Award to be Presented July 15^th During Opening Ceremonies of the 16^th Annual Ischia Global Film & Music Festival

The Board of the Ischia International Arts Academy has selected America’s Television Academy and the Television Academy Foundation to be honored with the 2018 ‘Ischia Humanitarian Award’ for its programs that nurture burgeoning talents, provide students with exceptional learning opportunities and encourage educators to mentor them and help shape the future of television. The award will be accepted July 15^th by Hayma Washington, the Television Academy’s Chairman and CEO during the Ischia Global Film & Music Festival’s opening night ceremonies.  The announcement was made by Festival founder-producer Pascal Vicedomini and 2018 chairperson Cheryl Boone Isaacs, past president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

The 16^th annual Ischia Global Festival, which takes place on this picturesque island off the coast of Naples runs from July 15-22, and will include a week of major film premieres, socially-relevant symposia, music performances, a master acting class and award ceremonies.

Previous ‘Ischia Humanitarian Award’ recipients include: Trudy Styler, president of The Rainforest Foundation Fund; Kerry Kennedy, president of the RFK Centre Foundation for Peace and Justice; David Belle, CEO of the Artists for Peace and Justice Foundation; Kenneth Cole, president of amfAR; Petra Nemcova, president of The Happy Hearts Fund; Paul Allen, president of The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and Boone Isaacs for AMPAS.

“Honoring the Television Academy and its Foundation for their many Humanitarian programs brings into focus the important role they play in educating the next generation of artists, creative talent and executives in this key segment of the global entertainment community,” said Vicedomini and Boone Isaacs. “We are so very pleased that Hayma Washington will be in Ischia to represent the Television Academy and to accept the award on its behalf."

“The Television Academy Foundation is dedicated to creating an industry of excellence and inclusion, to educate and inspire students, teachers, professionals and the public, and to preserve the history of television as a resource for future generations,” said Hayma Washington. “Our Internship and College Television Awards programs have nurtured thousands of students, providing access and opportunity that has helped them discover their voices, refine their skills and chart rewarding career paths in every sector of the television industry. We are deeply honored by this recognition. We remain committed to advancing and supporting inclusion within the industry.”

Presented under the auspices of the Ischia Arts Academy, the Ischia Global Film & Music Fest, is sponsored by Mibact-Dg Cinema and the Campania Region, and the municipalities of the Green Island. Noted Italian filmmaker and company executive Andrea Leone serves as its president and the American producer Mark Canton again chairs the Honorary Board which is comprised of many international entertainment industry notables including Oscar-winners Helen Mirren, Christoph Waltz, Melissa Leo, Jeremy Irons, Alessandro Bertolazzi, and Sandy Powell as well as Taylor Hackford, Bille August, Michael Radford and Lee Daniels, amongst others.

The event’s sister festivals are Capri-Hollywood – The International Film Festival, which takes place each December, and the Los Angeles, Italia Film Fashion and Art Festival, which takes place the week preceding the Academy Awards.