Global Woes on Screen: TRT Humanitarian Film Festival Unveils Stories of Pain & Resilience

News Desk

Islamabad: Today’s world is going through an extremely critical threshold due to economic crises, pandemics, famine, climate change and ongoing conflicts. The key to motivating us in the face of humanitarian crises is the ability to understand these pains and the lives of those who experience them one by one, said Türkiye Directorate of Communications Fahrettin Altun.

These views were expressed at the TRT Humanitarian Film Festival, which is organised to shed light on global humanitarian issues, providing an essential platform for filmmakers to address humanitarian concerns from their unique perspectives.

The festival also centred on other topics, including the migration crisis, environmental pollution, hunger, famine, homelessness, and poverty, while emphasising the importance of humanity.

The TRT Special Award at the festival was presented to the film ‘Night’ by Palestinian director Ahmad Saleh. TRT General Director Mehmet Zahid Sobaci said, “We must lift the blockade from the world’s mind. And the responsibility lies with us and with you.”

It is imperative to bring stories of unheard cries to the world, and the TRT Special Award given to the film ‘Night’ which tells the story of the tragedy in Palestine, is a testament to TRT’s mission, Zahid added.

Emphasising the importance of the TRT Humanitarian Film Festival project, Sobaci stated that for years, imaginary heroes, supposed righteousness, and certain concepts have been produced from a single centre and presented to us as if they were a set of universal values.

Organised by Turkiye Radio and Television (TRT) in Istanbul, it marked the festival’s fifth year.

The festival had received applications from over 370 films from various countries, including Turkey, Iran, Germany, Palestine, Italy, Jordan, Kosovo, Pakistan, Hungary, and New Zealand, of which 12 films were screened and awards were presented in five categories.

The categories were Best Film, Second Best Film, Third Best Film, Climate Awareness Special Award, and TRT Special Award. The first-place award was bagged by ‘Branka’, Ákos K. Kovács (Hungary), while second-place was won by ‘Split Ends’, Alireza Kazemipour (Iran). The third-place award was grabbed by ‘Displaced’, Samir Karahoda (Kosovo).

Similarly, the Climate Awareness Award was won by “The Sprayer”, Farnoosh Abedi (Iran).

During the event, the participants engaged in in-depth discussions on significant topics including war, conflict, women’s rights, the climate crisis, and more, while connecting with film producers and industry professionals.