We are thrilled that HBO’s latest sensation, True Detective: Night Country, has won the Global Production Award for Sustainability at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Recognising the best in sustainable production
Our Director Jimmy Keeping, made a whirlwind trip to Cannes (travelling by Eurostar and TGV) to accept the award on behalf of Heidi Kindberg and her team at HBO. It was an honour for Jimmy, who worked on the show with the production crew to ensure that sustainability was woven into the fabric of the show.
“I particularly think what the judge at the end said rings true with what we bring to productions… ‘a sophisticated and well thought-out sustainability plan that engaged with all facets of the production team and workflow.’ Working on this show brought to light the significance of weaving sustainability into every aspect of production. From tapping into Iceland’s renewable energy grid to making innovative changes in set design and construction. It was so inspiring to work on a show with Mari Jo Winkler, Issa López and Heidi Kindberg – such powerful visionaries!”
Jimmy Keeping, accepting the award on behalf of HBO’s, Night Country.
We would like to give a huge shout out to the sustainability team on the ground in Iceland, who worked tirelessly on the show – Coordinator Sigga Rosa and PAs Stefán and Bjarki supervised waste management on set, engaged with the crew on sustainable practices and helped gather valuable data and feedback.
True Detective: Night Country
The fourth season of the acclaimed True Detective series, Night Country, explores a profound climate-related issue that resonates deeply with today’s global environmental challenges. The inclusion of such a narrative in a highly esteemed franchise has sparked conversations on climate change and sustainability in living rooms, workplaces, and friendship groups worldwide.
A Detailed Sustainability Approach
The Global Production Award in the new category of sustainable, green filming demands tangible evidence of delivered sustainability plans, showcasing measurable contributions to carbon reduction and benefits to the environment and local communities. Here’s how Night Country stood out:
Comprehensive Planning
From the initial stages of planning to the final cut, environmental practices were integrated into every phase of the production. This included:
- Fuel and Energy Solutions: Leveraging Iceland’s 100% renewable energy grid to minimize reliance on fuel generators.
- Art Department: Supporting sustainability in set design and construction materials.
- Innovative Technologies: Introducing an electric battery unit to reduce diesel generator run time on location and for studio crew parking.
Impressive Results
The production’s commitment to renewable energy was evident, with 75.7% of power used coming from sustainable sources. Due to Iceland’s renewable energy, the carbon footprint was approximately 3,000% lower than if the power had been sourced from diesel generators.
Judges’ Praise
The judges were impressed by the production’s comprehensive approach:
“A great entry. The production thought through the end-to-end process with detailed coordination, tapping into the renewable energy grid,” said one judge.
“This was a sophisticated and well-thought-out sustainability plan that engaged all facets of the production team and workflow,” added another.
Celebrating the leading production talent behind the show
For a deeper dive into their insights and experiences with sustainable production, check out the latest issue of Produced By: which highlights the approach taken by Mari Jo Winkler (Executive Producer), Issa López (Showrunner, Writer, Director, Executive Producer), and Heidi Kindberg (VP of Sustainability at HBO and Max).
Looking for support in reducing your production’s environmental footprint?
Sustainable Film can help. Please contact Jimmy who can talk about your project and steps you can take to reduce your impact – jimmy.keeping@sustainablefilm.com
Final Congratulations
Sustainable Film would like to congratulate all the winners from this celebratory night at the Global Production Awards 2024, in particular Matt Scarff (pictured below) the new Chief Executive from BAFTA’s albert who is making strides in developing the support available to productions.
You can read the article with all the winners here: ScreenDaily
