The Human Rights Film Network (HRFN) is proud to support the second edition of the handbook Setting Up a Human Rights Film Festival. Coordinated by the team behind the One World Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Prague, this handbook serves as a practical guide for aspiring and future festival organizers, offering insight into the essential aspects of organizing a human rights film festival. The HRFN believes that this handbook will be an invaluable resource for emerging festivals that aim to promote social justice and human rights globally.
The handbook provides practical advice on key topics such as fundraising, festival promotion, attracting new audiences, addressing censorship and security concerns, and organizing debates. It includes case studies drawn from the experiences of many HRFN members. For example, the Karama Human Rights Film Festival in Jordan shares its challenges related to security and networking in the Arab world. Ciné Droit Libre in Burkina Faso discusses its mobile cinema activities, which help engage new audiences in rural or marginalized areas. Meanwhile, the Truth, Memory and Justice Festival in Guatemala highlights the lessons learned from organizing a festival in the context of a history marked by violence and resistance to human rights narratives.
Alongside the contributions of HRFN members, the network has provided a grant of €500 to support the publication and distribution of the handbook. The HRFN’s goal is to aid the growth of new, independent film festivals, and this updated handbook plays a crucial role in furthering that mission. One World plans to launch the handbook on November 25th during the HRFN network brunch at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).