The third edition of the Global Migration Film Festival (GMFF) has been launched by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) – The United Nations Migration Agency in over 100 countries. The Festival is dedicated to the International Migrants Day annually marked on December 18.
In Tajikistan, the Festival opened on December 6 with a screening of On the Same Boat, a documentary exploring the human faces of the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean.
According to IOM Mission in Tajikistan, the Tajikistan edition of the Festival will continue with more film presentations in early 2019. The schedule and locations of the shows in 2019 will be announced on the IOM Tajikistan Facebook page.
This year’s edition of the Festival features films and documentaries that strive to capture the promise and challenges of migration, as well as the unique contribution that migrants make to their new communities. The goal of the Festival is to pave the way for greater discussion around one of the greatest phenomenon of our time.
“Films have the power to show the different faces of life, from many different angles, which can in turn help viewers cultivate a deeper empathy for migrants and a better understanding of their realities, needs, perspectives and capacities. The Festival gives us a great moment and platform to think about our fellowmen and supporting contacts between countries of origin, host countries, communities and migrants. Migration is surely not a new concept in Tajikistan. It would be difficult to find anyone in this country whose life has not been effected by migration one way or another. We believe that films about migrants would help people gain a clearer view of the phenomenon”, said Cristina Gheorghe Tranca, Chief of Mission, IOM Tajikistan.
Over the years, films have been used to inform, entertain, educate and provoke debate. It is in this spirit that IOM, the UN Migration Agency, launched The Global Migration Film Festival in 2016. Films can be educational tools, as they influence perceptions and attitudes. Films can also create a good space for respectful debate and interaction.
