“We have two major international tsunamis of human rights abuses in both Myanmar and Afghanistan. So I would like to accept this award and dedicate it to those filmmakers who are still behind bars in Myanmar. The coup of February of this year has locked up hundreds of artists and we all need to work tirelessly for their release. But equally, I also want to dedicate it to all those filmmakers in hiding in Afghanistan. Waiting under the most difficult and dangerous conditions, to find a way out of a place that just became hell for them after 20 years of relative freedom of thought and expression”, said Mike Downey.

Downey was recently appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) in Queen Elizabeth II’s Birthday 2021 Honours List. Last year, he was part of the team that launched the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR) at the Venice Film Festival.

Downey is also the Honourary President of the 2020/2021 jury for the revamped LUX Prize, renamed LUX – the European Audience Film Award by the European Parliament and the European Film Academy (also known as LUX Audience Award).

Click HERE for the press release.