Prakash Jha, eminent film director and producer, has been awarded the 2008 Kostas Kyriazis Award, Greek’s most prestigious Honorary Award for contribution to human values, understanding and cultural collaboration among different cultures. The Award was conferred on Mr. Jha at a special ceremony in Athens on the 4th of June, 2008.

Prakash Jha is the first film director to receive this award. Professor N Kyriazis of the Kostas Kyriazis foundation, said, “This award is in recognition of his work and personality, and as a brilliant representative of the new generation of Indian artists.”

Ms. Barkha Dutt, Managing Editor, NDTV has been a recipient of this award earlier.

Says Prakash Jha about the award at he ceremony in Athens, “"Am feeling truly honoured to receive this award instituted in the name of a great revolutionary who stood for human values and the dignity of fellow human beings."

Prakash Jha has directed nine feature films including Apaharan, Gangaajal, Mrityudand, Damul and Hip Hip Hurray.  He has also made several documentaries and TV series. He has won 10 National Awards for his films and several international awards. Currently he is preparing to start shooting his next film, Rajneeti.

Jha’s films tend to be rooted in the socio-economic and political realities of an India in transition. Real, gritty and dramatic, Jha’s films use the mainstream medium to tell stories seeped in realism. 

Indian ambassador to Greece, Dilip Sinha said, “The award will add to the prestige of the Foundation and give us an opportunity to promote India-Greece relations.”

Named after the late owner and founder of Ethnos, Greece’s oldest daily newspaper, the Kostas Kyriazis Foundation presents the yearly award to organizations and individuals that promote human values, and freedom of the press. Kostas Kyriazis was well known for his fight against the Germans during World War II and against the Greek military dictatorship in the 1960s. 

Kyriazis was imprisoned by the military junta for 4 years for opposing the dictatorship and fighting for a free press. Apart from being a freedom activist, Kyriazis was a well-known novelist having written 13 historical novels on Byzantium.

Earlier recipients of the Award include, Ms. Kati Holbrooke, President of the International Committee for the Protection of Journalists, Hugo Butler of the International press Institute, Thomas L. Friedman, columnist  for New York Times and Christopher Merrill, a literary journalist.