Student television documentary named best in country

A television documentary produced by students in the UM Department of Radio-Television has been named best long-form student documentary in the country by the Broadcast Education Association.

“Beyond the Myths: Growing Up in Montana” profiles six teenagers across the state. The film explores the challenges and rewards of growing up in Big Sky Country.

Student filmmakers exposed issues of teen pregnancy, racism, drug use and mental health. They profiled subjects as they celebrated rural life, family, sports and Native culture.

The students were enrolled in a course taught by Assistant Professor Denise Dowling and Adjunct Professor Gita Saedi. The hour-long film was produced by seniors and graduate students in UM’s School of Journalism in just 15 weeks. It premiered on Montana PBS in May 2007.

The award will be presented in April at the BEA Festival of Media Arts in Las Vegas. The students will be honored with an additional Award of Excellence given to entries deemed outstanding.

The BEA also singled out other works by UM students. The class of 2008 won second place in the student video competition for its program “Business: Made in Montana.” Junior Dan Boyce of Lewistown won second place in the radio sports reporting competition for his story on table tennis. Junior Greg McDonald of Charlotte, N.C., took third in the same category for his story on the Missoula Maulers hockey team.

The radio-television department has produced a student documentary each year for more than 20 years. These efforts have been honored with numerous regional and national awards.