2007 programs and events

American Director Wins Award in Minsk Film Festival

American film director Todd Kessler received a special recognition award for promoting kind-heartedness, generosity and compassion in films for children and teenagers in the children's film competition of the international LISTAPAD  (November)  film festival in Minsk. Mr. Kessler directed and also wrote the screenplay for the award-winning film, "Keith," which was extremely well received by the audience of over 300  teenagers and professional festival jurors alike. The U.S. film  was entered in the international competition of feature and animated films  which included works of filmmakers from Belarus, Brazil, China, the Czech Republic, Germany, Iran, Latvia, Russia, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.  Mr. Kessler’s visit to Belarus was supported by the U.S. Embassy Minsk within the framework of the U.S. Speaker Program.   In addition to the festival program, Mr. Kessler took part in three special screenings of his film for high school students and USG alumni organized  at Minsk Gymnasium No 1, Gymnasium-College No 24  and the Embassy Public Affairs Section.  The director also entertained numerous questions about his film and filmmaking in the U.S. at a press conference hosted by  the  LISTAPAD  Festival press center  and granted individual interviews to a number of state and independent media outlets.