First UN Documentary Film Festival to Advance Promise of Peace & Equality

The United Nations is organising its very first documentary film festival, which will coincide with the 60th anniversary of the UN. It will portray their work and reflect on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - such as eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, reducing child mortality, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

The festival, featuring film screenings, panel discussions with filmmakers, award presentations, will take place on Saturday 21 May and Sunday 22 May at Tishman Auditorium, New School University in New York. The Media Communications Association – and the United Nations Department of Public Information also announced the launch of Stories from the Field.

The Stories from the Field are to spotlight some of the people and cultures in areas with a United Nations presence throughout the world, and to discover what these groups are doing to overcome challenges such as poverty, hunger, disease, civil unrest, trafficking and injustice. It will show how UN programs and services are helping communities to develop a civil society, participation and a better quality of life for their people.

The UN Under-Secretary-General for communications and public information, Sashi Tharoor stated, "Secretary-General Kofi Annan has seized the opportunity the UN's 60th anniversary provides to review the work of the organisation and to focus on how we can do things better."

The times of screenings and film synopses will be posted on the Festival Website as well as the judging, finalists and awards which will be given in two categories – best stories from the field short (shorter than 40 minutes) and best stories from the field feature (those longer than 40 minutes).

The producers and supporters of Stories from the Field hope that this effort will advance in some small way the United Nations promise of peace, development, equality and justice for all people.