Tuesday, October 16, 2012

19 Women Raped in Camps for Flood Victims in Nigeria

A woman gives birth in one of the camps. Photo Credit: BATTABOX.

It was double jeopardy for 19 female refugees at various resettlement camps in Benue State who were raped by men who were not bothered by the discomforting displacement they are suffering as a result of the flood. Cases of rape have been reported in four of the designated camps.

The incident may have heightened the woes of the people who were displaced from their various homes by the flood that has ravaged many parts of the country, as they are already cumbered by congestion, hunger, physiological inconveniences, and possible epidemic.

Some of the state governments, like Delta State, have introduced mobile clinics within the camps, to handle any health challenge of the displaced people.

THISDAY checks revealed that the insecurity within the camps and the lack of privacy has given rise to frequent cases of rape there. "It has become a daily occurrence in the four official camps," a source said.

Read the rest of the report.


Nigeria Ranks Lowest Among African Powerhouses in Mo Ibrahim Index

President Goodluck Jonathan.


Human rights, political freedom, transparency and accountability have deteriorated in four African "powerhouses" over the past six years, according to the 2012 Ibrahim Index of African Governance, which was released Monday.

Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Egypt dropped in the rankings in two of the four categories used in the index to assess good governance across the continent - safety and rule of law, and participation and human rights. The other two categories are sustainable economic opportunity and human development.

Nigeria was singled out as the worst performer of the four, dropping to the bottom 10 countries in the overall rankings for the first time. The country was ranked 14th out of the 16 countries in West Africa and 43rd out of the 52 countries listed overall.

Read the rest of the report on All Africa.Com.








World Cocoa Foundation Welcomes 9 New Members from Nigeria and other Countries


16 Oct 2012 14:00 Africa/Lagos

World Cocoa Foundation Welcomes Nine New Members from Nigeria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, & The United States

WASHINGTON , Oct. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) announces nine new members from Belgium, Canada, Germany, Nigeria, Switzerland, and the United States. The diverse companies join cocoa and chocolate manufacturers, processors, supply chain managers, and other companies worldwide that are committed to a sustainable cocoa economy.

The new WCF members are:

Agro-Traders Limited – Headquartered in Akure, Nigeria
COCOCO Chocolatiers Inc. – Calgary, Alberta, Canada
CropLife Africa Middle East – Brussels, Belgium
Diamond Bank – Lagos, Nigeria
H.D. Cotterell – Hamburg, Germany
Hussel Confiserie – Hagen, Germany
Pronatec AG - Winterthur, Switzerland
Raul Ocazionez Foundation – Sacramento, California, USA
TCHO – San Francisco, California, USA

WCF President Bill Guyton said, "The work of WCF is made possible by the active support, expertise, and contributions of our members. We look forward to working with these outstanding companies, and with all of our members, in support of cocoa farmers, their families, and their communities."

WCF members convene twice yearly for the WCF Partnership Meeting & Roundtable Sessions to share knowledge and expertise on a wide range of cocoa-related issues. Future Partnership Meetings will be held in Zurich, Switzerland, on October 24-25, 2012; Washington, D.C., on June 5-6, 2013; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on October 16-17, 2013.

The World Cocoa Foundation is the leading non-profit organization in cocoa sustainability worldwide and represents more than 80% of the global cocoa market.

For more information, visit www.worldcocoa.org.

About the World Cocoa Foundation
The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) is an international membership foundation that promotes a sustainable cocoa economy by providing cocoa farmers with the tools they need to grow more and better cocoa, market it successfully, and make greater profits. WCF's membership includes cocoa and chocolate manufacturers, processors, supply chain managers, and other companies worldwide, representing more than 80 percent of the global cocoa market.

SOURCE The World Cocoa Foundation

CONTACT: Marisa Yoneyama, Marisa.Yoneyama@worldcocoa.org, +1-202-737-7870

Web Site: http://www.worldcocoa.org


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Operation Libertad and 26 other films for EKOIFF 2012


The Swiss film Operation Libertad has been selected as the Opening Film of the third Eko International Film Festival from November 5-10, 2012, at the Silverbird Cinemas of the prestigious Silverbird Galleria on Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. The film was premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival with good reviews. 26 other films including features and short films, short and long documentary films and short animations have also been selected for public screenings at the 6 day film festival. The following are some of the films of different genres and from outstanding filmmakers in Nigeria, Switzerland, France, Austria, Mozambique, Spain, UK, Germany, USA, Argentina, Korea, Brazil and other countries.



“The film is based on a fundamental concept that was fuming within small sub societies in Switzerland some 30 years ago. I experienced the film as so real that it leaves you with the question; it might still be a totally true story… Brilliant camera work and visual design was done, to give the viewer the idea that most of the film that existed of a flashback was shot indeed at the end of the Seventies. The characters in the film were each of them very typical in their own rights, which gave the group together the image of a spicy revolutionary group that started out pretty innocent, but got too destructive in the end.”
~ Vivian Van Dijk, Editor-in-Chief of EYES IN.

SYNOPSIS

In 1978, the members of a small revolutionary group break into a Swiss bank near Zurich. They film the entirety of the action so as to prove the collusion between the Helvetic financial system and dictators. Thirty years later, the tapes of the Operation Libertad resurface…
Directed by Nicolas Wadimoff


Click here for more details.








Sunday, October 14, 2012

PR Newswire’s CEO, Ninan Chacko, Discusses the Evolution of the PR Industry with the Financial Times



PR Newswire’s CEO, Ninan Chacko, Discusses the Evolution of the PR Industry with the Financial Times

Ninan Chacko, CEO, PR Newswire.


Financial Times article explores the impact of the converged media landscape on modern communications

NEW YORK, October 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — In a recent Financial Times article, “PR and news boundaries are being redrawn,” media editor Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson turns the spotlight on the PR industry using PR Newswire’s transformation as the indicator of the increasing importance of this earned media discipline.

A recent post on Beyond PR, Evolving Media … And Evolving PR, takes a closer look at Edgecliffe-Johnson’s analysis of the changing PR business as well as PR Newswire’s CEO, Ninan Chacko’s, perspective on the emergence of content marketing, its impact on communications and the future of the business.

“Content marketing stems from the recognition by brands of the opportunity to be publishers –publishers of high-quality, engaging content,” said Chacko. “Content – in its wide array of formats – helps create a rich narrative that reinforces what the brand is, what it stands for and the value it brings to its audiences.”
Read the full post here: http://blog.prnewswire.com/2012/10/04/evolving-media-and-evolving-pr/
 
About PR Newswire
PR Newswire (www.prnewswire.com) is the premier global provider of multimedia platforms that enable marketers, corporate communicators, sustainability officers, public affairs and investor relations officers to leverage content to engage with all their key audiences. Having pioneered the commercial news distribution industry 58 years ago, PR Newswire today provides end-to-end solutions to produce, optimize and target content — from rich media to online video to multimedia — and then distribute content and measure results across traditional, digital, mobile and social channels. Combining the world’s largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimization network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world’s enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, and is a UBM plc company.

SOURCE PR Newswire Association LLC








Tope Oshin Ogun Wins Best Director Award at 2012 In-Short International Film Festival

Tope Oshin Ogun.


Tope Oshin Ogun won the coveted prize for Best Director for her thriller Till Death Do Us Part at the 2012 In-Short International Film Festival held in Lagos, Nigeria. The film won the Best Short Film prize of the film festival. Till Death Do Us Part also won the best short film from Nigeria award at the last Abuja International Film Festival in 2012.

The following is the list of all the nominations and winners.


NOMINATIONS AND WINNERS FOR IN-SHORT FEST 2012

1. BEST SCREEN PLAY

1. BIG DADDY
2. NATIONAL CAKE
3. SILVERLINING
4. TILL DEATH DO US PART
5. TO LIVE AGAIN

WINNER: NATIONAL CAKE

2. BEST SOUND

1. MIND TRIP
2. BIG DADDY
3. TO LIVE AGAIN
4. TILL DEATH DO US PART
5. LOOP

WINNER: LOOP

3. BEST EDIT

1. BIG DADDY
2. LOOP
3. NATIONAL CAKE
4. TO LIVE AGAIN
5. TILL DEATH DO US PART

WINNER: BIG DADDY

4. BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

1. TO LIVE AGAIN
2. TILL DEATH DO US PART
3. BIG DADDY
4. NATIONAL CAKE
5. REUNION
6. MIND TRIP
7. THE BIRTH

WINNER: TO LIVE AGAIN

5. BEST USE OF MUSIC

1. TO LIVE AGAIN
2. REUNION
3. THE BIRTH
4. PATRIOT

WINNER: TO LIVE AGAIN

6. BEST USE OF SPECIAL EFFECT

1. HECTOR
2. MIND TRIP
3. NATIONAL CAKE
4. THE BIRTH

WINNER: MIND TRIP

7. BEST ACTOR

1. AKINTAYO AKIN LEWIS (NATIONAL CAKE)
2. OC UKEJE (TILL DEATH DO US PART)
3. AKPEN BARNABAS (PATRIOT)
4. DADA ADESEGUN VICTOR (HECTOR)
5. WHOBA OGA (SILVER LINING)

WINNER: AKINTAYO AKIN LEWIS (NATIONAL CAKE)


8. BEST ACTRESS

1. AMAKA ANOIJI (TILL DEATH DO US PART)
2. ZARA ABIMBOLA UDOFIA (BIG DADDY)
3. BOLA EDWARDS (LOOP)
4. OBONGANWAN BENNET JAMES (TO LIVE AGAIN)
5. MONALISA CHNDA (SILVER LINING)

WINNER: AMAKA ANOIJI (TILL DEATH DO US PART)

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE – BIG DADDY
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD – THE BIRTH


9. BEST DIRECTOR

1. TOPE OSHIN- OGUN (TILL DEATH DO US PART)
2. CHRIS EHIDERO (BIG DADDY)
3. TOM ROBSON (SILVER LINING)
4. UDUAK ISONG OGUAMANAM (TO LIVE AGAIN)
5. KEMI ADESOYE (NATIONAL CAKE)
6. STANLEE OHIKHUARE (LOOP)

WINNER: TOPE OSHIN-OGUN

10. BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT
1. REUNION
2. UNDERGROUND
3. GHOST 101
4. TAKE ME TO THE BALL
5. ENGLISH BREAKFAST
6. SECOND WIND

WINNER: UNDERGROUND

9. BEST SHORT FILM IN-SHORT 2012

1. TILL DEATH DO US PART
2. BIG DADDY
3. TO LIVE AGAIN
4. NATIONAL CAKE
5. SILVER LINING
6. LOOP

WINNER: TILL DEATH DO US PART

STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JURY: IN-SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2012

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I consider myself privileged to stand before you this evening to give a report of the assessment of the crop of films that were entered for this year’s edition of the In-Short International Film Festival. It has been my pleasure to serve, once again, as Chairman of the festival jury and indeed a privilege to have presided over a well peopled jury who followed a rigorous process in order to reach a consensus and in order to identify the most outstanding films, actors and technicians nominated in the various categories of this edition of the festival.

For us at the jury, it has been an illuminating experience viewing the films that were handed down to us by the pre-selectors who we must say, did a great job of pre-selection from the loads of films that we were informed were received at the festival secretariat. We would like to express our appreciation to the organizers of the festival particularly to the President and Founder Mr. Victor Okhai for the opportunity to serve and also would like to commend all those involved in pre-selecting the stunning range of films we saw during our jury work, for their thoroughness. The pre-selectors made our task, which was simply that of rewarding and encouraging professionalism and identifying unique and distinctive filmmaking talents, easy.

To arrive at the decisions that will be announced shortly, we looked through over 40 entries comprising short films, short documentaries and a couple of infomercials that aptly captured the theme of this year’s festival, which is ‘Simple Idea…Great movies’. The unprecedented number of entries, in all categories and from different countries of the world, can lead only to this conclusion: that the IN-SHORT film festival has, indeed, become a truly international event. I served on the jury last year, and comparably I would like to report that this year witnessed a remarkable increase in the quality of the films submitted. From their technical qualities to the acting and directing, the 2012 film slate is most impressive. We saw films that were well shot and whose stories were dramatically imaginative with diverse thematic concerns and narrative techniques. The competition in most categories was very strong and our decisions reflect much thought and debate.

In all, the Jury is impressed by the quality and diversity of the storylines of the films presented. We saw films that told real and uplifting stories: films that were compelling, films that were visually stylish, films that took full advantage of the power of the lenses to explore the world, and films that signaled the emergence of a whole crop of young and ambitious filmmakers who are determined to keep cinema alive and well. In fact it took us longer time to agree on the eventual winner in the different categories because of the unarguably high standard and convincing styles clearly evident in the nominated films.

But we saw films that left us with sour tastes as though we tasted burnt bread. Not only were their stories implausible, it was spurious and their scripts did not match their visual sophistication. The Jury also wishes to highlight that the documentaries entered this year were of very low quality compared to the maiden edition. Indeed the Jury didn’t find their examination of the relationship between subject and the filmmaker, fascinating. Therefore we found that improvement was needed in the documentary film category. The Jury therefore had to take the painful decision not to give an award in that category because of shortcomings, especially the perceivable low artistic level. So there will be no award for the documentary category this time around. But we have included two categories this year and that is the music and special effect category. We observed efforts by some filmmakers to make these elements count in their films. So there will be an award for music and special effect this evening.

Also and more gratifying too, we observed a remarkably strong presence of women in front of and behind the camera. In fact 60 percent of the strongest films of the festivals were either conceived or directed by women. This is encouraging because the film industry tends to be very male dominated. Therefore the sure-footed emergence of women filmmakers is very promising and encouraging. We are also encouraged by the emergence of new talents who are making bold cinematic statement. We are particularly gratified by entries such as The Birth and National Cake that addressed the most serious social and political issues, with visual wit and a compressed sense of dramatic form. We commend the advances being made by these directors and producers and specifically single out these short movies- Loop, Silver Lining, The Birth and To Live Again for Honourable mention. We applaud Loop for its bold innovation; Silver Lining for offering a refreshing insight into autism, a condition of which parents and the general public need to be aware of, The Birth for its treatment of the Jos crisis and To Live Again for offering a non-stereotypical insight into the issue of HIV/AIDS. We are, therefore, unanimous in our decision to honour these four films with a Honourable Mention from the Jury.
Significantly, in addition to the publicized competitive categories, the Jury unanimously decided this year to give a “Jury Award” to a film, which in our view deserves a special acknowledgement for its impact and achievements above and beyond the individual technical categories. This special award will be announced later tonight.

For us at the jury, the most important thing in a Festival is the selection and eventual nomination. We know how difficult it is to make a film at all let alone a good one that will be selected and nominated. Therefore we salute all the filmmakers whose films have found their way to IN-SHORT 2012. We congratulate you all and wish you all better filmmaking days ahead.
Once again, we thank the organizers for the opportunity to serve and May I on behalf of my colleagues Dr. Bola Ademeso, Dr. Becky Angyur, Augusta Okon and Yemi Oladeinde, commend to you tonight, our roll call of the best for In-short 2012.
Thank you and do have a wonderful evening.

Shaibu Husseini,
Jury chair, In-Short 2012
MEMBERS: DR. BOLA ADEMESO (Senior Lecturer at the Department of Theatre Arts, Lagos State University), DR. BECKY ANGYUR (Visiting Research Fellow/film and media scholar), AUGUSTA OKON (Poet, published writer, lawyer, event manager, film critic and blogger), YEMI OLADEINDE (Journalist, film critic, programmer and PR/Media Consultant).









Global Social TV Market Worth $256.44 Billion by 2017


12 Oct 2012 07:30 Africa/Lagos

Global Social TV Market Worth $256.44 Billion by 2017

DALLAS, October 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new market research report, " Social TV Market: Global Advancements Forecasts & Analysis (2012 - 2017) ", published by MarketsandMarkets (http://www.marketsandmarkets.com), the total Social TV market is expected to reach $256.44 billion by 2017 with a CAGR of 11.2%.

Browse 62 market tables and in-depth TOC on " Social TV Market: Global Advancements Forecasts & Analysis (2012 - 2017) " .
http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/social-tv-market-815.html
Early buyers will receive 10% customization of reports.

To make television a more active and interactive experience, Social Television came into existence. Television viewers are currently looking for something interesting to watch and get opinions from their friends and family. The social layer on television makes television interactive. Internet and social networking acts as a medium for the convergence of the social layer with television and to enable viewers to communicate electronically with their friends watching the same program.

Television viewers are able to personalize the television experience by analyzing the various statistics provided by Social TV. Viewers are provided with a wide variety of choices from content discovery applications, check-in applications, and social programming application. Many social television tools and applications have given a customized television experience based on the viewer's choice of interest. Many companies have developed second screen applications to engage more viewers and to increase the targeted audience.

The future for the television is social through integration of social interaction on the television. Broadcasters are developing and enriching social TV integration; they are targeting the tune-in customer, engagement and their loyalty to boost the rating and they are also discovering the social TV challenges.

LG Smart TV packs in a ton of apps and Wii-style remote.

The global Social TV market revenue is expected to grow from $151.14 billion in 2012 to $256.44 billion by 2017, at an estimated CAGR of 11.2% from 2012 to 2017.

Europe commanded the largest share of the Social TV market revenue in 2012 at $55.48 billion; and is expected to reach $77.74 billion by 2017, at a CAGR of 7.0% from 2012 to 2017.

Scope of the Report

This report analyzes the Global Social TV market based on:

Hardware/Smart TV market by Value & Volume
Social TV technology & Platform
Social TV End users technology
Social TV trends and forecast 2012-2017 in terms of use of Second screen usages, TV viewing behavior etc.
Industry and region specific market data for Smart TV, technology and platform, and end user technology respectively


In addition to market sizes and forecasts, the report also provides a detailed analysis of the market trends and factors influencing market growth, offering in-depth geographic analyses of the Social TV market in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa. The report draws the competitive landscape of the Social TV market, providing an in-depth comparative analysis of the technological and marketing strategies the key players are adopting in order to gain an edge over the their competitors.

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets is a global market research and consulting company based in the U.S. We publish strategically analyzed market research reports and serve as a business intelligence partner to Fortune 500 companies across the world. MarketsandMarkets also provides multi-client reports, company profiles, databases, and custom research services.

MarketsandMarkets covers thirteen industry verticals; including advanced materials, automotives and transportation, banking and financial services, biotechnology, chemicals, consumer goods, energy and power, food and beverages, industrial automation, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, semiconductor and electronics, and Telecommunications and IT [ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/telecom-and-IT-market-research-113.html ].

We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. To know more about us and our reports, please visit our website http://www.marketsandmarkets.com.

Contact:
Mr. Rohan
North - Dominion Plaza,
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Suite 800, Dallas, TX 75252
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MarketsandMarkets Blog @ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com
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World Population of Hungry People Reducing But Burundi Has Most Hungry People


2012 Global Hunger Index: World Hunger Declines, but Progress Is Slow and Threatened by Unsustainable Use of Natural Resources

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 2012 Global Hunger Index (GHI), launched today by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Welthungerhilfe, and the international humanitarian organization Concern Worldwide, shows that progress in reducing the number of hungry people in the world has been tragically slow. According to the Index, world hunger remains serious while unsustainable use of land, water, and energy threaten the food security of the poorest and most vulnerable.

Launched in advance of World Food Day on October 16 th, the 2012 Index, "The Challenge of Hunger: Ensuring Sustainable Food Security under Land, Water, and Energy Stresses," analyzed the level of hunger in 120 countries and found that 20 face levels of hunger that are "alarming" or "extremely alarming." The majority of those countries are in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Burundi topped the list as the country facing the highest level of hunger, followed by Eritrea and Haiti. However, all regions have made progress against hunger, driving the global GHI score down 26 percent since 1990.

The 2012 Index focuses in particular on the effects that land, water, and energy stress have on global food security, particularly for the world's poorest people. To feed nine billion people—the projected world population in 2050—who will consume at the rate of 12 billion people if they follow the current consumption pattern of industrialized countries like the United States, it is clear that more food must be produced with fewer resources, and wasteful practices and policies must be eliminated.

"Agricultural production must increase to meet the demands of a growing and increasingly wealthy population," said Tom Arnold, Chief Executive Officer of Concern Worldwide. "Yet to avoid more stress on land, water, and energy resources, and to ensure that all have access to adequate food, that production must be sustainable and must prioritize the poor."

Higher food and oil prices have increased the number of international and national agricultural deals in recent years, with many of the leases and other agreements targeted at Sub-Saharan Africa where land rents are cheaper and regulatory systems are weaker. "Large-scale foreign investments in land should be closely monitored," said Welthungerhilfe President Bärbel Dieckmann. "Local organizations are needed to secure transparency and the participation of smallholder farmers whose livelihoods are impacted by land deals."

The Index lays out clear policy recommendations on how to use land, water, and energy for sustainable food security. These include improving governance of natural resources; scaling up technical approaches to food production and natural resource protection; and addressing the drivers of natural resource scarcity. Among these suggestions is to phase out subsidies for fuels and fertilizers, including the biofuel mandates of the United States and European Union, which are increasing prices and competition for land.

"If local, national, and international natural resource policies focus on sustainable, long-term gains, if policies are coordinated and tradeoffs among land, water, and energy policies are minimized, we can strengthen the global food system while preventing resource depletion," said Claudia Ringler, IFPRI

Deputy Division Director. "Such a shift to sustainable food security would benefit billions of people today and many more in future decades."

About the Global Hunger Index
The Global Hunger Index presents a multidimensional measure of global, regional, and national hunger by ranking countries on a 100-point scale, with 0 being the best score (no hunger) and 100 being the worst. A country's GHI score is calculated from three equally measured indicators: the proportion of people who are undernourished; the proportion of children younger than five years old who are underweight; and the mortality rate of children under five. The 2012 GHI scores are based on data from 2005-2010, the most recent available. To download a copy of the report, please visit: http://www.concernusa.org/media/pdf/2012/10/ghi2012_final.pdf

About the Contributing Organizations
Concern Worldwide is an international, non-governmental humanitarian organization dedicated to reducing extreme poverty, with more than 3,200 personnel working in 25 of the world's poorest countries in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Concern Worldwide targets the root causes of extreme poverty through programs in health, education, livelihoods and microfinance, HIV and AIDS, and emergency response, directly reaching more than 9.5 million people. For more information, please visit concernusa.org or follow us on Twitter and Facebook .

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty. IFPRI was established in 1975 to identify and analyze alternative national and international strategies and policies for meeting the food needs of the developing world, with particular emphasis on low-income countries and on the poorer groups in those countries. It is a member of the CGIAR Consortium. www.ifpri.org .

Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest non-governmental aid organizations in Germany. It provides fully integrated aid from one source, ranging from rapid emergency relief to reconstruction programs, as well as long-term projects with local partner organizations following the principle of help towards self-help. Since its foundation in 1962, more than 6,247 projects have been carried out in 70 countries with a total funding of $2.6 billion, striving for a world without hunger or poverty. For further information, visit www.welthungerhilfe.de .

PRESS CONTACT:
Crystal Wells: crystal.wells@concern.net / 212.557.8000
Sarah Immenschuh: s.immenschuh@cgiar.org / 202.862.5679
Simone Pott: simone.pott@welthungerhilfe.de / +49.0.228.22.88.132

SOURCE Concern Worldwide US

Web Site: http://www.concernusa.org

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"Your Beauty is Worth Nothing" Wins Top Awards at Antalya Film Festival


13 Oct 2012 14:00 Africa/Lagos



"Your Beauty is Worth Nothing" Wins Top Awards at Antalya Film Festival




ANTALYA, Turkey, Oct. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- "Your Beauty is Worth Nothing," a film about an immigrant Turkish boy who struggles with his new life in Austria won the Best Film Award in the National Competition at the 49th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival. The winners were announced at a Closing Night Gala on October 12, 2012.

This year's festival sent out a strong message for peace and against a possible intervention in the conflict in Syria. Many participants also spoke out for peace and tolerance and their films focused on important social issues like recognition of ethnic identities, women's rights, child abuse, gay rights and freedom of expression.

"This film is about a Turkish-Kurdish family and it's a film that doesn't take sides," said the director Huseyin Tabak, the German-born director of "Your Beauty is Worth Nothing." "It's on the side of humanity." The film also won the Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress, Best Editing awards and a Special Jury Prize.

"We don't want to fight with anyone. We don't want to fight with Syria," said Ali Adnan Ozgur, whose film "Children of the Land," about two children who take refuge in a village school won a Special Jury Prize.

In the International Competition, "Aglaya" a film by Hungarian director Krisztina Deak about a Romanian circus family who escape persecution in the 80s, won The Best Film Award and a Special Jury Prize.

"This is my first premiere and international festival and I'm very, very happy," said the director of "Aglaya" who applied to Antalya right after finishing her film. "This is a wonderful festival, and the organization and the events were very good."

The ten films in the International Competition came from Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East.

"What is most impressive is that all the National Competition films deal with really important issues for the country and the artists," said Barbara Boyle, Associate Dean at UCLA's Film Department. Boyle was the only member of the National Jury from the U.S. "For me that is the role of the artist, particularly the film artist, and it is important for audiences to deal with these issues and not be afraid."

The festival was not without controversy. There was a public dispute within the national jury about censorship and artistic merit, and statements were made to the Turkish media during the festival.

For more information go to www.altinportakal.org.tr.

The winners are:

The International Competition:

Best Film: "Aglaya" by Kristina Deak/ Hungary
Special Jury Award: "Keep Smiling" by Rusudan Chkonia/ France
Best Performance: Marian Dziedziel for "Supermarket"/ Poland

The National Competition:

Best Film: "Your Beauty is Worth Nothing" by Huseyin Tabak.
Special Jury Award: "Children of the Land" by Ali Adnan Ozgur.
Best First Film and Best Director: "Zerre" by Erdem Tepegoz.
Best Actress: Anna Andrusenko in "Farewell Katya" by Ahmet Sonmez
Best Actor: Abdulkadir Tuncer in "Your Beauty is Worth Nothing" by Huseyin Tabak

Contact:

Elif Cercel
International Publicist
ecercelpr@me.com



SOURCE Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival

CONTACT: Elif Cercel, +1-323-600-3839, ecercelpr@me.com

Web Site: http://www.altinportakal.org.tr/








Paul Obazele’s Lie To Minister of Aviation Shocks Zik Zulu Okafor

Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah, OON, Honourable Minister of Aviation, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Paul Obazele’s Lie To Minister of Aviation Embarrasses Zik Zulu Okafor

Paul Obazele.

The immediate past president of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Paul Obazele is in trouble again for allegedly lying to the Honourable Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah that he is still the President of AMP during a recent courtesy visit accompanied by Emeka Rollas who also claimed to be the new president of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) even though it is no secret that he lost to the new President of the AGN, Ibinabo Fiberisima after a controversial election last month. Obazele’s false claim has embarrassed the office of Zik Zulu Okafor, the bona fide current President of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP). Top stakeholders in Nollywood like Fidelis Duker confirmed the report on the closing day of Victor Okhai’s In Short International Film Festival Saturday October 12, 2012, at the City Mall in Onikan, Lagos Island.

Paul Obazele has not been pleased since he lost his leadership role of AMP to Zik Zulu Okafor and after desperate attempts to unseat the incumbent chairman of the Edo State chapter of AMP, Peddy Okhai failed.

Zik Zulu Okafor.

Since his election, Zik Zulu Okafor has taken the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) to a higher level from the local status to the global arena and in fact led a delegation of top Nollywood practitioners to the annual New Media Nollywood Programme hosted by the Georgia Institute of Technology last December in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.









Saturday, October 13, 2012

Why The European Union Won the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize



Award of the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Norwegian Nobel Committee has today awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2012 to the European Union, noting that the Union and its forerunners have for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe.

"It is a tremendous honour for the European Union to be awarded the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize," said President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso in a joint statement.

"This Prize is the strongest possible recognition of the deep political motives behind our Union: the unique effort by ever more European states to overcome war and divisions and to jointly shape a continent of peace and prosperity. It is a Prize not just for the project and the institutions embodying a common interest, but for the 500 million citizens living in our Union.

"At its origins the European Union brought together nations emerging from the ruins of devastating World Wars – which originated on this continent – and united them in a project for peace. Over the last sixty years, the European Union has reunified a continent split by the Cold War around values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights.

"These are also the values that the European Union promotes in order to make the world a better place for all. The European Union will continue to promote peace and security in the countries close to us and in the world at large. We are proud that the European Union is the world's largest provider of development assistance and humanitarian aid and is at the forefront of global efforts to fight climate change and promote global public goods.

"This Nobel Peace Prize shows that in these difficult times the European Union remains an inspiration for leaders and citizens all over the world."

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton said: "I am delighted at the news that the European Union has been awarded the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of its work on reconciliation, democracy, promotion of human rights and in enlarging the area of peace and stability across the continent.

"In the countries of the EU, historic enemies have become close partners and friends. I am proud to be part of continuing this work. The creation of the European External Action Service has enabled us to develop a comprehensive approach to better promote Europe's core values throughout the world.

"I will continue to work tirelessly to drive this process forward."

European Union Ambassador to the United States Joao Vale de Almeida said: "The Nobel Peace Prize recognizes the great achievements the EU has made in regional integration for peace. What started with six countries forming a Coal and Steel Community following World War II to help secure peace and stability has grown into a Union of 27 -- soon to be 28 countries -- working together. We are grateful for the indispensable support we have received from the United States over the years, and together with my fellow EU Member States Ambassadors here in Washington, D.C., I will continue to work closely with our American partners to promote peace, democracy, and prosperity around the World."

For further information, please see: www.EUintheUS.org & @EUintheUS.

SOURCE Delegation of the European Union to the United States

CONTACT: Silvia Kofler, (202) 862 9523; or Kasper Zeuthen, (202) 862 9530

Web Site: http://www.eurunion.org

Flag of 2012 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, European Union Portrait of 2012 Nobel Laureate in Literature, Mo Yan Portraits of 2012 Nobel Laureates in Chemistry, Robert J. Lefkowitz and Brian K. Kobilka Portraits of 2012 Nobel Laureates in Physics, Serge Haroche and David J. Wineland Portraits of 2012 Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine, Sir John B. Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka