The Media Communications Association – International, New York Chapter (MCA-I NY) and the United Nations Department of Public Information have issued a call for entries as they begin to prepare for the next Stories from the Field, the Second Annual United Nations Documentary Film Festival.
The Festival will take place on Saturday, April 22, and Sunday, April 23, 2006, at Tishman Auditorium, The New School, 66 W. 12 St. (bet. Fifth & Sixth Aves.), New York, NY 10011. It will feature film screenings, panel discussions with the filmmakers and others, and award presentations.
An opening night reception will be held on Saturday, April 22, in The New School’s Vera List Courtyard, and will be by invitation or with press credential only.
Originally conceived as a showcase for films produced by United Nations offices and agencies around the world, the Festival has been expanded this year to include works from non-UN filmmakers. The theme of the Festival, the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, remains the same. The goals include commitments to:
w Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
w Achieve universal primary education
w Promote gender equality and empower women
w Reduce child mortality
w Improve maternal health
w Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
w Ensure environmental sustainability
w Develop a global partnership for development
Films produced by the United Nations offices and agencies may reflect one or more of the eight goals. Those produced by the outside filmmakers will speak to the first: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. (Next year, the organizers will invite films from non-UN filmmakers that address the second Millennium development goal: Achieve universal primary education.)
Background
The Festival was founded as a way to:
w Highlight some of the people and cultures in areas with a United Nations presence throughout the world and discover what these groups are doing to overcome challenges such as poverty, hunger, disease, civil unrest, trafficking, and injustice.
w Show how United Nations programs and services are helping communities to develop a civil society, participation, and a better quality of life for their people.
w Afford those in the trenches—United Nations workers, community leaders, and the people they serve—the opportunity to share their stories of adversity and triumph.
When interest in Stories from the Field proved to be high and non-UN filmmakers began petitioning the Festival organizers to consider outside films whose subject matter is aligned with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, it was decided to expand the competition.
Relevant Dates
January 20, 2005 – All Entries (UN & Public) Due
February 15, 2006 – Festival Finalists Announced
March (date TBA) – Tickets Go on Sale
April 22-23, 2006 – Film Festival (hours TBA)
Award Categories
Finalists will be selected by a screening committee of United Nations officials, MCA-I representatives, and New School University faculty based on the topical relevance, artistic merit, and production values of their work.
Awards will be presented in the following categories:
w Best UN Feature (15 min. & longer)
w Best UN Short (under 15 min.)
w Best UN PSA
w Best Public Short (45 min. & under)
w Audience Choice Award for Best (UN or Public) Film
Source: UN Department of Public Information.
Posted by: Atanu Garai
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