The Human Rights Journalists Network Nigeria (HRJN) has received 1,224 film entries from 20 countries across the eight continents of the world ahead of the inaugural Africa International Human Rights Film Festival.
The founder of HRJN, Kehinde Adegboyega, said the highest number of entries, 137 films, was received from India, followed by 91 genres from Iran, 72 from Brazil, 70 from Turkey, 56 from the host country, Nigeria, 55 from Spain, 50 from Italy and 48 from the United States of America.
Adegboyega stated that the festival is another creative approach to beaming searchlights on many issues of human rights abuses across the world in an attempt to expose the drivers of these atrocious activities, obtain justice for the victims, prevent/reduce possible social stigmas associated with the effects/impacts, and raise a globally driven coalition to drastically prevent it.
He said the event which ends tomorrow is billed to hold at the Goethe Institute, Victoria Island, Lagos, adding that it would serve as a platform to start conversations and spur stakeholders to take action on fundamental human rights and abuses in Nigeria, Africa and anywhere in the world.
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“The entries are feature-length and short films that attempt to expose how the fundamental human rights of the people are being infringed upon by officials, using the instrumentality of political powers, state resources, law enforcement agencies, poverty and technology, to keep the masses perpetually vulnerable and at the mercy of the abusers.”
“Analysis of the entries shows that the following categories received the following numbers, “civic and political rights received a total of 523 entries, representing 26.6 percent; gender rights received a total of 443, representing 22.5 per cent; migration received 270 submissions, representing 13.7 per cent; climate change and justice had 268 total entries, representing 13.6 per cent and disability rights with 190 films indicating a 9.7 per cent of the total; urban development and forced eviction received 176 entries, representing 9 per cent.”
He said 20 internationally acclaimed and award-winning filmmakers, Human Rights, and Civic Space experts are sorting through the massive entries to pick the best films to be screened at the international event.
