Magazine

July is Queer & Pride Month and with Amsterdam Pride just around the corner, it's the perfect time to reflect on the fact that the right to be yourself and love who you want is still not a given for everyone. But which film should you watch? We've made a list of 7 films for an ideal pink summer evening.

We are thrilled to announce that our grant programme is supporting 11 incredible projects this year! Among them are a brand new queer film festival in Nepal, the sixth edition of a feminist film festival in Ecuador, and a travelling cinema project in Haiti.

We are delighted with the positive feedback we have received from the Film Fund, the City of The Hague, and the Council for Culture. These recognitions confirm the importance of our work and provide us with valuable insights for further improvement.

At our festival, we met with Henry Samson Mafulul, director of the Rock International Film Festival (RIFF) and a participant of the Cinema without Borders workshop programme. In this interview, Henry shares how RIFF uses film screenings to encourage young people in Nigeria to advocate for human rights.

Meet FiSahara, a unique film festival that takes place every year in the middle of the Sahara Desert. With festival director María Carrión, we discuss the situation of Sahrawi refugees, culture and entertainment as a human right and the importance of FiSahara.

Curious about how the in-depth programmes at the Movies that Matter Festival come together? We spoke with İmge, one of the driving forces behind the engaging discussions, Q&A sessions, and other performances around the films at the festival.

Are you looking for more films about climate and activism after the On Tour film Deep Rising? We tip six films that explore the ravages of climate change and show the unyielding spirit of activists fighting against powerful economic interests.

Peruvian film festival Censurados celebrates its 10th edition this month. Director Teresa Castillo reflects on the past 10 years, how the current political situation in Peru affects the festival and stresses the increasing importance of a festival like Censurados in these times.

Project officer Tess shares the ins and outs of our international work, which supports human rights film festivals worldwide through funding, workshops, advice and an extensive network.

The film screenings of Total Trust in our On Tour programme for the month of November have ended. However, the film’s interpretation of the dangers of surveillance technology and the violation of privacy is more relevant than ever.

The Human Rights Film Network (HRFN), comprised of around 50 human rights film festivals from around the world, joins major international human rights and humanitarian organizations, as well as cultural and film collectives and millions of voices around the world, is urgently calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire on all parts and the protection of all civilians in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

How can a film screening serve as a dialogue starter to introduce students to certain topics? Karlijn talks about her experiences as project coordinator of the education team.