Seoul Train
Encyclopedia
Seoul Train is a 2005
documentary
that deals with the dangerous journeys of North Korea
n defectors fleeing through or to China
. These journeys are both dangerous and daring, since if caught, they face forced repatriation, torture and possible execution.
Seoul Train has been broadcast on television around the world, including on the Emmy Award
-winning PBS
series Independent Lens
. In January 2007, "Seoul Train" was awarded the Alfred I. duPont – Columbia University Silver Baton
for excellence in broadcast journalism. In April 2007, "Seoul Train" was named runner-up in the National Journalism Awards
.
The film was produced, directed and filmed by Jim Butterworth
, a technology entrepreneur in Colorado
in the U.S.
, and Lisa Sleeth of Incite Productions
. It was co-directed and edited by Aaron Lubarsky
, an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker in New York
.
2005 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
that deals with the dangerous journeys of North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n defectors fleeing through or to China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. These journeys are both dangerous and daring, since if caught, they face forced repatriation, torture and possible execution.
Seoul Train has been broadcast on television around the world, including on the Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-winning PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
series Independent Lens
Independent Lens
Airing weekly on PBS through ITVS, the Emmy Award-winning series Independent Lens introduces new drama and documentary films made by independent filmmakers. Past seasons of Independent Lens have been presented by hosts Angela Bassett, Don Cheadle, Susan Sarandon, Edie Falco, Terrence Howard, Maggie...
. In January 2007, "Seoul Train" was awarded the Alfred I. duPont – Columbia University Silver Baton
DuPont-Columbia Award
The Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award is an American award that honors excellence in broadcast journalism. The awards, administered since 1968 by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City, are considered a broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize, another...
for excellence in broadcast journalism. In April 2007, "Seoul Train" was named runner-up in the National Journalism Awards
National Journalism Awards
The National Journalism Awards are awards of US$10,000 to $25,000 in American journalism given by the Scripps Howard Foundation that recognize the best work in journalism in 17 categories, including: human interest writing; environmental and public service reporting; investigative reporting;...
.
The film was produced, directed and filmed by Jim Butterworth
Jim Butterworth (entrepreneur)
Jim Butterworth is a technology entrepreneur and documentary filmmaker. He is the co-founder of the nonprofit documentary production company Incite Productions, and a director and producer of the award-winning film Seoul Train. He is also the holder of numerous U.S...
, a technology entrepreneur in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and Lisa Sleeth of Incite Productions
Incite Productions
Incite Productions, or Incite Productions Inc., is a 501 nonprofit documentary production company based in Minturn, Colorado. It is the producer of Seoul Train, the critically acclaimed PBS documentary on North Korean refugees...
. It was co-directed and edited by Aaron Lubarsky
Aaron Lubarsky
Aaron Lubarsky is an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker known for his work on the HBO documentary Journeys with George, the PBS documentary Seoul Train and Sportsfan. After graduation from Stanford University's Documentary Film Program, he worked as a documentarian at Lucasfilm on "The...
, an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Awards
- 2007 Alfred I. duPont – Columbia University AwardsDuPont-Columbia AwardThe Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award is an American award that honors excellence in broadcast journalism. The awards, administered since 1968 by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City, are considered a broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize, another...
— Silver Baton for excellence in broadcast journalism (broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
. - 2007 National Journalism AwardsNational Journalism AwardsThe National Journalism Awards are awards of US$10,000 to $25,000 in American journalism given by the Scripps Howard Foundation that recognize the best work in journalism in 17 categories, including: human interest writing; environmental and public service reporting; investigative reporting;...
— Runner-up, Jack R. Howard award for excellence in electronic media/TV-cable. - 2006 INPUT: International Public Television Screening Conference (Taipei, Taiwan)
- 2005 ONE WORLD – Priština Film Festival (Priština, Kosovo) — Winner, Jury Award for Best Film.
- 2005 Libertas – Dubrovnik Film Festival (Dubrovnik. Croatia)
- Winner, Audience Award for Best Film.
- Winner, Jury Award for Best Documentary.
- 2005 Crested Butte Reel Fest (Crested Butte, CO)
- Winner, Audience Award for Best Film.
- Winner, Silver Award (Jury) for Best Documentary.
- 2005 Brooklyn International Film Festival (Brooklyn, NY) — Winner, Independent Spirit Award (Jury).
- 2005 Jackson Hole Film Festival (Jackson Hole, WY) — Winner, Best Global Insight Film (Jury).
- 2005 Artivist Film FestivalArtivist Film Festival & AwardsThe Artivist Film Festival & Awards is an international film festival and awards ceremony dedicated to recognizing activist efforts of filmmakers, specifically in the areas of human rights, child advocacy, environmental preservation, and animal rights....
(Los Angeles, CA) — Winner, Jury Award for Best Human Rights Documentary - 2005 Texas Film Festival — Winner, Audience Award for Best Documentary.
- 2005 Milan International Film Festival (Milan, Italy) — Winner, Jury Award for Best Editing.
- 2005 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival — Finalist, Jury Award for Best Short Documentary
- 2005 Boulder International Film Festival (Boulder, CO) — Winner, Jury Award for Best Documentary.
- 2004 Ft. Lauderdale Int’l Film Festival (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) — Winner, Jury Award for Best Documentary.