Within the European Union, Creative Europe Media develops policy on greening the media, a theme that has a place at the Movies that Matter Festival, where climate issues are extensively discussed every year.

The central question in this panel discussion is: how can filmmakers and producers produce ‘green’? What means are there to get the industry moving in the right direction? Which financial and creative resources can be used to make a film environmentally friendly and responsible? This panel examines the bumps in the road and looks at best practices of productions that have already succeeded.

In the context of the case study BIG OIL vs THE LAW, we address the issues surrounding green filmmaking and the role of storytelling in climate activism. Speakers include Maria Silvia Gatta (Policy Officer Creative Europe MEDIA – European Commission), Bernadette Kuiper (Impact Makers & Warming Up) and Sam Haygarth (actor, climate activist and writer of the short film Extinction).

Date: Saturday 9 April, 16:00 – 17:30
Location: Concordia Theater, The Hague and online livestream
VOD available from: Sunday 10 April
Language: English
Moderator: Vivian Schröder (Good Pitch Germany)

This panel is organised in collaboration with Creative Europe Desk NL and DutchCulture with the support of Creative Europe Desk Berlin-Brandenburg.

Despite growing media coverage and advancements in recent years, the systemic bias in the film industry persists and gender parity has not yet been achieved. This year’s Women in Film panel pays special attention to female filmmakers from regions where the current situation calls for urgent attention. Lidija Zelovic will give a keynote speech. This is followed by interviews with the Ukrainian film team of Peace for Nina and Afghan filmmaker Sahra Mani.

The session begins with a keynote by Lidjia Zelovic (1970, Yugoslavia), an award winning filmmaker, writer and speaker. She grew up in Sarajevo, and fled the war in 1992. She started as an independent film maker in the aftermath of her home country’s civil war, moved on to work at international media companies as BBC, Channel4 and for the Dutch Public Broad caster. Her latest film My Own Private War was awarded in many festivals around the world. Lidjia takes us into her creative world and discusses finding your creative voice after war traumas. In her work, Lidjia tries to find out what war does to people and whether forgiveness is possible.

After the keynote there will be an online interview with the Ukrainian film team of Peace for Nina, Zhana Maksymeno, Lyuba Knorzl and Dea Gjinovic. Zhana, Lyuba and Dea discuss the current situation in Ukraine. How do Ukrainian filmmakers continue filming and reporting what is going on in this indescribable, terrible war?

Finally, we speak with Sahra Mani, an Afghan filmmaker who fled Kabul last September. Sahra is the award winning filmmaker of A Thousand Girls Like Me. Her new film Kabul Melody is now in post-production. How does Sahra continue to find her creative voice? What is the current situation for (female) filmmakers who have stayed in Afghanistan? What is the situation for women in general now and is there an opportunity to capture with film what is happening?

Date: Tuesday 12 April, 15:00 – 17:00
Location: Pathé Buitenhof, The Hague
VOD available from: Wednesday 13 April
Language: English
Moderator: Margje de Koning, artistic director Movies that Matter

This panel is organised in collaboration with Creative Europe Desk NL and Vrouwen in Beeld.

Feel the world changing at the Movies that Matter Festival 2022. Forward, backward and in directions we can barely comprehend. See more than 80 beautiful, exciting and touching documentaries and feature films from all over the world. Experience inspiring debates, Q&As and educational programmes. Meet directors, activists, thinkers, and experts. From 8 to 16 April in The Hague, at eight satellite locations and online: the international film festival on human rights.

The Movies that Matter Festival 2022 is made possible by main partner Dutch Postcode Lottery and partners such as Amnesty International, ASN Foundation, BNNVARA, Creative Europe Media, Gemeente Den Haag Municipality of The Hague, Fonds 1818, Fonds 21, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dutch Filmfund, Oak Foundation, Trouw, vfonds, VEVAM and VSBfonds.