A YOUNG Tipperary man has won his second major international award in film/television production this year.
Seán O’Riordan (24) produced the commercial Paranoid which won the Panavision prize at the Cannes Film Festival last May.
Now it has been announced that he has won the best independent pilot, UK section, at the New York Television Festival 2012.
It is for his show Newton’s Law, a non-scripted psychological gameshow which may yet be shown as an official selection at the New York Television Festival in October.
The show has been optioned by Warner Bros International Television Production and is the first international New York Television and Film award to offer a guaranteed development deal exclusively to producers based in the UK.
From Thurles, Co Tipperary, and a graduate of NUI Maynooth and the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, Mr O’Riordan works as a multimedia producer and director at Legal Network Television in London.
Newton’s Law was prepared in conjunction with the film and television school and won the inaugural development opportunity offered by Warner Bros to an outstanding UK-based non-scripted format submitted to the New York Television Festival’s annual independent pilot competition.
David Croft, head of television at the National Film and Television School, said they were “delighted with this news and very proud of Seán. This is the first time that a student, or indeed anyone in the UK, has won such a prestigious award.”
For his part, Mr O’Riordan said: “It has always been my dream and passion to work in television entertainment and I hope this award will help to open doors to an opportunity to become a development producer for innovative formats that include audience interactivity, not just in live shows but in recorded programmes too.”
Details can be seen at seanoriordantv.com