PRIZES

past recipients can be found here.

THE RAI FILM PRIZE

Awarded biennially since 1980, this prize is for `the most outstanding film on social, cultural and biological anthropology or archaeology’. The value of the prize is £500. 

THE BASIL WRIGHT FILM PRIZE

Awarded biennially since 1986 this prize is for a film in the ethnographic tradition that takes advantage of the evocative faculty of film as a means of furthering a concern for humanity and for communicating that concern to others. The value of the prize is £500.

SAPIENS AUDIENCE PRIZE

Voted by the audience at the RAI Film Festival. The value of the prize is £350.

ROYAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSTITUTE & MARSH SHORT FILM PRIZE

Introduced in 2019, this prize is for the most outstanding short film on anthropology or archaeology. This prize is sponsored by the Marsh Christian Trust. The value of the prize is £500. 

WILEY BLACKWELL STUDENT FILM PRIZE

Awarded for the first time in 1990, and since 2005 sponsored by Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, this prize is given to the most outstanding film in the ethnographic tradition made by a student enrolled in a recognized educational institution. The value of the prize is £250.

PRESIDENT’S AWARD

Assigned by the Film Festival Committee to a film of truly exceptional merit that addresses issues of great contemporary importance and concern in anthropology or archaeology. This film may take the form of either fiction or fact-based documentary, and need not necessarily belong to any conventional ethnographic genre.

THE RICHARD WERBNER AWARD FOR VISUAL ANTHROPOLOGY

Funded since 2011 by Richard Werbner, this award is given to a film that is made by an anthropologist – preferably as part of a doctoral or post-doctoral research project – based upon extensive fieldwork. The value of the prize is £250.

ETHNOMUSICOLOGY FILM AWARD

This award is the most outstanding film about music/sound in the world. The award is sponsored by the British Forum for Ethnomusicology.  The value of the prize is £250.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Bestowed by the RAI Film Committee to honour outstanding contributions to ethnographic documentary film-making and/or academic visual anthropology.