1st Edition: Beirut Human Rights Film Festival

Dates: 27-31 October 2008
Submission Deadline: 17 June 2008
Website: www.lau.edu.lb/academics/centers-institutes/idct/

The Beirut Human Rights Film Festival (BHRFF) organized by the Institute for Diplomacy and Conflict Transformation (IDCT), School of Arts and Sciences, at the Lebanese American University, Byblos - Lebanon in partnership with the United Nations Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights, Middle East Office (UNOHCHR), World Vision (WV), Beirut office and supported by a grant from the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Beirut.

For the first time the BHRFF is carried out in such an innovative format in the Middle East region. Films are considered as one of the most effective techniques of communicating with youth. In the light of youth to youth approach, the human rights will be promoted through powerful stories produced by young people, screened to schools, universities and the general public, followed by a wide-ranging national awareness campaign. The principle objective of the festival is to empower youth in attitudinal, structural, and cultural strengths in order to stimulate positive changes and responses to human rights violations through the film and supportive activities.

The university students of film, audio visual and related majors from Lebanon are invited to produce a short film within the following themes: (1) Human rights Abuses as a Cause of Violent Conflict; (2) Youth Responding to Human Rights Violations; (3) Children’s Rights; (4) Gender and Human Rights.

The film submission is open until June 17, 2008. Students are encouraged to submit the entries earlier as there will be a rolling pre-selection process.

The festival jury will select three prize-winning films:
1st Prize $ 3000; 2nd Prize $ 2000; 3rd Prize $ 1000.

Please find attached a copy of the festival regulation. To download the entry form, human rights fact sheet and other relevant documents visit the IDCT web
site: www.lau.edu.lb/academics/centers-institutes/idct/. If you have any queries related to the film specification and production, please contact Mr.
Maurice Maalouf, Festival Co-Director, and for other matters including human rights program or regulation please contact Dr. Iwona Safi, Festival Co-Director, at idct.HRfilmfestival@lau.edu.lb.

The IDCT, UNOHCHR and WV are proud to announce the first edition of the Beirut Human Rights Film Festival and encourage the persons in charge at universities, colleges and organizations in Lebanon to promote the call for film submission through incorporating the program into the university curriculum.