Big news: we’re excited to share that the Movies that Matter Festival is now officially an Oscar® Qualifying Festival! ⁠

From the festival’s 2025 edition onwards, the winner of the Grand Jury Documentary Competition will be eligible for consideration for the ACADEMY AWARD® for Best Documentary Feature Film.⁠

The qualification highlights the selection of documentaries with social impact that the festival programmes, as well as its ongoing contribution to and engagement with the global film community. ⁠

Margje de Koning, Artistic Director: “It is an incredible honour to be included on the Academy Awards’ Qualifying Festival List. For years, Movies that Matter has been dedicated to creating an internationally renowned platform for films about society, human rights, and activism. This recognition by the Academy is a significant acknowledgement of the filmmakers who, often under difficult circumstances, manage to bring their stories to life. It is also a testament to the relentless effort of our festival, which serves as a springboard for filmmakers to reach the world’s largest cinematic stage: the Oscars®.”

Are you a filmmaker working on a film about social issues, human rights or sustainability? Or have you already finished your film? Submit your film – fiction or documentary – for the upcoming Movies that Matter Festival 2025.  All lengths are accepted, including short films. The festival will be held from 21 – 29 March 2025 in The Hague, The Netherlands and various satellite cities.⁠

The submission deadline is 1 November 2024.⁠

In addition to Movies that Matter’s programming team, there is also a viewing committee: a dedicated group of film experts with years of experience under their belt. The viewing committee has been watching and reviewing the many film submissions in close collaboration with the programming team for many years.

Movies that Matter is thrilled to announce four new members for the viewing committee. We warmly welcome Wambui Gathee, Berke Göl, Amelia Hanibelsz and Vess Chua.

Attending IDFA next month? Join the Human Rights Film Network brunch on Tuesday 19 November and get in touch with human rights film festivals from all over the world, including Movies that Matter.

Date: Tuesday 19 November, 2024
Time: 11:00 am – 13:00 pm (CET)
Location: Cafe Kuyl, Rembrandtplein 26, 1017 CV Amsterdam

We are looking forward to seeing many filmmakers, producers, distributors and sales agents there. No registration required.