May 7, 2026

Stockton Sister Cities Association Receives Two Prestigious 2026 Communicator Awards, for the film, The Marriage of Two Cities

STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA — May 2026 — The Stockton Sister Cities Association proudly announces that its original documentary film, The Marriage of Two Cities, has received two major honors in the 32nd Annual Communicator Well Said Awards presented by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts (AIVA).

The documentary was recognized with:

• Award of Excellence — General–Causes & Social Impact

• Award of Distinction — General–Documentary

The Communicator Awards, located in New York, is one of the largest and most competitive international awards programs honoring excellence in communication, storytelling, and creative work. This year’s competition included thousands of entries from across the United States and around the world.

The prestigious Award of Excellence represents the competition’s highest honor and is presented to projects demonstrating exceptional quality, innovation, and impact.

The Marriage of Two Cities tells the remarkable true story of two Italian prisoners of war during World War II who were brought to the Stockton area and whose experiences of kindness, friendship, and love ultimately helped inspire the enduring Sister City relationship between Stockton, California and Parma, Italy. The documentary highlights themes of peace, compassion, reconciliation, and international friendship — values deeply aligned with the vision established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower when Sister Cities International was founded in 1956.

The project was created through an extraordinary international collaboration involving more than two decades of historical research, nearly 100 Zoom meetings, extensive archival investigation in both the United States and Italy, bilingual script development, interviews, original music composition, and premiere coordination in both Stockton and Parma.

“This recognition is an incredible honor not only for our film team, but for everyone who has supported the Stockton–Parma Sister Cities relationship over the past 28 years,” said Diana Lowery, Director and Producer of the project and Chair of Stockton–Parma Projects for the Stockton Sister Cities Association. “This documentary demonstrates how human kindness during one of history’s darkest moments created lifelong friendships that ultimately connected two cities across the ocean. It is a reminder that peace begins one relationship at a time.”

The film has already generated international attention through television broadcasts in Italy, newspaper features, museum exhibitions, and public screenings. Its American premiere at the Haggin Museum in Stockton further strengthened community dialogue surrounding the historical role of Italian prisoners of war at the Lathrop–Stockton site during World War II.

Credits for the award-winning documentary include:

• The Stockton Sister Cities Association

• Director/Producer: Diana Lowery

• Director/Writer: Diana Lowery and Michele Speroni

• Cinematographer/Editor: Paul Bestolarides

• Original Music: Steve Wright

The Communicator Awards are sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts, an invitation-only organization composed of more than 1,100 industry leaders from acclaimed organizations including Netflix, National Geographic Society, JPMorgan Chase, FedEx, The Andy Warhol Museum, and many others.

The Marriage of Two Cities stands as a powerful example of cultural diplomacy in action and reflects the Stockton Sister Cities Association’s continuing mission to “promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation, one individual, one community at a time.”

About Stockton Sister Cities Association

The Stockton Sister Cities Association has promoted international understanding, educational exchange, cultural appreciation, and global friendship since 1959 through partnerships with sister cities around the world, including Parma, Italy.

For more information:

Stockton Sister Cities Association

or Diana Lowery at 209-465-5504