..Press Release................................ UNESCAP News Services

Date 17 October 2005
Press Release No: N/54/2005

Thailand Claims Major Prizes in UN 60 Regional Animation Comp

Bangkok (United Nations Information Services) -- Thai entrants to the region-wide “Short Animation Competition for the 60th Anniversary of the United Nations” have won first prize in both categories.

The prize money worth US$15,000 competition will be shared between the five major winners from Thailand and India. Entries came from countries around the region including Australia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Thai winners claimed first prize in both the Youth and the General categories. The winning entry “War Peace” in the General Category came from five members of Digidream Studios in Thailand. It is on the topic “Working together to Promote World Peace” and depicts the devastating impact of war on children from around the world.

The winning entry “Help” in the Youth Category came from Disspong Wongaram and Karoon Jeamwiriyasatean of Bangkok. It was on the topic “Working together to educate all girls and boys” and used clay animation and humour to tell a story about abused children in a sweatshop discovering the joys of education. You can view winners here: http://www.sipa.or.th/main/un_solution2005/un_solution.htm#

The competition was organized jointly by the United Nations and Thailand’s Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA) of the Ministry of Information Communication Technology. It was judged by a team of five comprising two UN representatives, one SIPA representative, one animation professor from Thammasat University and one representative from the private sector, Imagimax, a Bangkok based animation studio.

Entrants created a 3-5 minute short animation work on any of the five major working areas of the UN covering poverty, gender equity, health, education and world peace. These topics came from the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of concrete and achievable goals to raise the level of human development in the world by 2015. Entrants in the Youth categories were 25 and under from the Asia pacific region. The competition closed on October 1. For more competition information, please see http://www.un-shortanime.com/index.html

Winning entries will be screened at the award ceremony. Winners from regional Thailand and Mumbai, India will be flown to Bangkok to collect their prizes and participate in the United Nations Day celebrations on 24 October 2005.

NOTE TO EDITORS: You or your representatives are cordially invited to attend the UN Day 60th Anniversary Ceremony, Prize giving and Celebrations on Monday, 24 October 2005 at 9:00 am at the UN Conference Centre, UNESCAP, Rajdamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok.

For further information please contact:

UN Information Services Bangkok
Tel: +(66-2) 288-1861-69, Fax: +(66-2) 288-1052
E-mail: unisbkk.unescap@un.org
http://www.unescap.org

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