Athletes With a Disability Introduced to Moscow Film Festival

The new category was presented by State Duma deputy Mikhail Terentiev, who is also Secretary General of Russia’s National Paralympic Committee (NPC), and a member of the Sochi 2014 Supervisory Board. Terentiev is also a Paralympian, who has won several medals over the years, including one gold and four silver in Cross-Country Skiing.

In awarding the first prize to the Italian film “Sitting Bulls”, he said that the presence of this festival in Moscow demonstrates the great attention Russia pays to the problems that people with a disability face in their integration into normal life. He continued, saying that the premiere is particularly timely as Russia prepares to host the Paralympic Winter Games in 2014.

The President and CEO of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, Dmitry Chernyshenko, said that the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games will have state-of-the-art facilities fully adapted for people with a disability, and that the committee is focused on creating an atmosphere where athletes and guests feel both comfortable and supported. He praised the film festival, saying that much of the examples presented will encourage people to think and push for action. Chernyshenko said he was confident that the world will see many feats of courage and strength of spirit in the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

The 4th Cinema Without Barriers International Film Festival is taking place this week in Moscow and includes more than a hundred art documentaries and animated films from 20 countries, including Russia, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, France and the United States.

For more information about the Paralympic Games, please visit www.paralympic.org.