DITSHWANELO   10th ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL 2010

18 – 31 MARCH 2010 at MARU A PULA SCHOOL

DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights is pleased to announce its 10th Annual Human Rights Film Festival. This year it will be held from 18 to 31 March 2010.

For the first time the opening film will be screened at The University of Botswana. The opening event on Thursday 18 March 2010 will be co-hosted by The Department of Environmental Science, The British Council, The British High Commission and DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights. The rest of the festival will be held at The AV Centre at Maru a Pula School.

The Festival will be officially opened by Minister P.H.K. Kedikilwe, Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources on Thursday 18 March 2010 at The Auditorium of The Faculty of Business Studies, The University of Botswana at 7.00 p.m. Admission is free. There will be welcome drinks between 6.30 and 7.00 p.m.

The Film Festival is part of our awareness-raising and education about human rights. Our promotion of human rights is aimed at contributing to the development of a human rights culture in Botswana. We believe that knowledge of ones’ rights and responsibilities is an essential ingredient for the attainment of a sustainable ‘educated, informed, moral and tolerant Nation’ by 2016

The theme of the opening film, The Age of Stupid, is Climate Change. Other themes covered in the films this year include Zimbabwe, Children and Youth in South Africa, the Indigenous Peoples of Kenya, Poverty and Development in Kenya, The life experiences of the Palestinian people, The International Criminal Court, the Criminal Justice system in the USA and an imprisoned political activist and former Black Panther member, Female Genital Cutting in Mali, Rape as a weapon of war in the DRC, Gay and Lesbian rights and the Church and the aftermath of apartheid – remembering not to forget. The full programme is available on our website www.ditshwanelo.org.bw.

Speakers for the discussions after the films include The Attorney General Dr Molokomme, a representative from the General Agricultural and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ), a representative of Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana (LeGaBiBo) and South African Director, Mark Kaplan. Mr Kaplan has been the recipient of numerous international awards for documentaries and series.

Several of the films have been nominated or selected for international film awards. These include SILVERDOCS Documentary Festival, The London Film Festival Grierson Award, The BAFTA Awards, The Sundance Documentary Fund, The Fledgling Fund Award for Socially Conscious Documentaries, Fulbright Grant in the Creative and Performing Arts, The Dubai International Film Festival Audience Award, and being nominated for an Oscar Academy Documentary award.

Tickets cost P25 per day and are on sale at Riverwalk Mall and at Maitisong.  The proceeds of the ticket sales will go towards the work of DITSHWANELO. Admission is free for students with identification.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our current sponsors – Maru a Pula School, The University of Botswana, The British High Commission, The British Council, EED, Riverwalk Shopping Complex Mall, Yarona FM, Flemming Asset Management Botswana, Khan Charitable Trust, Multichoice Botswana, Shell Oil Botswana, and several individuals.

02 March 2010

Gaborone

For more information, please contact DITSHWANELO- The Botswana Centre for Human Rights at Tel: 267 390 6998, Fax: 267 390 7778, Website www.ditshwanelo.info.bw, Email: admin.ditshwanelo@info.bw