EU awards ‘Human Rights in Film Award 2019’ at Tbilisi International Film Festival

Monday, December 9

The winning film Negative Numbers, directed by Uta Beria, was chosen among seven films nominated for the award. Photo: Uta Beria

The ceremony was attended by the Ambassador of the EU to Georgia, H.E. Carl Hartzell. Photo: EU

On 7 December 2019, in the framework of upcoming International Human Rights Day, the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia awarded the " Human Rights in Film Award 2019" at the 20th Tbilisi International Film Festival. This was the third time the award was presented at the annual festival in Tbilisi.

The winning film Negative Numbers, directed by Uta Beria, was chosen among seven films nominated for the award. The Jury included representatives of the Public Defender's Office, Human Rights Watch, the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia and a well-known Georgian film critic.

At the awarding ceremony, Carl Hartzell, the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, said: “I was proud to present the 2019 Human Rights in Film Award. The seven competitors in the race this year all demonstrated high quality and the final choice was not easy. Let me congratulate again the winner of this year’s award, the movie ‘Negative Numbers’ by the director Uta Beria, for the great achievement.”

Uta Beria, the director of the winner film said: “I am very honored to get this award, since I believe that human rights are not only crucial aspect for cinematography, but also they should be properly perceived, respected and protected by all of us in our daily life. I would once again thank the European Union for this award.”

Each year, Human Rights Day is celebrated on 10 December to commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN General Assembly in 1948, guaranteeing fundamental rights and freedoms for all. Motivated by the experiences of the preceding world wars, Universal Declaration of Human Rights was the first time that countries agreed on a comprehensive statement of inalienable human rights. This year, Human Rights Day is celebrated under the motto “Youth Standing Up for Human Rights”.

The European Union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy and respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law. It is committed to ensuring both the fundamental human rights for EU citizens, as well as promoting those rights worldwide. In Georgia, the EU works closely with the government, state bodies, NGOs and CSOs in raising awareness on and promoting human rights.