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Two thousand people visit One World in Brussels 2012

Date: 14 May 2012 - 23 May 2012, Venue: Brussels

Best Film Award at the sixth edition of the human rights film festival went to Mama Illegal, a documentary on illegal immigration of Moldovan mothers to Austria and Italy.

Up to two thousand spectators visited the nineteen screenings of the 6th International Human Rights Film Festival One World Brussels that took place from 14 to 23 May. Topical documentaries dealing with issues from around the globe were shown at four locations in Brussels: the Bozar Centre for Fine Arts, European Parliament, Goethe Institute, and the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU.

The festival audience had a unique opportunity not only to watch documentaries but also to discuss their themes with international guests such as directors, representatives of European institutions, experts from NGOs as well as international activists.

At the end of the festival, international jury chose Mama Illegal, a film by Austrian director Ed Moschitz, for the Best Film Award. The documentary explores the serious issue of illegal immigration of Moldovan mothers to Austria and Italy, and the impact on their children left behind. The jury comprised Victoria Pirker, Human Rights Without Frontiers; David Nichols, Amnesty International; and Yin Myo, Women's Rights Activist from Burma. Nine documentaries out of 18 featured films entered the competition.

The festival jury’s statement said: „This documentary focuses on an aspect of irregular migration that provoked deep anddiffering emotional responses from members of the jury... By naming Mama Illegal the winning film of One World Brussels 2012, the jury would like to bring home the complexity of  irregular migration to European decision-makers and the wider public, and give a voice to the real family stories hidden by the rhetoric“.

The festival was held under the auspices of Martin Schulz, the President of the European Parliament and Ambassador Milena Vicenová, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the European Union.