PLURAL+ Video Festival

Building on last year’s successful launch of PLURAL+, a youth video festival on migration, diversity and social inclusion, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) again invite the world’s youth to submit dynamic and forward-thinking videos focusing on these issues.

Participants in the 2010 competition should submit their videos between 1 March – 30 June, 2010. Further information including guidelines, rules and regulations, and the entry form can be found at the PLURAL+ website.

PLURAL+ 2009 not only provided young people with an effective platform to express themselves on key migration and diversity issues, but also the opportunity to reinforce the belief of the UNAOC and IOM that youth are indeed powerful and creative agents of social change.

“Last year’s PLURAL+ participation demonstrated how young people across the world are willing to creatively engage in complex social issues such as migration and cultural inclusiveness”, said Marc Scheuer, Director of the Alliance of Civilizations. “We were very pleased with the quality and relevance of the entries received, and we are thankful for the commitment of PLURAL+’s partners in supporting the distribution of these videos at festivals, conferences and TV broadcasts around the world.”

This year again, young people between the ages of 9 and 25 are invited to submit short videos of one to five minutes in length. The videos should express participants’ thoughts, experiences, questions and suggestions on migration, diversity, integration and identity, highlighting their realities as well as ideas on developing a peaceful coexistence in diverse cultural and religious contexts.

The aim of PLURAL+ is to ensure youth engagement in these important issues both at local and global levels by mainstreaming their voices through a variety of media platforms and distribution networks (broadcast, video festivals, conferences, events, Internet, DVD) around the world.

“We were pleased to see that the PLURAL+ 2009 entrants shared their thoughts, struggles and fears about their identity as youth as well as migrants. The true voice of PLURAL+ is found by listening to a population which is not only entering a new society as a migrant, but entering adulthood as well.” said Luca Dall’Oglio, IOM Permanent Observer to the United Nations.

A prestigious international jury will select three winners in three age categories (9–12, 13–17, 18–25). Each winner will be flown to New York and honored at an awards ceremony at the Paley Center for Media later in the year.

In addition, PLURAL+ partner organizations will award other exciting prizes and professional opportunities. These include co-productions and a chance for awardees to gain international exposure by presenting their work at film and video festivals, conferences and events around the world.

The winning videos from the 2009 edition of PLURAL + will be presented throughout the year at several events sponsored by partner organizations such as BaKaFORUM, Anna Lindh Foundation Forum, Chinh India Festival, Roots and Routes Festival, COPEAM Conference, the Royal Film Commission of Jordan’s Filmmakers Workshop, Havana Film Festival’s Red UNIAL, and NEXOS Alianza. In addition, broadcasters such as Aljadeed TV (Lebanon), TV Futura (Brazil), RAI (Italy) and United Nations TV affiliated networks will air the winning videos.