What’s the one piece of advice you’d share with someone organising a human rights film festival? We posed this question to our past grantees: experienced organisers who’ve navigated the challenges, triumphs, and unexpected moments that come with creating spaces for powerful human rights stories.

For the third installment in our series, we’re looking at partnerships.

How can you address topics such as bullying, peer pressure and online behaviour in the classroom? Sometimes it helps not to jump straight into a discussion, but to start by watching a story together. A film puts students in a different situation and introduces them to characters they may recognise – or perhaps not at all.

For Anti-Bullying Week and Media Literacy Week, we’ve selected films that explore themes such as belonging, being yourself, peer pressure, online behaviour and the influence we have on one another.

Did you miss a film during the festival? No worries! We have listed for you which festival films will be released in cinemas or are available to stream soon.

This summer, in collaboration with beach club Het Puntje, we’re organising a mini film festival at the very tip of Scheveningen! From 21 to 23 August, you’re welcome to join us at De Komma, Het Puntje’s charming annexe, for three films selected in collaboration with Amalna Collective. Each day will feature a film that invites reflection, conversation and connection.

What’s the one piece of advice you’d share with someone organising a human rights film festival? We posed this question to our past grantees: experienced organisers who’ve navigated the challenges, triumphs, and unexpected moments that come with creating spaces for powerful human rights stories.

In this second article of our series, we explore one of the most important elements of any human rights film festival: your programme.

At the festival we screened the film Inside Gaza (2025) by Hélène Lam Trong. On March 22 the screening was introduced by Jan Pronk, former Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation. He shared his observations with us, so we can share it with you.

Cutting Through Rocks has been voted the winner of the Movies that Matter Audience Award 2026 by the festival audience. The award was presented on the closing night of the festival, 28 March 2026, by Charelle Akihary on behalf of NPO, the Dutch national broadcaster, this year for the first time as official award partner.

Seven titles won awards on Wednesday 25 March during the Award Night of the Movies that Matter Festival 2026.