Peter Wintonick

Peter Wintonick has died. FB pages, newspapers and websites are full of warm words and sadness from the documentary community. My former colleagues at EDN wrote these fine words:

It is with great sorrow that we, at EDN, have received the information that Peter Wintonick passed away yesterday, November 18, 2013.

Peter Wintonick has for over three decades been a leading figure in the international documentary sector. Peter was active as director, producer, festival programmer, curator, mentor and international documentary ambassador. But for many he was first and foremost an inspiring colleague and a great human being.

At EDN we have had the pleasure of working with Peter on many occasions. During the many sessions he produced for IDFA, the articles he has written for DOX and at the many occasions he was a valued tutor at EDN workshops. As late as in March, he was among the tutors at Docs in Thessaloniki.

EDN’s latest contact with Peter was through our newly released DOX 100, where he has a dialogue with Orwa Nyrabia. Unfortunately this will for many people be the last public meeting with Peter and his reflections on the documentary sector.

Peter’s career includes involvement in over 100 films and transmedia projects, and he has been recognised far beyond our documentary industry. Among other prestigious awards, he was in 2005 presented with Laureate of the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts, which is Canada’s highest such honour.

Peter became only 60-years old. Yesterday he died due to cholangiocarcinoma, a rare form of liver cancer. We have lost a dear colleague and a great friend. But even though Peter has passed away, his great spirit for documentary, his optimistic life approach and his warm personlity will stay in our hearts.

From EDN we send the warmest condolences to Peter’s closest family and friends.

Tue Steen Müller

Müller, Tue Steen
Documentary Consultant and Critic, DENMARK

Worked with documentary films for more than 20 years at the Danish Film Board, as press officer, festival representative and film consultant/commissioner. Co-founder of Balticum Film and TV Festival, Filmkontakt Nord, Documentary of the EU and EDN (European Documentary Network).
Awards: 2004 the Danish Roos Prize for his contribution to the Danish and European documentary culture. 2006 an award for promoting Portuguese documentaries. 2014 he received the EDN Award “for an outstanding contribution to the development of the European documentary culture”. 2016 The Cross of the Knight of the Order for Merits to Lithuania. 2019 a Big Stamp at the 15th edition of ZagrebDox. 2021 receipt of the highest state decoration, Order of the Three Stars, Fourth Class, for the significant contribution to the development and promotion of Latvian documentary cinema outside Latvia. In 2022 he received an honorary award at DocsBarcelona’s 25th edition having served as organizer and programmer since the start of the festival.
From 1996 until 2005 he was the first director of EDN (European Documentary Network). From 2006 a freelance consultant and teacher in workshops like Ex Oriente, DocsBarcelona, Archidoc, Documentary Campus, Storydoc, Baltic Sea Forum, Black Sea DocStories, Caucadoc, CinéDOC Tbilisi, Docudays Kiev, Dealing With the Past Sarajevo FF as well as programme consultant for the festivals Magnificent7 in Belgrade, DOCSBarcelona, Verzio Budapest, Message2Man in St. Petersburg and DOKLeipzig. Teaches at the Zelig Documentary School in Bolzano Italy.

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