06 January 2017

A documentary which celebrates the work of the world-famous Welsh photographer, the late Philip Jones Griffiths has won a prestigious award in Los Angeles.

Philip Jones Griffiths: Ffotograffydd Rhyfel Fietnam won a Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards for the best foreign feature.

Presented by BBC foreign correspondent Wyre Davies, the documentary was broadcast on S4C last February.

The Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards aim to promote and recognise documentary filmmakers from around the world. The awards are held every month, and Philip Jones Griffiths: Ffotograffydd Rhyfel Fietnam won the award in December.

The programme is a co–production between Welsh company Rondo Media, S4C and South Korean production company, JTV, Jeonju Television.

Philip Jones Griffiths: Ffotograffydd Rhyfel Fietnam celebrates the photographer’s life and work by documenting what made him famous – his Vietnam War photographs. During the war Rhuddlan-born Philip Jones Griffiths captured some of the most graphic and poignant photographs from a war-torn country ruined by political intervention and ravaged by in-land fighting. The documentary gives fascinating insight into the life and legacy of a man who was a true humanitarian and whose pictures are classics of photojournalism, as powerful today as the day they were taken.

Llion Iwan, S4C's Factual Commissioner said: "Congratulations to Rondo Media's production team on their fantastic success. The photographs Philip Jones Griffiths took during and after the Vietnam War are still relevant today. As a national broadcaster it was important for us to celebrate his work and pay tribute to him, by commissioning this beautifully-shot documentary."

Gareth Williams, Rondo Media's Chief Executive said: "We're delighted to have won this international award, we take immense pride in this S4C commissioned programme. In particular we would like to congratulate the production team, Caryl Ebenezer and Luned Phillips. It's an excellent example of Rondo's exceptional quality in producing factual programmes, that our productions are distributed around the world by BBC Worldwide.

"We are extremely proud of the partnership that we've nurtured with JTV in South Korea, our partner on this production. We were also very fortunate to receive the support of his daughters - Fanny Ferrato and Katherine Holden, as well as Magnum Photos and notable contributors John Pilger, Noam Chomsky and Don McCullin. We are very grateful to presenter Wyre Davies who was visibly touched by the extraordinary photographer's story, and by the horrors of the Vietnam War, which continues to affect society to this day."