Eight programs–including The Simpsons, Portlandia and the documentary Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God–got the first primetime Emmy Awards of the season as the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced the results of three juried categories–Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation, Outstanding Costumes for a Variety Program or Special, and Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking.
The TV Academy does not have standard nominations in these categories but rather convenes special peer group screening committees to view eligible achievements and decide if any are deserving of an Emmy. Only programs or individuals garnering unanimous approval are given Emmys.
This time around there were six Emmys awarded in the special juried Animation category, three in Costumes and one in Documentary Filmmaking. The latter went to HBO’s Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, written, directed and produced by Alex Gibney, and edited and co-produced by Sloane Klevin. The Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking Emmys were bestowed upon producers Gibney, Todd Wider and Jedd Wider, and executive producer Sheila Nevins.
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God premiered on HBO in February. It begins with the story of Father Lawrence Murphy–a Milwaukee priest who abused at least 200 deaf children from 1950-1974–and evolves into a courageous, uncensored examination of the global scale of abuse in the Catholic Church and the dangers of permitting the Vatican to maintain a system of justice impervious to prosecution.
An Oscar-winning documentarian (for Taxi to the Dark Side, which Klevin edited), Gibney is also available as a commercial/branded content director via Chelsea. Klevin edits spots and branded fare at Union Editorial, a company in which she is a partner. For more on Klevin, her contributions to Mea Maxima Culpa and her working relationship with Gibney, see SHOOT‘s The Road To Emmy, Part 4.
Mea Maxima Culpa remains in the running for five other Emmys in the competition’s regular categories, having been nominated for Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming (Gibney), Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming (DP Lisa Rinzler), Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Klevin), and Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score–Ivor Guest, Robert Logan).
Animation
The juried Animation category honorees were:
o Disney Mickey Mouse Croissant de Triomphe from Disney Television Animation received two Emmys–one for Jenny Gase-Baker’s background paint, the other for Joseph Holt’s art direction.
o Disney TRON: Uprising’s “The Stranger” won for Alberto Mielgo’s art direction.
o The Simpsons’ “Treehouse of Horror XXIII earned Paul Wee’s character animation an Emmy (Gracie Films in association with 20th Century Fox Television).
o Adventure Time‘s “Puhoy” won an Emmy for Andy Ristaino’s character design (Cartoon Network Studios).
o Also for Cartoon Network, The Dragons: Riders of Berk episode “We Are Family (Part 2)” was recognized with an Emmy for Andy Bialk’s character design.
Costumes
Copping Emmys for Outstanding Costumes for a Variety Program or a Special were:
o The 55th Annual Grammy Awards (CBS). Marina Toybina, costume designer.
o The Men Who Built America, “Bloody Battles” (History). Sarah Beers, costume designer; Rachael Leah Greene, Lisa Faibish, costume supervisors.
o Portlandia, “Blackout” (IFC). Amanda Needham, costume designer; Monika Schmidt, costume supervisor.
The Creative Arts Emmy ceremony will take place on September 15 at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre, with a two-hour edited version being broadcast on Sept. 21 on the new FX spin-off network FXX. The Primetime Emmy Awards will air live on CBS on September 22 at 8pm ET.
