The four part documentary Captain Cook: Obsession and Discovery  has won the prestigious 2007 Manning Clark House National Cultural Group Award in Australia.

Produced by South Pacific Pictures, December Films (Australia), Film Australia and Ferns Productions (Canada), the award was presented to the series in association with the Australian National University, University of Canberra, the ACT government and Centre for Australian Cultural Studies.

Mark Hamlyn, Head of Production at Film Australia accepted the award, saying “It’s an honour that the documentary has been recognised by Australian cultural and scholarly experts. To scoop the top prize is a fantastic achievement and the international production team is extremely proud of this acknowledgement.”

The Manning Clark National Cultural Awards recognise outstanding contribution to the quality of Australian cultural life and are open to all areas of creative and community endeavor.

Captain Cook: Obsession and Discovery  aired on Australia’s ABC TV in November gaining a phenomenal following with approximately one million viewers per episode.

The Weekend Australian writes, “This is beautifully made, wholly engaging television about us, our country, and one of the most important figures in our history.”

Each of the four parts is narrated by geographer and historian Vanessa Collingridge recounting the three incredible voyages of Captain James Cook that changed the world. Vanessa’s best-selling book recounting Cook’s life was optioned for the series.

“The Captain Cook series drew together documentary makers and resources from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Germany. It was one of the most ambitious and exciting productions we have taken on in recent times but we always believed it was an important story to bring to life. We are honoured to receive this award and full credit should go to the very talented production team,” said Film Australia CEO Daryl Karp.

Captain Cook: Obsession and Discovery  has also proven a winner with the Australian public, crowned with the Readers’ Choice Award for Best Local Telemovie or MiniSeries in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Couch Potato Awards.

Captain Cook: Obsession and Discovery  was produced by Tony Wright with co-producer Andrew Ferns (Canada) and series producer Paul Rudd. The documentary was written and directed by Wain Fimeri, Paul Rudd and Matthew Thomason. Executive Producers on the series are Stephen Amezdroz, Pat Ferns, Mark Hamlyn of Film Australia and John Barnett of South Pacific Pictures.

The series was produced with the assistance of New Zealand on Air, The Canadian Television Fund and Film Victoria in association with History Television, ZDF in co-operation with ARTE and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Captain Cook: Obsession and Discovery  is set to air on Prime (New Zealand) in 2008.