The Human Rights Film Network (HRFN), a global alliance of about 50 film festivals dedicated to human rights, stands alongside leading international rights groups, humanitarian agencies, cultural alliances, and countless global voices in demanding an urgent, lasting ceasefire across all fronts in the Israel-Palestine crisis, while prioritizing the safety of every civilian involved.
At its core, the HRFN champions an expansive view of human rights, grounded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and global legal frameworks. We foster connections, dialogue, and partnerships to spotlight human rights stories through cinema.
With festivals in the affected areas, including one in Gaza, we extend our full backing and empathy to our partners and their loved ones enduring the devastating effects of airstrikes and violence in the Palestinian areas and beyond.
Beyond the ceasefire, we insist on lifting Israel’s blockade of Gaza to enable vital aid delivery, averting further deaths from bombings or shortages of essentials like food, water, medical supplies, and energy.
As of this release, Gaza’s fatalities exceed 15,000, predominantly children, women, and seniors. More than 200 lives have been lost in the West Bank, and approximately 1,200 civilians perished in Israel. We grieve every soul taken and the enduring scars of grief and injury.
We acknowledge the sharp divisions rippling through film, arts, and cultural spheres in reaction to recent events. As a varied network spanning continents and cultures, we leverage movies to ignite awareness, learning, and debate on rights issues, amplifying silenced and overlooked groups. Our history of presenting films on the Israel-Palestine situation to wide-ranging audiences worldwide underscores the vital need for a compassionate, rights-focused lens amid such profound suffering felt by civilians in Palestine, Israel, and globally.
Recently, more than 30 UN specialists have urged action to halt potential genocide against Palestinians, while observers warn of ethnic cleansing in Gaza, where over a million people face forced eviction from their homes under lethal threats, with no secure refuge—even as educational institutions, medical centers, and sanctuaries come under fire.
We align with demands from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the UN’s top rights official, and others to safeguard civilians in the fighting per international law, encompassing both Palestinian and Israeli lives. As noted by Human Rights Watch, blocking aid deliberately constitutes a war crime, as does punishing entire populations for militant actions. We add our plea for Hamas to free all Israeli and foreign captives in Gaza without delay, and for Israel to liberate thousands of detained Palestinians, including minors and women held without trial.
True to our common goals, we endorse the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories since 1967, along with groups like B’Tselem and numerous others, in pushing to terminate Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands as per international norms, dismantle the Gaza blockade, reinstate full rights for Palestinians, and ensure both Israelis and Palestinians can thrive in security, autonomy, and equity for enduring resolution.
Our festivals thrive on narratives in films that illuminate overlooked individuals and causes often ignored by mainstream outlets, fostering audience engagement and reflection on these matters. We demand safeguards for Palestinian reporters in Gaza, who are dying at unprecedented rates while covering the ground truth. Echoing Reporters Without Borders, journalism faces extinction in Gaza due to Israel’s dismissal of protection pleas. We support RSF’s push for open access to Gaza for global journalists, mirroring reporting freedoms elsewhere in the conflict.
To draw focus to this rights and aid emergency, our network’s events will feature dedicated programs and showings. For instance, Karama Jordan (December 5-12) will honor Palestine in its 14th edition: “This isn’t merely another festival; it’s a homage to Gaza-Palestine and its unyielding spirit… Titled ‘Palestine,’ it stands as a rally of support for one of history’s most righteous struggles.” The Western Sahara International Film Festival (FiSahara) opens a Palestine segment in Madrid (December 15-17). Puñawaki the Seventh Eye is Yours (Sucre, Bolivia) hosts a Palestine-focused event on December 8. Additional efforts are in the works.
Signed,
Human Rights Film Network
While the HRFN’s entire membership unites around the Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ core tenets in championing dignity for all, our festivals vary in makeup, emphasis, viewpoints, operational limits, and the regional or political landscapes they navigate—some in highly demanding settings.
*Given the intricate dynamics and other considerations, these festivals have opted out of signing this declaration. Each, however, firmly renews their solidarity with regional peers and communities, and staunchly upholds rights for everyone impacted by the turmoil.
- ACT Human Rights Film Festival, United States
- Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Ukraine
- International Human Rights Film Festival, Albania
- Nuremberg International Human Rights Film Festival, Germany
- Verzio International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Hungary