Movies that Matter has been supporting film festivals all over the world with our Grant Programme. Every now and then we invite grantees to share their insights. For this edition Elias Maeda, Founding Director of the Sauti Zetu Film Festival in Tanzania, elaborates on the effects on his community he experienced after the festival and gives a little sneak peek into new plans.

In the second episode of the new Movies that Matter podcast, we focus on the documentary Yintah, which highlights the struggle of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation to protect their ancestral land from the construction of natural gas pipelines. Moderator Servaz van Berkum speaks with director Jennifer Wickham and Shaylynn Sampson, a representative of the Wet’suwet’en land defenders, about the film and the story behind it.

July is Queer & Pride Month, and Amsterdam Pride is just around the corner: the perfect moment to remind us that everyone has the right to be themselves and love whomever they want, and that this is still not a given for everyone. But which film should you watch? We've compiled a list of eight films for the perfect pink summer evening.

This summer, Movies that Matter and beach bar Het Puntje are presenting a mini film festival at the southernmost tip of Scheveningen! From 31 July to 2 August, you are welcome at De Komma, the charming annex of Het Puntje, for three evenings filled with thought-provoking films. Each evening will be dedicated to a film that invites reflection, conversation and connection.

Our grant programme is proud to support a dynamic and diverse lineup of film festivals and initiatives this year, each harnessing the power of cinema to spark dialogue, inspire change, and amplify marginalised voices across the globe. From solar-powered mobile screenings in Zimbabwean communities to a Queer Film Festival honoring LGBTQIA+ stories in Nepal’s capital, these projects showcase the vital role cinema can play in fostering social justice and community empowerment.

Along with other Dutch nationals Halina Reijn, Victoria Warmerdam, Trent and Nina Gantz, Margje de Koning, artistic director of Movies that Matter, has been invited to join the organisation that awards the Oscars every year.

20 June is World Refugee Day. As the asylum debate intensifies in the Netherlands and millions of people around the world are fleeing war and oppression, it is more important than ever to keep listening and seeing each other.

In the brand new Movies that Matter podcast we dive deep into the stories, people and human rights issues behind the films screened at our festival. In this first episode we share a conversation with Tommy Gulliksen, the director of the film Facing War, recorded live in The Hague at our 2025 festival. The conversation was moderated by Nicole Sprokel, former Senior Political Affairs Officer at Amnesty International Netherlands.