July 15, 2006
The Real Sex Traffic Takes Home Best Public Film; Deadly Catch Wins Best UN Feature
For a second successful year, MCA-I NY presented Stories from the Field, the United Nations Documentary Film Festival, bringing 40 new documentary films and PSAs to New York audiences. The festival took place over the weekend of April 22-23, 2006, at The New School.
One hundred eighty entries from countries on five continents were judged for this year’s competition. Nations represented included Burkina Faso, Canada, China, Germany, India, Iran, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Africa, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Venezuela, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Festival organizers, sponsors, volunteers, filmmakers, and guests gathered on opening night for the reception and awards ceremony. The top five winners of the 
2006 competition were:
- Best UN Feature (15 min. & longer): Deadly Catch – Lake Victoria’s AIDS Crisis. Agency: IRIN/OCHA (Integrated Regional Information Network/Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)
- Best UN Short (under 15 min.): Mother Aysha. Agency: UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East)
- Best UN PSA: Gilberto Gil against Child Labor. Agency: ILO (International Labour Organization). Producer/director: Fernando Meirelles
- Best Public Film: The Real Sex Traffic. Director: Ric Esther Bienstock
- Audience Choice Award for Best (UN or Public) Film: The Making of a Martyr. Director: Brooke Goldstein and Alistair Leyland
Award-winning actor, Benicio Del Toro, and Festival co-producer, Corinna Sager, presented the awards at an opening night reception attended by filmmakers, sponsors, Festival officials, and press.
Stories from the Field is presented by the Media Communications Association – International, New York Chapter (MCA-I NY), in cooperation with the United Nations Department of Public Information.
FILMS FOR 2007
The 2007 Call for Entries will be announced in late 2006/early 2007. For a film to qualify, it will have to reflect one or more of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, the ongoing theme of the Stories Festival:
- Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
- Achieve universal primary education
- Promote gender equality and empower women
- Reduce child mortality
- Improve maternal health
- Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
- Ensure environmental sustainability
- Develop a global partnership for development
MORE INFORMATION ONLINE
> Festival Web site: www.mcainy.org/unfilm
> United Nations: www.un.org
> Millennium Development Goals: www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
> UN Chronicle Online Edition: 
www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/
> Media Communications Association International, New York Chapter: www.mcainy.org
> The New School: www.newschool.edu
RELATED STORIES IN THIS ISSUE
> Lopez and Broyer Brief the United Nations NGO Community
> Volunteer Spotlight: Three Who Make a Difference
> Making Change: A Conversation with Dr. Maria Compte
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