N.Korean Refugee Film Nominated for Emmy Award

"Crossing Heaven's Border," PBS's edited version of "On The Border" produced by the Chosun Ilbo about the plight of North Korean refugees along the border with China, has been nominated for an Emmy Awards. This is the first time a Korean-made documentary has been nominated.

The U.S. National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced the list of Emmy nominations on Tuesday. A total of 190 works in 41 areas have been chosen, with "Crossing Heaven's Border" one of five in the "Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story -- Long Form" category.

The Emmys are divided into prime time, which focuses on drama and other entertainment programs, and daytime, which honors news and documentary programs. The award ceremony will be held on Sept. 27 at the Lincoln Center in New York.

"Crossing Heaven's Border" is a re-cut of the Chosun Ilbo documentary "On The Border" about trafficking of North Korean women in China, the plight of laborers in Russia's logging camps, an a 10,000-km journey by defectors through the jungles of Southeast Asia to escape arrest in China.

It was first shown by the Chosun Ilbo in March of 2008 and picked up by around 20 foreign broadcasters including PBS, BBC, Japan's TBS and Germany's ARD. It has won some 16 prizes at events like the Monte Carlo TV Festival and the Rory Peck awards.