Simon Frost picks up two LA film gongs with new TV series pilot

Commercial director Simon Frost has picked up the Creative Excellency award at the 2011 US International Film and Video Festival for his television show The Johnsons. It also won in its category, Dramatic Comedy.

Held and judged in Los Angeles since 1967 with over 1000 entries from 22 countries submitted in 2011, rising to the top is not as easy as might be perceived in the TV nexus of LaLa land.

A character-driven black comedy drama series about four brothers doing it tough, wheeling and dealing their way through life in the outer western suburbs of Sydney, Frost wrote the pilot with Southern Star's Sarah Smith which was produced by Sarah Leach last year.

Leach said the team had been enormously appreciative for the industry's support of the project.

"It was self funded," she said. "So it simply wouldn't have been made without the support of FSM, Mrppp, Panavision, Stellar Sound, McGregor Casting and many others. We are incredibly grateful for that."

The Johnsons is currently being looked at for broadcast in Australia, the US and the UK.