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Call for Ramsar MedWet Film Award 2006 (05/01/06)

Call for entry of films for the Ramsar/MedWet Award on water and wetlands, Ecofilms - Rodos International Film and Audio visual arts Festival, Rodos, Greece 20-25 June 2006

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and its Mediterranean Wetlands Initiative (MedWet) are calling for entries for the Ramsar/MedWet Award for films on water and wetlands. The Ramsar/MedWet Award granted at the Ecofilms International Films and Visual Arts Festival, 20 ߀" 25 June 2006, Rhodes, Greece is offered for the third consecutive year and aims to promote excellence and talent in film making addressing issues related to water and wetlands.

A Jury Panel composed of experts from the Ramsar Convention Secretariat and MedWet, as well as professionals from the cinema industry, bestow the Award accompanied by a prize of 4.000 Euro (four thousand) provided by the two sponsors. The deadline for submission of entries to the competition which is open to film makers from all countries is 1st March 2006. Please note that films submitted must be in English or have English sub-titles. You can access the entry form for the Ramsar/MedWet competition on this address: http://www.ecofilms.gr/submitions/02.entry_form_en.asp

A diversity of themes and points of view was prominent in the 2005 competition. Among others, films competing last year documented civil society efforts to care for and influence the way natural resources are managed, traced the impacts of the Three Gorges Dam in China on man and the environment, offered a glimpse into wildlife living under extreme conditions in tidal flood plains and discussed issues raised by water pollution and shortage of drinking water for communities across world regions. Winner of the 15 short and long feature films competing in 2006 was the film The Veil of Berta, highlighting the struggle of a community of native Pehuenche villagers in Chile against the building of a dam that will change the flow of the Bio-Bio river and flood the lands where they have lived for centuries. You can see the details of entries from the past three years in all categories here http://www.ecofilms.gr/03.1.films_en.asp.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, signed in the city of Ramsar, Iran in 1971, provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The Mediterranean Wetlands Initiative of the Ramsar Convention (MedWet) is a long-term collaborative initiative for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands.

With best wishes

Sofia Spirou
Communications officer

MedWet Coordination Unit
Villa Kazouli, Kifissias & Lambraki 1, 14561 Athens, Greece
Tel: (+30) 210 - 80 89 270 Fax (+30) 210 - 80 89 274
urrl: www.medwet.org
e-mail sofia@medwet.org