Survival wins Hollywood award for tribal rights film

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Survival International’s film ‘Mine: Story of a Sacred Mountain’ has won the award for ‘Best Short’ in the category of International Human Rights at the Artivist Film Festival to be held in Hollywood.

‘Mine’, narrated by British actress and activist, Joanna Lumley, depicts the struggle of the Dongria Kondh tribe of Orissa, India, to save their sacred mountain from Vedanta Resources’ proposed open pit bauxite mine. In August, the Dongria Kondh won an historic victory as India’s environment minister blocked the controversial mine.

‘Mine’ will be screened at 4 pm, and the award will be presented at 8 pm, on December 4 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, California.

Survival was at the forefront of a global campaign against Vedanta’s mine for several years, with the film playing a crucial role. ‘Mine’ has been viewed by over 650,000 people around the world. It even came to the attention of ‘Avatar’ director James Cameron, and the Dongria became known as the ‘real Avatar tribe’.

Survival’s US Coordinator, Tess Thackara, who will accept the award, said today, ‘We are very honored to have been awarded this prize. ‘Mine’ was an integral part of our campaign for the Dongria Kondh and shows what an invaluable part film can play in human rights advocacy. We hope all those inspired by ‘Mine’ will continue to support other tribal peoples around the world.’

Note to Editors: The Artivist Film Festival will be held in Hollywood from November 30 to December 4, then travels to New York and London in December and Rio de Janeiro in March 2011. Tickets to the festival are available to buy.