- FFDPM 2009 -

MHRFF 2009

Initiated in 2006 by Images Interculturelles under the Action Week against racism, the Montréal Human Rights Film Festival (MHFF) aims to create, through film, a space for discussion and reflection on issues related to human rights and freedom. Generally speaking, selected films offer a critical perspective on past and current crises and human tragedies unknown to the public. These films also celebrate the great and small gestures of solidarity and invites the audience to continue its actions for peace, justice and human rights. The MHRFF also wants to pay tribute to the makers of a high quality art form committed to human rights and which are not necessarily distributed commercially. The Festival also wishes to offer a "spotlight" on the works of young directors and to encourage productions - still too rare of films dedicated to various aspects of human rights. During 10 days, the MHRFF thus proposes debates, screenings and solidarity actions.

The Board of Governors

The MHRFF has been supported since 2006, by a Board of Governors co-chaired by André Paradis, from Amnistie internationale and Honey Dresher, president of Culture, Diversité, Communications. This Board of Governors gather several personnalities from the film industry: Charles Binamé, Dany Laferrière, Danièle Lacourse, Hugo Latulippe, André Melançon, Raymonde Provencher, Alexandre Trudeau, as well as several personnalities from the human rights domain; among them: Michèle Asselin,, Gaétan Cousineau, François Crépeau, Ellen Gabriel, Janet Lumb, Maria Luisa Monreal, Brenda Paris, Patricia Rimok, Hubert Sacy, Shuni Tsou and Laure Waridel.

Member of the Human Rights Film Network

The Montreal Human Rights Film Festival integrated the Human Rights Film Network (HRFN) in January 2007. Founded in Prague on April 18, 2004, this international network wants to promote cinema as a means of denouncing human rights and freedoms violations, allow a better diffusion of films addressing human rights issues poorly represented in the commercial network and salute international solidarity actions. The network now counts about 20 festivals around the world among them: New York, Londres, Paris, Nuremberg, Séoul, Moscou, Johannesburgh, Buenos Aires, Mumbay, Amsterdam, Warshaw, Bologne, Barcelone, Genève, Prague and Toko

Activities off festival

The MHRFF wishes to develop activities between editions of the festival throughout Quebec, in order to allow a greater public to see the works shown during the festival in Montreal. During the MHRFF’s 3rd edition screenings were alson held in Quebec city, thanks to a collaboration with the Musée de la Civilisation. In that same way, a special two-night program will take place at the Sherbrooke University Cultural Centre on October 20 and 27, 2008.