Curious Film president Peter Grasse asks: ‘do awards really matter to production companies?’

By Peter Grasse,

Do Awards Really Matter to Production Companies? It’s an interesting, topical question in view of the Cannes Lions wrapping up this week with a record 40,000 entries from across the globe.  

Nevertheless, being the most awarded production company in Australia & New Zealand doesn’t mean we have to talk about it. For Curious, producing entertaining content for a public audience has always had infinitely more appeal.

We could, of course, patter on about Curious’ productive stamina exemplified in it’s being credited on two Grand Prix Lions in 2010, earning another two Gold Film Craft Lions in 2014, and being shortlisted for more in Film, Branded Content and Entertainment only yesterday – but we’d rather not.

We could also crow about Curious twice being named Ciclope’s Production Company of the Year in Berlin, and even boast that a Curious film, Ida, won both this year’s Oscar, BAFTA and Independent Spirit awards for the Best Foreign Film of 2015 – but we won’t.

We might change the subject and talk about Curious’ new post-production arm having been awarded best VFX for ‘The Rocket’ at the 2014 Chinese Oscars, and more recently winning the 2015 SXSW Audience Award for its  post-apoctalyptic comedy ‘Turbo Kid’ – but we’d rather discuss something else.

Curious films consistently feature at Sundance, Venice, and the Cannes Film Festival. In fact, in 2011 a Curious director, Stephen Kang, won the Semaine de la Critique Grand Prix, which is something well worth swaggering about. Yet, we’d feel uncomfortable doing that, and so will forgo the subject.

Jokes aside, a production company’s talent is wholly driven by the act of producing itself. Our never-ending urge to bring ideas to life eclipses the thrill of any after-the-fact metallic praise. Our kicks don’t come from gongs, but rather come daily in the act of surmounting the challenges which enable great work for great clients to be made. That’s what motivates our merit, and that’s why we play ball.

Of course, we’re still immensely supportive of our industry and appreciate its plaudits.  Awards encourage new and interesting people to come collaborate with us, which is fun, equally motivational and important for our growth. And so, we play the game and are indubitably still eager to win. To this fact, Curious was again credited on numerous contenders at this year’s Cannes.