Seven films in race for the ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal Prize at the 47th IFFI 2016

At the IFFI 2016, there are seven films competing for the International Council for Films, Television and Audio-visual Communication (ICFT)-UNESCO Gandhi Medal Prize from the International Film Section and one film from the Indian Panorama Section.          

Shri C. Senthil Rajan, Director DFF, said that he is thankful to ICFT-UNESCO for giving this medal. He announced the contestants for ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi medal prize. These include ‘The Apology’ (Canada), ‘Beluga’ (Iran), ‘Cold of Kalandar’ (Turkey), ‘Exiled’ (Latvia), ‘The Family –Dementia’ (Spain), ‘Harmonia’ (Israel), ‘A Real Vermeer’ (The Netherlands) and ‘Allama’ (India).

Addressing the media today, Ms. Lola Poggi Goujan, Secretary General of ICFT and Jury Member, said that she is glad to be a part of IFFI 2016. She added that ICFT, an official partner of UNESCO established in 1956, is an NGO aiming to stimulate the production and distribution of high quality audio-visual work, especially of young artists and media avocations at large. She further said that the criteria for the Gandhi Medal will reflect UNESCO’s fundamental mandate of Building peace in the mind of men and women, particularly human rights, intercultural dialogue, promotion and safeguard of diversity of cultural expressions.

Ms. Xueyuan Hun, Associate, ICFT, said that this year they have received a lot of good films from the 47^th IFFI and therefore it has become difficult to decide upon the awardee. The award will not only be based on the film but also on the idea. She further said that the collaboration is a joint venture of ICFT and IFFI. Giving her views on Indian films she said that message of the film and technical aspects of the film is what she likes.

Talking about the Gandhi medal in further detail, the panel informed that in 1994, UNESCO issued commemorative medal marking the 125^th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, the world’s advocate of peace, tolerance and non-violence. The medal bears a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi engraved by the French artist Pierre-Yves Tremois. Etched underneath is the Mahatma’s message of hope: “In the midst of darkness light prevails”. The reverse side carries the UNESCO Logo.