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The 16th International Film Festival of Local Television will take place in Košice, Slovakia, from 9 to 12 of June. This year there will be a particular focus on poverty and social exclusion in relation to the 2010 European Year.

The festival is organised by the City TV Foundation, which was founded to foster the improvement of independent local television especially in the formerly communist countries.  The festival is the high point of the foundation’s activities. This year in addition to screenings, competitions, seminars and workshops, there will be emphasis on the role that local and independent media have to play combating poverty and social exclusion.

There will be a panel session dedicated to “Reporting on Poverty and Social Exclusion”. Local media and stakeholders will discuss how communicators and the media can play a crucial role in helping to tackle poverty and exclusion. The event will provide a forum for discussing how local media sees the issue and how communication can act as a catalyst for social inclusion.

There will be a “Golden Beggar” reward for TV documentaries in the following categories: the best local television, the best production company and for the best young author. In addition,  there will be a Special Award from the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. The winner will be selected on the basis of the European Commission selection criteria:

• The entry must be from one of the 27 EU Member States + Iceland and Norway
• The entry must be on the theme of poverty and social exclusion
• The entry must, in so far as possible, have an EU dimension / EU relevance
• The entry has to show solutions and best practice

The Award certificate and sculpture will be handed over by the European Commission Representative Peter Zspaka, and a 1500€ prize.