Since it began in 1988, the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival has become a leading venue for committed cinema-works by courageous filmmakers worldwide who confront and expose human rights issues. This year's festival offers films that deepen our understanding of life in Rwanda, Iran, the Gaza Strip and Israel, and Afghanistan; and in working-class England, suburban America, and New York City. The festival is only one avenue through which Human Rights Watch promotes a concerned citizenry. They are of course best known for their timely investigations, informed policy recommendations, and ability to generate intense pressure to confront human rights abusers and defend basic freedoms for over twenty years. For further information please visit the Festival website, http://www.hrw.org/iff.
Special thanks to John Anderson, Bruni Burres, Clint Dalton, Laura Davis, Andrea Holley, Michelle Leisure, Rachel Weintraub, Human Rights Watch International Film Festival; Orville Schell, Chair, California Committee North, Human Rights Watch.
