During the Industry Days at the Movies that Matter Festival (20 – 28 March in The Hague), we present a dynamic lineup of workshops, panel discussions, impact plan pitches, and masterclasses centered on film and human rights. Most events are free to visit and open to the public — just register for a ticket via the programme pages.

Explore the full programme and sign up for the events via the button below!

14:30 – 16:30 | Meet the Activist
In the Meet the Activist programme the eight activists from the eight selected Activist films are introduced. A short clip about each activist is shown followed by a conversation with moderator Marieke Eyskoot about their work, what keeps them motivated and what the international community can do for their case. After the plenary programme there are speed dates with the activists for selected invitees.

19:45 – 22:20 | Opening Night
American Doctor opens the festival. Director Poh Si Teng and protagonist Dr. Mark Perlmutter will be attending.

15:00 – 16:30 | Journalism Under Pressure
Filmmakers, journalists, and media experts come together to explore and debate the state of journalism and its relationship to freedom and democracy. The panel features András Földes (director of 80 Angry Journalists and war correspondent), Robert Zuber (journalist, director and producer based in Zagreb), Iris de Leede (Senior Policy & Advocacy Advisor bij Free Press Unlimited) and Lars Boering (European Journalism Centre). The talk will be moderated by Romana Abels, journalist at Dutch newspaper Trouw.

Presented in collaboration with Free Press Unlimited.

17:00 – 18:00 | Guests Meet Guests – hosted by SeeNL & the Netherlands Filmfund

16:30 – 17:30 | Take on Inconvenient Truth in Film
What does it mean to speak out when democracy and civic space are under pressure? Through stories from three continents and realities, the panel explores how filmmakers, artists and activists confront power. What does their struggles reveal about the global state of democracy? Taking part in this panel discussion are Sanjna Selva (producer of The Return), activist Stella Nyanzi and director Patience Nitumwesiga of The Woman Who Poked the Leopard and Rotem Heymann (representative of ALBI, Coexistence, My Ass!).

17:30 – 18:30 | Guests Meet Guests – Hosted by ALBI

20:00 – 21:30 | Dancefullness
Dance away your stress and boost your creativity! The Taskovski Dancefullness LAB is a unique session designed to support mental well-being, enhance creativity, and foster conscious leadership in the film industry. Come and experience why conscious dance is a game-changer for the film industry.

09:30 – 13:00 | Take on Film & Impact – Impact Morning
This year’s Impact Morning presents an inspirational keynote, three powerful case studies and a panel conversation exploring the intersection of film and impact:

• Opening Talk by Jenni Wolfson (CEO Chicken & Egg Films)
• Impact Case Studies – I am the River, the River is Me; Inside Gaza and My Father, Nour and I
• Backsliding Democracies, Impact & Independent Storytelling – a panel discussion with Patience Nitumwesiga (director of The Woman Who Poked the Leopard), Tommy Gulliksen (director of Facing War), Robert Tomic Zuber (journalist, director and producer) and Debra Zimmerman (Executive Director of Women Make Movies). Moderated by Julie Trébault (Executive Director of ARC).
  

12:00 – 14:00 | Take on Displaced Filmmakers – Masterclass by ZINDOC
Explore Myanmar Bouquet, a collective film by twelve Myanmar filmmakers living in Myanmar and the Netherlands, in this masterclass hosted by Corinne van Egeraat and Petr Lom. Filmmakers from Myanmar will share their experiences and creative insights.

14:00 – 15:30 | The Mission of the New Maker
For students and filmmakers at the beginning of their careers, we present The Mission of the New Maker: an inspiring afternoon designed to help you navigate the film landscape and tackle your most pressing questions. With Khalid Shamis, Sakir Khader,Corine Meijers and Vera Born.

14:30 – 16:30 | Take on Displaced Filmmakers – NEFTi Competition Launch
Celebrate the launch of the 2026 NEFTi Competition, spotlighting displaced filmmakers in Europe and Africa. Join a panel discussion with Paul Robinson, Marco Orsini, Dawood Hilmandi, Douglas Herman and Ivanna Laka about diaspora filmmaking.

17:00 – 18:00 | Guests Meet Guests – Hosted by NEFTi

20:00 – 21:45 | Pour the Water as I Leave
A preview screening of Pour the Water as I Leave by Daniela Repas. A surreal exploration of the war in Bosnia told through the unbreakable spirit of seven of her people whose strength to leave was as powerful as the fight to stay.

20:00 – 21:45 | Dutch Focus Night: Truly Naked
As part of the Dutch Focus Night, moderator Remke de Lange will lead an in-depth conversation with director Muriel d’Ansembourg, director of photography Myrthe Mosterman and intimacy coordinator Philine Janssens about the female gaze in Truly Naked — exploring the deliberate choices behind the camera, the collaboration on set, and what it means when women occupy the key creative roles in a film.

10:00 – 12:30 | Take on Film & Impact – Pitches
Eight film teams selected for the Take on Film & Impact programme will present their projects and impact goals to an audience of NGOs, international organisations, financiers and impact producers. Distributors, sales agents and other professionals from the film and television industry are also welcome to attend. The event is moderated by Nicole van Schaik.

15:00 – 16:30 | Masterclass Mental Health in Documentary Filmmaking
In this Masterclass, Rebecca Day will delve into the psychological and neurological impact of working with traumatic material.

This programme is a collaboration between FilmForward, CINEMIND and Movies that Matter.

17:00 – 18:00 | Take on Film & Impact – Awards & Guests Meet Guests – Hosted by GIPA
In the Industry Awards Ceremony during the Guests Meet Guests, we celebrate the outstanding projects from this year’s Take on Film & Impact programme and the Rough Cut Service.

20:00 – 22:33 | Activist Night: Cutting Through Rocks
On the festive Activist Night, all activists and directors from the Activist Lens competition will be honoured and put in the spotlight. The evening will be opened by Dewi van de Weerd. After the screening of the documentary Cutting Through Rocks, presenter Bahram Sadeghi will talk with directors Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni.

09:30 – 12:00 | Deep Dive Navigating Trauma in Documentary Work
This Deep Dive will be an interactive, small-group workshop (maximum of 15 participants) that offers space for reflection, exchange, and practical application. Designed specifically for filmmakers and film professionals working with sensitive subject matter, the session provides concrete tools to support both ethical practice and personal wellbeing.

This programme is a collaboration between FilmForward, CINEMIND and Movies that Matter.

11:00 – 12:30 | Take on Archive Work
In this Artist Talk filmmaker Sara Rajaei shares her practice of working with archive materials. We get insights in how found images and forgotten histories shape her filmmaking process, with a special focus on her award winning film City of Poets. Sound & Vision and FilmForward will also share information on the upcoming Vrijplaats.

Hosted by Sound & Vision (Beeld & Geluid) and FilmForward.

13:30 – 14:30 | Dutch Film in the European Ecosystem
This panel includes Mandy Chang (filmmaker and producer), who will outline the international co-production landscape, and Youssef Louakili (Director-General of Culture and Media at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science), who will reflect on the role of national film and cultural policy. Producer Iris Lammertsma (Witfilm), NPO Director of Audio & Video Jurre Bosman, and Sandra den Hamer (Director Netherlands Film Fund) will also participate in the discussion.

Hosted by Nederlandse Audiovisuele Producenten Alliantie (NAPA) and DutchCulture.

13:45 – 15:45 | ESTAFET – The Hague’s Makers Climate
Movies that Matter proudly opens the ESTAFET series. Four events that contribute to a dynamic and sustainable film and media ecosystem in The Hague.

14:30 – 16:15 | Take on Documentary Dilemmas
The Dutch Academy For Film is organizing a special double edition of Documentary Dilemmas in collaboration with the Dutch Directors Guild.

• In part 1, we will speak with Dikla Zeidler, director of the documentary Alles moet beter, and Leigh Iacobucci, director of A Free Daughter of Free Kyrgyzstan, about activism in film and the power of music and spoken word. Moderator: Debra Zimmerman (Women Make Movies).
• In part 2, the makers of two hybrid documentaries will discuss storytelling in relation to human rights: Bart van den Aardweg, director of Voix Invisibles, and Natalie Humpreys, producer of Molly vs The Machines. Moderator: Margje de Koning (Movies that Matter).
  

Afterwards, there will be a walking dinner for all attendees, offering plenty of opportunity to continue the conversation together.

18:15 – 19:30 | Award Night
A total of seven awards will be presented during the ceremony.

10:00 – 12:30 | Buddy Career Day
A screenwriting workshop by Buddy Film Foundation in collaboration with Scope. The workshop session will be led by Golden Calf–winning screenwriters and directors Nanouk Leopold and Sara Rajaei.

13:30 – 15:30 | Take on New Beginnings
An inspiring afternoon with short films by The AMIR Project, ReFOCUS Media Labs and the Buddy Film Foundation: three organisations that use film to empower and support refugees.

16:00 – 16:40 | Justice Frame Masterclass: Venezuela & International Law
This year, the Justice Frame Masterclass focuses on recent developments in Venezuela, including the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro, and on the role international law can play within this complex context. Independent journalist and media researcher Janet H. Anderson will be in conversation with international criminal law expert Marieke de Hoon and Venezuelan filmmaker Tuki Jencquel.

20:00 – 22:44 | Justice Frame Night: Silenced
The documentary Silenced takes center stage during this year’s Justice Frame Night. After the screening, human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson will join virtually via Zoom for a Q&A session.

In 2026, Movies that Matter organizes its annual Rough Cut Service for the sixth time! Several documentary projects from around the world were selected for the Movies that Matter Rough Cut Service 2026. They all address relevant and urgent topics and issues with great cinematic and narrative storytelling. 

Get to know the experienced film professionals which will be deciding the winners of this year’s competitions, including our Oscar® qualifying competition, Grand Jury Documentary.