Take on Film & Impact
Take on Film and Impact is Movies that Matter’s industry programme, designed for filmmakers and NGOs. It supports filmmakers in refining their impact strategies and creating connections and collaborations with organisations, funders, and broadcasters in the Netherlands.
A selection of film projects is chosen to take part in the programme. The teams behind the projects attend group (webinar) sessions led by experienced impact producers and filmmakers, where they further develop their impact goals and strategies for their films. At the end of the training, the teams pitch their projects and impact strategies to potential partners.
Applications for 2027 are now open
For our next edition, we are calling filmmakers from around the world to submit their projects for the Movies that Matter Take on Film & Impact programme. We are looking for feature length documentaries in the final stages of production about human rights and/or social or environmental issues that have developed an impact campaign about topics that need to be urgently addressed.
The application deadline is 11 October 2026.
Selected Projects 2026
Eight projects spanning four continents were selected for the 2026 Take on Film and Impact programme by Movies that Matter. Together, they tackled a wide range of urgent issues, from women’s rights, conflict-related sexual violence, adoptees’ rights, Indigenous rights, and the use of arbitrary detention as a tool of repression.
The following projects participated in the Take on Film & Impact programme:
- The Cord
- Earth Elders
- Lost & Found
- The Return
- This is Not an Apple
- Untitled Chilean Documentary
- While You Return
- Women Occupied
Programme 2026
The 2026 programme combined online training with an in-person segment for selected film projects. From 22 to 24 March 2026, NGOs, funders, impact producers and filmmakers came together in The Hague for training sessions, impact talks, case studies, pitches and speed networking.
During the Movies that Matter Festival, several Take on Film & Impact events took place:
23 March, 09:30 – 13:00 | Impact Morning
The 2026 Impact Morning featured a keynote speech, three case studies and a panel discussion exploring the intersection of film and impact.
24 March, 10:00 – 12:30 | Pitches
Eight film teams selected for the Take on Film & Impact programme presented their projects and impact strategies to an audience of NGOs, international organisations, financiers and impact producers. Distributors, sales agents and other film and television professionals were also invited to attend.
24 March, 17:00 – 18:00 | Awards
The Industry Awards Ceremony celebrated the outstanding projects from the 2026 Take on Film & Impact programme and the Rough Cut Service.
For questions, please contact us via industry@moviesthatmatter.nl.
Movies that Matter Take on Film & Impact 2026 is organised in collaboration with
