No Knock-Out for Human Rights Defenders

MEDIA RELEASE
DAKILA
10 December 2012
Press Contact: Rash Caritativo 09151780240

(DISCLAIMER: Any opinions written in this post are Dakila Philippines' own and do not reflect the viewpoint of any other Naga City Deck and/or NCD Contributor)

No Knock-Out for Human Rights Defenders

Active Vista Film Festival celebrated Human Rights Day as it held its closing and awards night ceremony at the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) Theater on Monday, December 10.

Together with Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), Human Rights Defenders-Pilipinas, Foundation for Media Alternatives and HR Online, Active Vista went back in time to commemorate 40 years since Martial Law.

“We wanted to look back at the 70’s because we wanted to remember Martial Law, its victims, and the human rights defenders of that time, such as PETA and TFDP which were both formed during the Martial Law years,” Kristine Kintana, Program Director of Active Vista, said.

“The Active Vista Human Rights Film Festival traveled to 20 cities this year to impart to the youth the lessons of Martial Law and be human rights defenders of their time, especially with Cyber Martial Law threatening our freedom,” Kintana added.

Active Vista produced 10 new short films this year tackling various human rights issues – through its ALAB Advocacy Filmmaking Program.

Leni Velasco, Executive Director of Dakila, the group behind the Active Vista Film Festival said, “The Alab Filmmaking Program of Active Vista aims to foster a generation of filmmakers that will make films that illuminate life and make real the stories behind the headlines and statistics so that we may be able to empathize with the struggles of those whose rights are trampled upon and silenced; and embrace it as our own.”

The event also awarded the top “Pindoteros” of the human rights portal HROnline.PH or digital activists who use the Internet to push forward advocacies and as well as the winners of the ALAB 2012 Short Film Competition.

“There are so many ways to be a human rights defender today. The Internet and cinema are just two media, which we can use. We have to exhaust all means to respect and uphold the dignity, rights, and freedom of the people,” Velasco further explained.

“Our long history of struggle has proven that Human Rights defenders will continue to fight and will not be knocked down by those who continue to violate it,” she added.

Active Vista Human Rights Film Festival is organized by Dakila – Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism and supported by AusAID, Movies that Matter and the Royal Norwegian Embassy.