EWTN Press Release: JRR Tolkien Award

EWTN Original Documentary Receives First Place PrizeSecond Award This Year For ‘J.R.R. Tolkien: An Unexpected Friend’

EWTN’s Original Film “J.R.R. Tolkien – An Unexpected Friend,” a co-production of EWTN and Diego Blanco Albarova, won top honors in the Best Documentary category at the 2019 Mirabile Dictu International Catholic Film Festival in Rome. Accepting the award for EWTN are Anthony Johnson (l) and Alexey Gotovsky (r) from EWTN’s Rome Bureau with English Actor Rupert Wynne-James, one of the Festival judges. The documentary airs on EWTN television at various times throughout the year (www.ewtn.com/channelfinder), and can be purchased on a single CD containing both the English and Spanish language versions from EWTN Religious Catalogue at http://bit.ly/ERCHDUF.

Irondale, AL (EWTN) – The English language version of the EWTN Original Film “J.R.R. Tolkien – An Unexpected Friend,” a co-production of EWTN and Diego Blanco Albarova, won top honors in the Best Documentary category at the 2019 Mirabile Dictu International Catholic Film Festival in Rome. The four-day festival was founded in 2010 by Liana Marabini under the patronage of the Pontifical Council for Culture.

“This award is one of only five given – out of more than 1,500 total entries,” said EWTN Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael P. Warsaw. “The Spanish language version of this same EWTN Original Documentary was honored earlier this year with a First Place Gabriel Award by the Catholic Press Association.”

John Elson, Director of EWTN Co-Productions, said this documentary is a journey to the Christian meaning of the “Lord of the Rings.”

“Tolkien, who was a practicing Catholic, hid the Gospel in his most famous story. This documentary answers questions such as: Is this epic fantasy adventure a parable? Do orcs, elves and hobbits hide the precious pearl of the Gospel? What does the ring mean and why is it necessary to destroy it? Who is the enemy?”

The documentary airs on EWTN television at various times throughout the year (www.ewtn.com/channelfinder), and can be purchased on a single CD containing both the English and Spanish language versions from EWTN Religious Catalogue at http://bit.ly/ERCHDUF.

The Mirabile Dictu International Catholic Film Festival was launched to honor producers, filmmakers, documentaries, docu-fiction, TV series, short films and programs “that promote universal moral values and positive models.” The competition honors entries in five categories, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Short Film, Best Documentary, and the Capax Dei Foundation Special Prize for Evangelization.

EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 38th year, is the largest religious media network in the world. EWTN’s 11 global TV channels are broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week to over 300 million television households in more than 145 countries and territories. EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and over 500 domestic and international AM & FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; one of the largest Catholic websites in the U.S.; electronic and print news services, including Catholic News Agency, “The National Catholic Register” newspaper, and several global news wire services; as well as EWTN Publishing, its book publishing division.