Over 5,000 people participate in 2nd Edition of the International Millennium Film Festival

Brussels , Friday 18 June: On Friday evening hundreds of people gathered in Flagey Theatre for the closing ceremony of the 2010 Millennium Film Festival where the winners of leading documentaries were announced. Over 5,000 people have participated in this 2nd Edition of the festival that brought together fifty films from four corners of the world that speak out on issues of poverty, injustice and the need for the Millennium Development Goals.

“We have supported this Festival with the firm belief that shedding light on our diverse realities and common aspirations can ignite our conviction to embark on a collective fight against poverty and for the MDGs” said Sophie de Caen, Director of the MDG Achievement Fund the main sponsor of this year’s Festival. “We believe in the power that artistic and cultural expression has to reach people, organize them and trigger change”.

Ms. Rosa Lopez Elcarte, Head of Spain’s Multilateral Cooperation who attended the ceremony in representation of Ms. Soraya Rodriguez, Spain’s Secretary of State for International Cooperation emphasized Spain’s commitment to the MDGs and to the use of culture as a development tool.

Weaved between the beautiful melodies of Senegalese kora player N’Faly Kouyaté the Festival Awards were handed out based on decisions made by the seven member Special Jury presided over by Belgian filmmaker and actress Marion Hänsel. They were:

Award for Best Documentary Film (Objectif d’Or): “Last Train Home” by Chinese Film Director Fan Lixin who takes a close look at the life of migrant workers in China;

Award for Best Development Message (UNDP): “There Once was an Island” by New Zealander Briar March who delicately depicts the interconnection between identity, survival and climate change in the Pacific Islands;

Award for Best Human Rights content (OHCHR): “Fighting the Silence” by Dutch Director Ilse & Femke van Velzen who calls for a stop to the harsh reality and prevalence of rape in war torn Congo.

Special Jury Award: “Agrarian Utopia” by Thai director, Uruphong Raksasad raising the issue of land titles in Thailand; and

Public Jury Award: “A Blooming Business” by Dutch filmmaker, Ton van Zantvoort on the social and environmental impacts of the flower business in Kenya.

The Millennium Festival opened on 12th June to a brilliant performance by the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, a group of ex refugees who sing about the hardships of this life and the need for peace and development in the world.

The Festival ended with a clear call to action as stated by Ms. De Caen “the realization of the MDGs implies a responsibility for all, for citizens like you and I to remind governments to honour their commitments and make MDGs a reality for all”.

For more information on the festival visit www.festivalmillenium.org
For further information on the MDG Achievement Fund contact Layla Saad: www.mdgfund.org