International Human Rights Film Festival 2005

The 3rd International Human Rights Festival in Kyiv
"FIGHT FOR A LARGER FREEDOM!"

On the Human Rights Day, 10th December the International Human Rights Film Festival will start with the opening gala at O. Dovzhenko Film Studios - Pavilion I.

With the slogan of "FIGHT FOR A LARGER FREEDOM!", this year the festival will take place on December 10-16 in Kyiv at O.Dovzhenko film studio (Prospekt Peremogy 44, Kyiv) and Budynok Kino (Saksaganskogo Street 44, Kyiv). The festival will then travel in 2006 to other regions of Ukraine. Beside the awarded human rights films on peace, dignity and prosperity from all around the world, the festival will also offer public debates giving the audience an opportunity to appreciate films and to discuss the human rights topics on election rights, rights of minorities, rights of people living with HIV/AIDS, and others. This year the festival is devoted a special section for the 20th Anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe.

The festival is aiming to raise public awareness on human rights using the powerful medium of films and is a result of a combination of efforts of the UN system agencies in Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine, Ukraine Cinema Fund, Dovzhenko Film Studio, Budynok Kino, Amnesty International in Ukraine, OSCE, Human Rights Culture Association, Kyiv Parliament of Children, Leo Burnett, Verum. The Festival organizers wish to express their gratitude to the event sponsors, particularly to DHL and media partners ICTV, What’s On, Gala Radio, Radio Еra, Kino Kolo, Ukraina Moloda, Site Maidan.

On 10 December at 18:15 the press – conference, dedicated to the Human Rights Day and International Human Rights Film Festival will take place at O.Dovzhenko Film Studio in Pavillion 1

The press-conference participations will include UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine Mr. Francis M. O’Donnell, Minister of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine Mr. Ihor Likhovyi, Festival Coordinator Ms. Ruken Tekes Calikusu, Director of O.Dovzhenko Film Studio Mr. Ihor Stavchanskiy, President of the Ukraine Cinema Fund Ms. Lyudmyla Nemyria, Director of the film “Living Rights: Lena” Mr. Duco Tellegen.

The press conference will be followed by a gala reception and screening of two gala-films: “It’s Our Country” (directed by Ludmyla Nemyria, Ukraine, 2005) is about recent freedom movements in Ukraine and “Living Rights: Lena” (directed by Duco Tellegen, Netherlands & Belarus, 2004/2005) is about a young girl living in Chernobyl affected area. The film “Living Rights” won many awards from the following festivals: Parnu International Documentary Film Festival, 58th Locarno International Film Festival, BUSTER Copenhagen International Film Festival for Children and Youth.

The representatives of the Ukrainian and foreign mass media are cordially invited to participate at the press–conference and then the reception, gala-films screening and all other events of the festival (the programme of the Festival you can download here).

Please note that neither the selection of films nor the opinions expressed by them necessarily reflect the views of the organizers, supporters or media partners.

For detailed information and accreditation, please, contact:
Veronika Vashchenko (8 067 927 60 38),
veronika.vashchenko@undp.org

Mykola Movchan (8 050 548 77 89)
mykola.movchan@undp.org.ua

and Elena Belous, UN Office in Ukraine.

Tel: 044-254 00 35
Fax: 044-253 26 07