Nature and wildlife film wins OSCE special prize at ecological festival in Yerevan

YEREVAN, 29 October 2009 - The audience's favourite film at an ecological festival, an Israeli film on nature and survival themes, was awarded an OSCE special prize today, the last day of the festival.

The five-day Sunchild International Ecological Festival featured several events supported by the OSCE Office in Yerevan, including seminars and debates on environmental matters. The festival also included a film competition, an ecological exhibit an arts exhibition and rock concerts. Representatives of the state, international institutions and civil society organizations took part in the festival along with young people, ecologists and artists.

The festival, the second of its kind, was organized by the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets in the Republic of Armenia to raise awareness about nature, wildlife and the environment among civil society, young people and the business community. The Ministry of Nature Protection and several state, civil society and business organizations supported the festival.

The OSCE Office-supported Environmental Law Resource Centre of Yerevan State University and Aarhus Centre representatives made presentations on Armenia's nature biodiversity, regional matters, cross-border and environmental security challenges and OSCE's environmental approaches in Armenia and the South Caucasus region.

Almost 90 films from more than 30 countries in Europe, America and Asia took part in a film festival that awarded prizes to the best wildlife film and the best environmental research film. The film voted by the audience as the favourite, an Israeli film called "Wall of Death" by Jossi Weissler and Moshe Alpert received a special OSCE prize worth 1,000 euros.

"The films shown in the festival help create awareness about environmental problems worldwide. They highlight the need to join efforts to improve the environmental situation in Armenia and the whole region," said the Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, Ambassador Sergey Kapinos.

Ruben Khachatryan, the festival director and head of the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets in the Republic of Armenia, added: "Environmental awareness and education is most important and it is crucial to motivate civil society and state institutions as well as the business community to engage in open discussion regionally and globally."