Films and videos are now an integral part, or even crucial feature, of activism, education, political appeals and the sharing of similar personal experiences from regions that would otherwise be very far away. The success of a number of feature films and documentaries with human rights themes is also evidence of the need among the general public to find out about social and political issues outside of a simple news-reporting context. Consequently, new human rights festivals are being established every year and there is a growing number of thematic categories and special awards devoted to human rights at important international film festivals. 

What was initially an exchange of informal opinions between the organisers of these festivals eventually resulted in the idea of establishing a network of human rights festivals called the Human Rights Film Network (HRFN), which aims to assist the activities of individual festivals and to create new platforms for common projects. HRFN was officially founded in Prague during the One World festival in 2004.

 

Besides promoting the distribution of films with human rights themes at festivals as well as their distribution to television stations and educational institutions, HRFN strives to help nascent festivals and to create a supportive environment for filmmakers, particularly those who are risking their lives to make their movies or who are stifled by censorship. 

HRFN’s members have also initiated the establishment of human rights awards at prestigious festivals such as the Berlinale, Venice, IDFA, Rotterdam, CPH DOX etc.


MEMBERS

Argentina, Buenos Aires: Festival Internacional de Cine de Derecho Humanos (DerHumAIc)

Australia, Travelling, Melbourne: The Human Rights Arts and Film Festival

Bahrain, Manama: Bahrain Human Rights International Film Festival

Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou: Festival Ciné droit Libre

Canada, Montreal: Montreal Human Rights Film Festival (MHRFF)

Canada, travelling: Amnesty International Travelling Film Festival

Czech Republic, Praha: One World

Ethiopia, Addis Ababa: Addis International Film Festival

France, Paris: Festival du film des droits de l'homme (Alliance Ciné)

Germany, Nuremberg: Perspektive: International Human Rights Film Festival Nurember

Hungary, Budapest: Verzio - Documentary Film Festival

Netherlands, Hague: Movies that Matter Festival

New Zealand, travelling: Human Rights Film Festival

Poland, Warsaw: Watch Docs. Human Rights in Film IFF

Scotland, Glasgow: Document - International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival

 
Serbia, Belgrade: Free Zone, Belgrade Human Rights Film Festival

South Africa, Seoul: Seoul Human Rights FF

South Korea, Seoul: Seoul Human Rights Film Festival

Switzerland, Geneve: Festival International du Film sur les Droits Humains

Ukraine, Kiev: Docudays:  Human Rights Documentary Days Film Festival