ANVIL's 'Story' Picks Up Top Prize At IDA DOCUMENTARY AWARDS

ANVIL's acclaimed documentary, "Anvil! The Story of Anvil", was honored in the "Feature Documentary" category during the 2009 International Documentary Association Documentary Awards this past Friday night (December 4) at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles.

According to Documentary.org, "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" took home two prizes, having already won the previously-announced IDA "Music Documentary" award. During a taped introduction to the film, "The Office" actor Rainn Wilson called the film about the long-struggling metal band, a "heavy metal hymn to the human spirit."

When accepting their award for "Music Doc", ANVIL drummer Robb Reiner said, "We are living proof that things are never too late and dreams do come true."

"Anvil! The Story of Anvil" is the directorial debut of screenwriter Sacha Gervasi ("The Terminal") and was produced by Rebecca Yeldham ("The Kite Runner" and "The Motorcycle Diaries"). The film follows Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Reiner and their band, ANVIL, which released one of the heaviest albums in metal history, 1982's "Metal on Metal". The album influenced an entire musical generation of rock bands, including METALLICA, SLAYER, and ANTHRAX, who all went on to sell millions of records. ANVIL, on the other hand, took a different path — straight to obscurity. The film is both entertaining and touching as it follows their last-ditch quest for the fame and fortune that has been so elusive to them. "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" is a timeless tale of survival and the unadulterated passion it takes to follow your dream, year after year.

Gervasi choked up while on stage with Yeldman and Reiner and Kudlow. "It kind of hit home to me, these films can have a real impact on other people's lives, four people, two people, one person. It's a beautiful thing," he said, noting how the movie about a struggling band has helped the band achieve more success than ever. "I think the message here is also that a film doesn't have to be serious for it to be profound. It's so nice that people understood what we were trying to do, and part of this wonderful story is making a happy ending for these guys. We're happy to be here, thank you very much."

Praised as "the best documentary I've seen in years," by documentarian Michael Moore, "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" contains appearances by an array of heavy metal icons, including METALLICA's Lars Ulrich, former member of GUNS N' ROSES, Slash, ANTHRAX's Scott Ian, and SLAYER's Tom Araya, among others.