Deserts are home to some of the world's most magnificent and celebrated ecosystems and cultures. But drylands are experiencing increasing desertification, a serious global environmental problem with major economic and social implications that reverberate beyond the borders of the countries directly affected. Combating desertification is a major challenge for the international community, a challenge that is being addressed through the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). In recognition of the urgency of the challenge, the United Nations has declared 2006 the International Year of Deserts and Desertification (IYDD). While celebrating the fragile beauty and rich cultural heritage of the world's deserts, it also aims to highlight the serious challenge of desertification on the international agenda. For this reason the United Nations has decided to bring this problem to the awareness of a much wider public through the medium of film and the cinema. The International Film Festival Desert Nights: Tales from the Desert will take place in Rome, Italy, from 1 to 7 December 2006 and will present features, classics and documentaries from across the world and in particular from those countries most affected by desertification. The Festival will also include a number of cultural and social events. The Festival invites us to step into the world of the drylands communities and share their real-life stories. On show will be films from the five regions targeted by the UNCCD - Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, the northern Mediterranean, and Central and Eastern Europe. A major draw will be a retrospective section featuring many of the great classics of the genre. A number of unreleased feature films, as well as a selection of short films and documentaries, will also be shown. Artistic direction lies with Irene Bignardi and her team, in collaboration with recognized international film festivals and local film institutions in the countries of the Convention's regions. In selecting works to be shown at the Festival, the Artistic Director is assisted by a panel of international experts in the field of cinema and communication. An Honour Committee comprising recognized names from the world of cinema, arts and culture will lend its support to the Festival. Screenings will take place at La Casa del Cinema in Rome, and will be open to the public and the media. The Festival is organized by the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and under the patronage of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, the Italian Ministry of the Environment, Territory and Sea and the City of Rome.
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