To mark its 10th anniversary and in response to the growing number of human rights film festivals emerging worldwide, the Human Rights Film Network (HRFN) is launching the second edition of Setting Up a Human Rights Film Festival. This guide serves as an inspirational resource for festival organizers globally, with a particular focus on festivals in developing countries where democratic systems are emerging, press freedom is under threat, and film is a powerful tool for social change. This edition, along with the original one published in 2009, is the only handbook dedicated to addressing the specific needs of human rights film festivals. It will be unveiled in The Netherlands on November 25th during the HRFN network brunch at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).
Edited by One World in Prague, FiSahara in Algeria, and Movies that Matter in The Netherlands, with contributions from numerous festivals worldwide, the handbook offers practical advice for current and aspiring festival organizers. It covers the essentials of running a human rights film festival, drawing on the real-world experiences of network members, highlighted in engaging case studies. For example, FiSahara, hosted in Sahrawi refugee camps in the Sahara Desert, illustrates how film can empower displaced communities and draw international attention to forgotten conflicts. The Truth, Memory, and Justice Film Festival in Guatemala shares insights from organizing a festival in a country still grappling with political violence and state resistance to human rights narratives. The Karama Human Rights Film Festival in Jordan details its experiences with security issues and networking within the Arab world. Ciné Droit Libre in Burkina Faso showcases its mobile cinema efforts to reach rural or marginalized audiences. Docudays UA in Ukraine recounts its 2013 edition, which became intertwined with the EuroMaidan revolution, screening films amidst the protests and offering support with coffee and blankets.
The HRFN will present the handbook as a work in progress during its networking brunch at IDFA on November 25th, from 11:00 to 13:00, at Festival Café De Jaren on Nieuwe Doelenstraat. Anyone interested is invited to attend and pre-order a printed version. HRFN believes this handbook will be an invaluable tool for emerging festivals committed to promoting social justice and human rights. Several chapters are already available, and the complete handbook will be published soon. Below is the table of contents:
Chapters:
- We Are Making a Change, Don’t Forget: Introduction
- Human Rights Film Festivals: Breaking the Silence in Various Approaches
- Knowing Yourself and Your Audience: Programming a Human Rights Film Festival
- Film Festivals with Guts: Security and Censorship
- Now What Do You Think? Film Festivals as a Platform for Discussion
- Production & Team
- The Nuts and Bolts: Technical Production
- How to Successfully Promote Your Festival
- Adding Water to the Soup Pot: Finding Resources for Your Festival
- Did We Do It Right? Evaluating a Human Rights Film Festival
Case Studies:
- Karama Human Rights Film Festival / Jordan
- Freedom Film Fest / Malaysia
- Human Rights Human Dignity International Film Festival / Burma
- Ciné Droit Libre: A Festival of Mobile Cinema Screenings in Burkina Faso
- A Festival in Exile: FiSahara International Film Festival / Western Sahara
- Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival / Ukraine
- Human Rights Film Festival in Guatemala Ushers In Criticism And Dialogue
- Opening Eyes in Sierra Leone: The Opin Yu Yi Human Rights Film Festival
Appendix:
- List of Human Rights Film Festivals
- Become a Member of the Human Rights Film Network