Industry

From 3 June to 1 November 2024, you can submit your fiction and documentary film for the Movies that Matter Festival 2025.

We welcome press and film and human rights professionals every year.

Do you want to (further) develop the impact goals and strategies for your film? We are currently looking for film projects on human rights and/or social or environmental issues to participate in our Take on Film & Impact programme on 23, 24 and 25 March 2025. 

A multi-day interactive workshop programme for film festival organizers to strengthen new human rights film festivals and make existing festivals sustainable. Through these workshops, participants connect with like-minded festivals, share ideas, build networks, and inspire and assist festival organizers.

Sunday 24 March | Six documentary projects from around the world are selected for the Movies that Matter Rough Cut Service 2024. Each filmteam will privately meet with a panel of mentors with the aim of getting feedback on their rough cuts and further improving the structure and narrative of their story.

Thursday 28 March | The AMIR (Amsterdam Media Initiative for Refugees) project is a new initiative that allows young and talented newcomers (refugees) in the Netherlands to make short, gripping films.

Saturday 23 March | Photographer Ahmet Polat studies the aftershocks of the Gaziantep earthquake one year on with students and lecturers from Hasan Kalyoncu University. Syrian artist and student Hamzaeh Sharrack shares his unique perspective on his current hometown and looks back at the conflict just 60 km away in Syria.

23 – 27 March | Meet the international guests and local industry professionals at the daily Guests Meet Guests from 17:00 – 18:00 at Studio A in Filmhuis Den Haag. An informal networking hour for all accredited guests. The drinks are on us! 

The daily Guests Meet Guests hours are hosted by our partners SEE NL, CoBO, DAE and InDocs.

Friday 22 March | In the Meet the Activist programme the eight activists from the eight selected Activist films are introduced. A short clip about each activist is shown followed by a conversation with moderator Marieke Eyskoot about their work, what keeps them motivated and what the international community can do for their case. After the plenary programme there are speed dates with the activist for selected invitees.

Sunday 24 March | Priorto this screening of Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, director Johan Grimonprez will give a master class.

Sunday 24 March | Ahmet Boyacıoğlu, film director and producer and also festival director of the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, and Margje de Koning, artistic director of Movies that Matter, will discuss how to maintain one’s creative voice within a changing political landscape.

Saturday 23 March | Nazmiye Oral, one of the guests of honour of the Movies that Matter Festival 2024, presents the film adaptation of her theater performance No Longer Without You, which brought Oral and her mother Havva worldwide success.

Monday 25 March – IN DUTCH | For students and filmmakers at the start of their career, we present De Missie van de Nieuwe Maker (The Mission of the New Maker). An inspiring afternoon programme where we help you on your way to making and financing your film. This edition is all about “the power of the camera”.

Monday 25 March | Filmmakers Pavol Pekarçik (Slovakia) of Photophobia and Elaheh Nobakht (Iran) of Dream’s Gate, share their views on how to maintain your creative voice as a filmmaker in times of war and censorship. What are the emotional challenges of conveying their artistic work while being constructive? A conversation on artistic discourse, exploring the potential of film as a tool to convey different perspectives.

Thursday 28 March | A presentation of short films produced by the Buddy Film Foundation and ReFOCUS Media Labs. The presentation will be followed by a panel on how media makers from affected communities in exile can get support, produce new media and draw attention to unresolved crises. Founders and creators from the Buddy Film Foundation and ReFOCUS Media Labs discuss ways their community members continue to create despite extreme emphathy fatigue.

Wednesday 27 March | Discussion on archive use in film based on the hybrid film The Insides of our Lives. Co-director Misja Pekel and sound designer Evelien van der Molen explain how they were able to tell this haunting story with material from East German archives and private collections, among others, and what role sound design played.

Wednesday 27 March | In conversation with film director Mees Peijnenburg (Paradise Drifters), we explore with him the added value of working across borders. What else do you get from abroad besides money? In the second part, international co-producing will be discussed through a showcase. For this, we will showcase the work and working methods of Petr Lom and Corinne van Egeraat (I Am the River, the River is Me).