Attention filmmakers! Do you have a short or feature-length documentary or fiction film, completed in 2026 or 2027, that addresses human rights issues? We warmly invite you to submit your work for the 2027 edition of the Movies that Matter Festival. The festival will take place from 19 to 27 March in The Hague.

The submission deadline is 1 November 2026. Take advantage of the Early Bird discount by submitting your film by 31 July at the latest.

We’re excited to announce that Cinema without Borders will take place in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 6–10 August 2026, during the 100% Manusia Film Festival.

Cinema without Borders is a five-day workshop and networking programme for organisers of human rights film festivals and mobile cinema initiatives. Fourteen participants from across Southeast Asia – including Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam – will come together to exchange knowledge, share best practices, strengthen regional networks, and develop practical ideas for impactful human rights film screenings and festivals.

The programme concludes with a public pitch session, where participants present their screening or festival plans to filmmakers, practitioners, activists, NGOs, embassies, and arts and cultural organisations.

You’re invited! Join us on 10 August, from 12:00 to 3:00 PM (WIB), at Erasmus Huis in Jakarta to watch the pitches, connect with inspiring changemakers, and help support the next generation of human rights film initiatives. RSVP via the button below.

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.

Our team is on the move this festival season, attending film festivals around the world. Our director, Margje de Koning, recently returned from the inspiring Docubox International Partnership Summit in Nairobi, while our Head of International & Industry, Julie Nederkoorn, is currently at the Durban International Film Festival. Curious where we’re heading next? Visit our website to see our upcoming festival schedule.

On behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), DSP-groep is conducting research on the representation of and accessibility for people with disabilities in the Dutch film and audiovisual sector.

They are inviting professionals working in the sector to take part in a short survey. The survey aims to better understand how professionals – with and without disabilities – navigate their careers, how background, identity and lived experiences shape these pathways, and what is needed to make the sector more accessible, inclusive, and a safe and respectful working environment.

If you work in the Dutch film and audiovisual sector, we encourage you to participate and share your experiences. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and can be accessed via the button below. For the English version, click the globe icon in the top right to switch languages.

The survey is anonymous. No personal data will be collected unless participants choose to share it voluntarily.

The Dutch cultural and creative sector is launching the world’s first Culture Climate Assembly, an innovative citizens’ assembly focused on the role of culture in the climate transition.

This autumn, 75 randomly selected cultural professionals will come together to explore how the arts can help create a more sustainable future. The outcome will be a shared climate agreement for and by the cultural sector, offering practical ways for everyone – from freelancers to major institutions – to contribute. Anyone working in the cultural sector can apply to take part.