FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Silas Hunt: A Documentary, the in-depth story of the first African-American to break the color barrier at the University of Arkansas, earned its fourth and fifth national awards from the video and film industry: a gold Davey award and a platinum AVA award.

"We are very pleased that the quality and innovation of the documentary has been further recognized,” said Linda Beene Ballard, dean and associate provost of the School of Continuing Education and Academic Outreach. “It’s even more satisfying that this film has resulted in a broader understanding of Silas Hunt's contribution to diversity."

The Davey Awards are international creative awards given annually by the International Academy of the Visual Arts. The awards honor outstanding creative work from the best small firms worldwide. The 2007 Davey Awards received more than 4,000 entries from ad agencies, interactive agencies, production firms, in-house creative professionals, graphic designers, design firms, and public relations firms. Judging is based on a 10 point scale, with gold winners scoring 9 points or above. No more than 10 percent of entries receive a gold award.

The AVA awards also recognize outstanding work in the audio/visual fields. The AVAs are given annually by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. Entries do not compete against each other, but each is judged in competition “with itself,” based on its category, budget and other factors. Judges score the entries on a scale of 100, with platinum awards going for scores of 90 or above.

"The Silas Hunt documentary serves as an educational tool to spread the word of the rich history we have here at the university,” said Chris Erwin, who produced and directed the film. “It symbolizes our previous and ongoing commitment to diversity. We are very proud of all the accolades and attention the documentary has received."

Silas Hunt: A Documentary was commissioned by the University of Arkansas School of Continuing Education and Academic Outreach and produced by its department of media services. Media services crews traveled an estimated 17,000 miles in 12 states to videotape interviews for the film, shot 56 hours of videotape, and found 2,500 documents and images.

The documentary has previously earned an Aegis “Winner’s Award,” an Aurora “Gold Award,” and a Telly “Bronze Award.”  It was broadcast statewide on AETN this year, and is scheduled to be shown at several future events, on and off campus.