University lecturer wins international film award

​​A film produced by University of Gloucestershire Film Production lecturer, Lindsey Dryden, has been awarded best documentary in the 23rd annual Webby Awards.

Trans in America: Texas Strong was announced as the Webby Winner and People’s Voice Winner in Video: Documentary: Longform in the 23rd Annual Webby Awards by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences today (23 April).

The short documentary series is an intimate portrait of three transgender individuals as they battle for their civil rights in the USA. The films reveal the daily impact of discrimination on three families as they battle with bathroom bills, vulnerability in employment and housing, and the aftermath of incarceration, in Texas, Illinois and Georgia. The award winning episode followed the life of a seven-year-old transgender girl and her family in Texas. The film was produced by a majority LGBTQ+ team, and informed by a panel of transgender advisors.

Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international awards organisation honouring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, Video, Advertising, Media & PR, Apps, Mobile, Voice, Social, Podcasts, and Games. Established in 1996, this year’s Webby Awards received nearly 13,000 entries from all 50 states and 70 countries with nearly three million votes cast, making it the biggest in Webby history.

University of Gloucestershire Film Production lecturer, Lindsey Dryden, said:

“This is incredibly exciting news for the whole team, and we are thrilled to have won a Webby! To be awarded the People’s Choice award as well as the jury vote makes this all the more special, and it is particularly meaningful right now, when UK schools are being encouraged to erase LGBTQ+ lives from the curriculum, and the US administration is banning transgender people from the military, and seeking to withdraw access to healthcare and civil rights for LGBTQ+ people. We hope that the recognition this film has received helps to demonstrate that LGBTQ+ people are valued, and transgender voices will not be erased.”

Executive Director of The Webby Awards, Claire Graves, said:

“This award is a testament to the skill, ingenuity, and vision of its creators.”

Lindsey will be honoured at the star-studded Webby Awards ceremony on Monday 13 May at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, where winners will have an opportunity to deliver one of The Webby Awards’ famous 5-Word Speeches.