Irish documentary filmmaker Niamh Heery was awarded the grand prize in the 2014 Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) Human Rights Film Awards on the evening of Thursday, June 26, for her film "Harmanli: Trapped on the Fringe of Freedom," which explores the lives of asylum seekers living in the Harmanli camp in Bulgaria.

Commenting on the winning film, Awards Jury member and Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Pamela Yates said:

"Niamh Heery's 'Harmanli: Trapped on the Fringe of Freedom' celebrates the deep humanity of the asylum seekers in Harmanli, a world which for so many feels so remote. It is a worthy winner in an outstanding field of human rights documentaries."

The gala screening and awards ceremony, which took place to a full house in Screen 1 of Dublin's Light House Cinema, saw second prize go to Spanish Director Nacho Gil's "A Thin Line," a poignant short film that examines the issue of homelessness on the streets of Valencia. Third place went to director Virginia Manchado for her film "Modou Modou," which follows a day in the life of an African emigrant who lives and works in London as a market laborer.

The ICCL Human Rights Film Awards is Ireland’s only human rights-themed short film competition. Founded in 2008, the competition honors the finest in international human rights filmmaking by up-and-coming directors and documentarians. The 2014 grand prize was awarded following a gala screening in Dublin’s Light House cinema.