WASILLA - The Iditarod Trail Committee (ITC) was front and center during the 44th annual Northwest Regional Emmy Awards at the Jonas Jensen Fremont Studios and Theatre in Seattle on Saturday, June 1st 2007. Iditarod Trail Productions won an Emmy Award for its documentary depicting the 2006 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

“Iditarod 2006: Mother Nature’s Turn to Dance,” was the Iditarod Trail Committee’s first attempt at producing its own documentary, and was nominated for an Emmy Award by the Regional Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences on April 13 2007.

The 95-minute documentary was the compilation of more than 130 hours of video shot during the 2006 Iditarod. The production team embedded within the infrastructure of the Iditarod Air Force, and got an up close and personal account on the race from start to finish. The documentary won the award in the category of program achievement in the best news special category.

Writer, editor and producer, Greg Heister was the driving force in developing the documentary. Others named as contributors to the National Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences award were Chas St.George, Iditarod’s Public Relations Director, and Terry Burge, a long time producer of Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race since the early 1980’s.”

Accepting the award on behalf of the Iditarod Trail Committee was the ITC’s Vice President Leelan Larson.

The ITC’s latest documentary “Iditarod 2007, As Tough as They Come,” premiered in Wasilla Alaska “Home of the Iditarod” for the first time on Friday June 1st at the Machetanz Theater to a full house. The proceeds from the screening went to help fund the Matanuska Susitna Borough’s new animal shelter’s Adoption Center.