The Society for East Asian Anthropology presents the biennial David Plath Media Award to the best audio-visual or other multimedia work on East Asian anthropology. The award carries a $300 prize.
The award – named in honor of David Plath, renowned Japan-scholar and producer of award-winning documentary films – recognizes the best work (film, video, audio, and/or multimedia/interactive media) on any aspect of East Asian anthropology and/or East Asian anthropology’s contribution to the broader field. Eligible submissions should advance theoretical development and debate, and have clear potential to enhance teaching. Projects may include ethnographic footage and documentation that adds to the historical and/or anthropological record or further analysis; media designed for educational purposes; and media produced for television broadcasting and other forms of mass communication.
The next David Plath Media Prize will be awarded in 2022 for material produced in 2020 or 2021. English accessible submissions are welcome from any part of the world. Nominations for the prize may be made by producers/authors, distributors, or interested third parties. Resubmissions will not be considered.
Past David Plath Media Award Recipients:
2020: Bora Lee-Kil’s film Untold (기억의 전쟁)
2018: Aaron Litvin and Ana Paula Kojima Hirano’s film One Day We Arrived
2016: Aya Domenig’s film The Day the Sun Fell
2014: Dipesh Karel and Asami Saito’s film Playing with Nan
2013: Jenny Chio’s film Peasant Family Happiness
2011: Karen Nakamura’s film A Japanese Funeral and Mark Patrick McGuire and Jean-Marc Abela’s film Shugendo Now
Submission Instructions:
All submissions must include:
- link to media (e.g., Vimeo, Youtube — if a password is required, please be sure it is active through September 2022 to allow the award committee time to review the submission)
- short 1-2 paragraph abstract describing the work and its objective
- informational coversheet including:
– applicant’s name
– institutional affiliation
– contact information
– title of work
– date work produced/published
– length of work (for film, etc.)
Complete submissions should be sent to Beata Świtek (beata.switek[at] hum.ku.dk) no later than June 15th, 2022. The winner will be notified in the fall.
Online submissions are preferred. Alternatively, please prepare three (3) non-returnable DVD copies of the media and contact the Committee Chair (beata.switek[at] hum.ku.dk) for instructions.
David Plath Media Award Committee Members:
Beata Świtek (chair), University of Copenhagen
Christine Yano, University of Hawai’i, Mānoa
Isaac Gagné, German Institute for Japanese Studies
Please contact Beata Świtek (beata.switek[at] hum.ku.dk) with any questions.