UBC Reports | Vol.
51 | No. 1 | Jan.
10, 2005
Prof Captures Two Geminis
Creative writing professor Linda Svendsen has been recognized
for best writing in Canadian television.
Svendsen and co-writer Brian McKeown recently won a Gemini
Award for best writing in a dramatic program or miniseries
for Human Cargo, the CBC TV miniseries on the plight of refugees.
As producers of the series, the pair also captured the Gemini
for best television movie or dramatic miniseries. With 17
nominations, the miniseries took seven Gemini Awards, the
second-highest number ever awarded to a miniseries.
A $9-million dollar project, Human Cargo was filmed in Vancouver
and South Africa, and aired as a six-hour miniseries on CBC
TV in January 2004. During the early stages of development,
support from UBC helped fund library acquisitions, office
expenses and travel to African refugee camps, a mine and South
African locations for research purposes. Svendsen has taught
in the UBC Creative Writing Department since 1989.
The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television awards the
Geminis to celebrate excellence in Canadian English-language
television. Three other alumni from the UBC department of
theatre, film and creative writing took the stage to accept
Gemini Awards this year. Gavin Crawford (BFA ’93) took
best individual performance in a comedy or series; Brent Carver
(BA ’72) won best performance by an actor in a leading
role in a dramatic program or miniseries; and Astrid Janson
(MA ’72) won production design or art direction in a
non-dramatic program or series.
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