of Mozart (2006)
- The Boy who Plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan (2003)
- Muhammad AliMuhammad AliMuhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
– Through the Eyes of the World (2001)
Series
- Judgement Day: Images of Heaven and Hell (2004)
- Great Artists with Tim Marlow (2003)
- The Impressionists (1998)
- I, CaesarCaesar (title)Caesar is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator...
– The Rise and Fall of the Roman EmpireRoman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
(1997) - The Great Commanders (1993)
- Spain – In the Shadow of the Sun (1990)
One-offs
- Tim Marlow On..Highlights of the New Tate ModernTate ModernTate Modern is a modern art gallery located in London, England. It is Britain's national gallery of international modern art and forms part of the Tate group . It is the most-visited modern art gallery in the world, with around 4.7 million visitors per year...
(2006) - The Hidden History of Rome – with Terry JonesTerry JonesTerence Graham Parry Jones is a Welsh comedian, screenwriter, actor, film director, children's author, popular historian, political commentator, and TV documentary host. He is best known as a member of the Monty Python comedy team....
(2001) - The Hidden History of Egypt – with Terry Jones (2001)
- Brazil – An Inconvenient History (2000)
- The Lost Temple of Java (1999)
Publications
- The Great Artists: From Giotto to Turner by Phil Grabsky & Tim Marlow (2002)
- The Lost Temple of Java by Phil Grabsky (1999)
- I, Caesar: Ruling the Roman Empire by Phil Grabsky (1997)
- The Great Commanders: Alexander, Caesar, Nelson, Napoleon, Grant and Zhukov by Phil Grabsky (1995)
Selected awards
Escape from Luanda (2007)- Silver Award for Excellence - Park City Film Music Festival
In Search of Mozart (2006)
- Best Documentary - Dubrovnik Film Festival
Heavy Water: A Film for Chernobyl (2006)
- Winner – Special Mention - Ourense International Independent Film Festival
The Boy who Plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan (2003)
- Best Film, Cinematography and Editing - Gold Hugo in Chicago
- First prize - Valladolid International Film Festival
- Best Original Score (Dimitri Tchamouroff) – RTS Awards