BAGHDAD, March 7 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) Thursday lauded Iraqi artists and filmmakers for the production of 24 short films covering human rights issues in Iraq.

The remarks came as part of a film festival held in Baghdad from March 3 to 5.

The three-minute films, which were produced entirely in Iraq, reflected the impact of discrimination against minorities, violence against women, conflict atrocities, access to education or other human rights concerns, the UNAMI said in a statement.

"The UNAMI Human Rights Office in Iraq worked closely with the Baghdad Foundation of Cinema and Arts to make human rights and minorities a central theme of this year's festival," the statement said.

Female involvement was a requirement in the process of the production of the films.

An animation film titled "My Music," directed by Mortada al-Ameri, won the Gold Prize in the human rights and minorities category of the festival.

It speaks about the right of culture by telling the story of a musician who tried to evade the sound of war through music, and playing piano amid heavy gunfire, it said.

The second prize goes to "the Black Lens," a chilling account of the impact of corruption and impunity on Iraqi society.

"The films highlight contemporary challenges faced by minorities in Iraq and wider human rights issues, including disappearances, discrimination, violence against women, child abuse and poverty, and show the impact of the horrors inflicted by IS (Islamic State group)," the statement quoted Danielle Bell, head of the UN human rights office in Iraq, as saying. Enditem

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