We are thrilled to announce that two MediaStorm films, developed in collaboration with Verse, The Last Move, and Connected to the Top, have been selected as a winner of PDN's Photo Annual, in the Multimedia and Video category. The Last Move tells the story of Michael Thomasson, the owner of the world's largest collection of video games. Michael has devoted his life to video games, but there’s one thing he loves more than his games: his family. The Last Move chronicles Michael’s attempt to help his family at an enormous cost. Connected to the Top takes a close-up look at the 2012 Everest expedition with The North Face athletes: Conrad Anker, Sam Elias, Kris Erickson, Emily Harrington and Hilaree O’Neill. The PDN Photo Annual, now in its 16th year, celebrates innovative work by photographers from all over the world. A jury of 31 industry icons selected the winners from thousands of entries in 10 categories: Advertising/Corporate…

The War Comes Home, a special collaboration between MediaStorm, Soledad O'Brien and Starfish Media Group, will air in theaters across the country for an exclusive one-day-only special presentation on May 24, 2016. The event will include a conversation with a panel of experts in veteran’s affairs, members of the faith community, celebrity advocates and veterans who will talk about everything from post traumatic stress to the challenges of assimilating to civilian life.  The War Comes Home focuses on the lives of two veterans who live on the brink of suicide as the result of post-traumatic stress. It chronicles the veterans as they battle with demons on a 5-day, program called Save a Warrior that uses meditation and team building exercises to help them heal. It first aired on CNN on August 12, 2014. The panel following the screening includes actor and activist Milo Ventimiglia; David Chasteen, co-founder of IAVA; Christina Rivera from Team…

The Alexia Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the 2016 Alexia Grants. The winner of the $20,000 Professional Grant is Aaron Vincent Elkaim of Toronto, Canada. The winner of the First Place Student Grant is Nathaniel Brunt of Toronto, Canada. Aaron Vincent Elkaim was awarded the Professional Grant for Where the River Runs Through, which examines the consequences of Brazil’s major hydroelectric expansion on the ecosystems, communities, and industries within the Amazon Rainforest. February 21 2014.  A child from the Xikrin village of "Pot crô" stands for a photo on the banks of the Rio Bacaja, its name meaning "the water that runs in river is the same as the blood that flows through our veins." The Xikrin are a warrior tribe that have strongly resisted the dam, but were recently divided into 8 smaller groups due to negotiations with Norte Enegria, the company building the dam. Many of the…

The W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography is presented annually to a photographer whose past work and proposed project follow the tradition of W. Eugene Smith and the dedicated compassion he exhibited during his 45-year career as a photographic essayist. It is a $30,000 grant to complete a current or future documentary project. To learn more about the grant and to apply, please visit www.smithfund.org. Deadline: May 31, 2016

We’ve got some exciting news. Connected to the Top has been nominated for a Webby for Best User Experience. In 2012, a team of professional climbers sought out to summit the highest peak in the world, Mount Everest. The expedition commemorated the 50th anniversary of the first American ascent of the mountain.   Inside Tracks was also nominated as an honoree for Online Film and Video. In 1977, Robyn Davidson walked 1,700 miles across the Australian outback. National Geographic sent Rick Smolan to photograph her perilous journey—a trek that tested and transformed them, forming an immutable bond that continues to this day. You can vote now to help us make it to the top! Congrats to Verse, the team that made it happen, and thank YOU, our audience, for all your support.