History
In 1974, Father Ellwood Kieser, C.S.P. focused on making a difference in the quality of entertainment. He wanted to encourage the industry to use the media to enhance the lives of its viewers. “People aren’t born fulfilled human beings,” said Kieser, “they become fulfilled through a long humanizing process.” He believed that film and television significantly contributed to this process by communicating values, forming consciences and motivating human behavior.
Focusing even further, Father Kieser built a broad-based coalition to help shape and direct the Prize. They singled out the writer. They agreed that everything started with the script and the values, the depth, the honesty, and the point of view of a script began in the mind, heart and unconscious of the writer.
Although an awesome responsibility, the HUMANTAS Board of Directors also saw it as a tremendous opportunity for writers to bring their own struggles for light, life and love into their creative process. Writing in this way was a gift that they felt deserved to be recognized and rewarded.
With that, they created the HUMANITAS Prize for stories which:
- affirm the dignity of the human person
- probe the meaning of life
- enlighten the use of human freedom
- reveal in each person the common humanity of every other person, so that love may come to permeate the human family and help liberate, enrich and unify society
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