The Human Rights Film Network (HRFN) is dedicated to promoting a supportive international environment for filmmakers, particularly those at risk or repressed by censorship. As part of this mission, HRFN is now partnering with the Artists at Risk Connection (ARC), a collaborative platform designed to support artists in danger, including filmmakers.
ARC, launched in October 2017, is focused on safeguarding the freedom to create art and ensuring that artists can work and live without fear of repression. It connects threatened artists with the many organizations that offer assistance, strengthening these connections and expanding the network of institutions engaged in supporting at-risk artists. By doing so, ARC aims to facilitate collaboration and make it easier to deliver the help these artists need.
One of ARC’s key initiatives is its public, searchable online database, which features hundreds of organizations worldwide that provide various forms of assistance to threatened artists. This platform allows artists to find the resources, opportunities, and services available to them with just a click. For organizations that support artists, it serves as a hub to connect with one another and directly with the artists they seek to help.
Since its launch, ARC has brought attention to the plights of various filmmakers, including:
- Eddy Munyaneza from Burundi
- Elif Refig and Cayan Demirel from Turkey
- Hossein Rajabian from Iran
- Neti Wichiasaen from Thailand
- Oleg Sentsov from Ukraine, imprisoned in Russia
Through this partnership, HRFN and ARC aim to expand and enhance the support for filmmakers and other artists whose safety, freedom, and creative expression are threatened.