As the public voice of the United Nations, the Department of Public Information is dedicated to communicating the ideals and work of the United Nations to the world; to interacting and partnering with diverse audiences; and to building support for peace, development and human rights for all. The Department promotes global awareness and understanding of the work and ideals of the United Nations, maximizing its global impact. Launched in 2009, the United Nations Creative Community Outreach Initiative was designed to collaborate with the creative community in order to achieve out mutual goals of promoting peace and raising awareness of critical global issues. We believe that awareness is a powerful tool in the face of injustice because it inspires compassionate action. Through creative media, we can bring honour, empathy and compassion to our stories, and, ultimately, to the people who live them. www.un.org/en/creative

The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) is the nation's oldest and largest not-for-profit advocacy organization for independent filmmakers. Since its debut at the 1979 New York Film Festival, IFP has supported the production of over 7,000 films and offered resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers, providing an opportunity for many diverse voices to be heard. IFP believes that independent films enrich the universal language of cinema, seeding the global culture with new ideas, kindling awareness, and fostering activism. The organization championed the early work of pioneering independent filmmakers Charles Burnett, Todd Haynes, Mira Nair, Michael Moore, Joel and Ethan Coen, Kevin Smith, and Todd Solondz. IFP continues to play a vital role in launching first films of many of today's rising stars on the independent scene including Debra Granik ("Down to the Bone"), Miranda July ("Me, You and Everyone We Know"), and Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden ("Half Nelson"). www.ifp.org

Harry Belafonte, International Goodwill Ambassador, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) 

Kathy Calvin, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, UN Foundation

Helen Clark, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme 

Dan Cogan, Impact Partners (US)

Cristina Gellach, Under-Secretary-General, Department of Communications & Public Information, United Nations

Antonio Pedro Monteiro Lima, Permanent Representative of Cape Verde to the United Nations

Mette Hoffman Meyer, DRTV (Denmark)

Sheila Nevins, President, HBO Documentary Films

Katherine Oliver, Principal, Media and Digital Strategies, Bloomberg Associates

Diane Weyermann, Executive Vice President of Documentary Films, Participant Media

The UN's Sustainable Development Goals serve as the focal point for screenings, panel discussions and social networking.