(from the Oct. 13, 2015 DOC NYC press release)  The Robert and Anne Drew Award for Documentary Excellence goes to a mid-career filmmaker distinguished for observational cinema. This year’s recipient is Kim Longinotto, who will receive a $5,000 cash prize sponsored by Drew Associates.

For more than thirty years, Longinotto has made acclaimed documentaries that have won awards from BAFTA, the Sundance Film Festival and the San Francisco International Film Festival, among others. Her most recent film, “Dreamcatcher,” follows a former prostitute in Chicago who has dedicated her life to helping other sex workers.

The award’s name celebrates Robert Drew, who pioneered the documentary style that came to be known as American cinéma vérité, and his wife Anne, who was his filmmaking partner for more than four decades.

Jill Drew, the general manager of Drew Associates, who helped select the recipient, said, “Kim has trained her lens with a graceful touch on some of the most heartbreaking stories of women around the globe. By letting those stories unfold naturally, Kim lets the viewer feel what it’s like, to feel our shared humanity.”

Last year’s recipient was Laura Poitras who went on to win the Oscar for “Citizenfour.”