Wichita Eagle wins first Emmy for doc Father Kapaun
The Wichita Eagle won its first Emmy on Saturday at the Heartland Emmy Awards ceremony in Oklahoma City.
The Eagle’s 2021 documentary, “Once Was Lost: The 70-Year Search for Father Kapaun,” won the award in the Documentary Program: Topical category. The film, which chronicles the recovery of the remains of Korean War chaplain and Pilsen native father Emil Kapaun, was produced, written and directed by Eagle multimedia journalist Travis Heying. Eagle visuals editor Jaime Green and Eagle editor Michael Roehrman also won awards for their roles as producers of the film, as did freelance writer Roy Wenzl for his role as writer/director. Carter Green composed the film’s score.
The film was released on The Eagle’s website, Kansas.com, in November. Heying and Wenzl traveled to Honolulu; Houston; Washington D.C.; and Dover, Delaware, while making the film and researching an accompanying story – a process that took over five months.
“I’m thrilled that the Emmy Awards honored The Eagle’s work,” Roehrman said. “Father Kapaun was an extraordinary man, and I’m thrilled that his story – and the story of those who found him – touched so many people.”
The Heartland Emmys recognize outstanding work in television and broadcast content from Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. Ceremonies were held simultaneously Saturday in Denver and Oklahoma City.
Eagle’s film was in competition with documentaries produced by Oklahoma City television station KOKH, by The Denver Broncos and by the PBS series Roadtrip Nation.
The Eagle’s Emmy-winning documentary can be viewed at kansas.com/kapaun.
This story was originally published July 17, 2022 1:59 p.m.