One World 2026: Stories that change how we see the world

The festival will take place in Prague from March 11 to 19 in ten cinemas, followed by the Prague Echoes screenings. Simultaneously, One World will expand to a record-breaking 60 cities and towns across the Czech Republic, running until April 24. Most screenings will be followed by debates with filmmakers and experts.

"In a time of growing tension, we want to create a place where people can speak openly and freely. We see the festival as one of the pillars of a democratic space," says festival director Ondřej Kamenický.

Grand Opening: A Rap Star and a Symbol of Resistance

The grand opening will take place on Wednesday, March 11 at Prague Crossroads (Pražská křižovatka) at 19:00. The evening will begin with our Homo Homini Award ceremony. This year’s laureate is the Belarusian politician Mikalaj Statkevič, who has dedicated his life to defending democracy. His courage was on full display in May 2025 when, immediately after being released from prison, he resisted a forced deportation attempt and refused to leave his country. Statkevič is currently back in prison at an unknown location; his loved ones will accept the award on his behalf.

We will follow the ceremony with the world premiere of Meant to Be at the Lucerna and Světozor cinemas. This raw generational testimony about contemporary Hungary will be personally introduced by its main protagonist, rap star Pogány Induló.

Competition Sections: International Hits and Czech Perspectives

The International Competition will present the best of the past year's global documentary scene. Highlights include Voice of Hind Rajab, a testimony from contemporary Palestine, and 32 Meters, a film about defiance against Turkish patriarchal society.

The Czech Competition  will reflect domestic traumas and our relationship with nature. The programme features the environmental appeal Resilience, the politically urgent documentary 80 Angry Journalists, and an intimate probe into modern dating, Vojta’s Life: A New Episode.

The Right to Know section will map resistance against regimes, traditions, and the absurdity of power. It introduces young people disrupting patriarchy (A Free Daughter of Free Kyrgyzstan), personal sacrifices for the collective good (The Woman Who Teased the Leopard, When I Get Jailed), and the chilling reality of digital surveillance in Eyes of the Machine. Finally, the Ukrainian film Traces will highlight the theme of coping with war trauma.

Our Virtual Reality section will once again push the boundaries of human rights storytelling. Through technology, we help the audience to step into the burning issues of today—whether it is the oppressive reality of domestic violence in Space for Action or a haunting journey into the streets of Gaza in Under the Same Sky.

Thematic Sections: From Climate to Digital Solitude

Through eight non-competitive sections, we will map everyday heroism and global threats. Everyday Courage and Against the Tide introduce people who stand out from the crowd—from Russian political prisoners (Voices Against the Kremlin) and the fight for "female Viagra" (The Pink Pill: Sex, Drugs & Who Has Control) to extreme kayaking (I Follow Rivers). Dialogue in a divided society and within personal relationships is explored in the Fault Lines section (e.g. My Boyfriend the Fascist).

Our Visions of Today section will explore the digital landscape and the dark side of AI (In the Belly of AI), while Climate in Need tracks environmental crises and their solutions. The programme is rounded out by probes into intergenerational relationships, spiritual rituals in Community Vortex, and a retrospective of Norwegian documentarian Gunnar Hall Jensen, whose intimate diaries reveal vulnerability as a form of resistance.

One World at Schools

Our educational platform One World at Schools (JSNS) will once again open its doors to thousands of pupils and students. Morning screenings will introduce them to the lives of their peers and current global challenges. While younger audiences will learn about empathy and cooperation through film, high school students will focus on human rights and the impact of technology in documentaries like Dangerous Games: Roblox and the Metaverse Exposed or In the Belly of AI. Each screening is followed by a moderated debate with experts.

One World Across the Czech Republic: From Debates to Live Podcasts

This year’s edition will be the largest in our history, reaching a record 60 festival cities and towns. One World will return to Zlín and will visit Rumburk, Tanvald, and Prachatice for the first time. Regional programmes will focus on variety and non-traditional formats—for example, a major panel debate will kick off the festival in Liberec, a live recording of the popular podcast Rewrite History will take place in Ústí nad Orlicí, and audiences in Brno can look forward to the premiere of Girls on the Go in the Depo industrial space.

Practical Information

• Tickets: Available now via the GoOut network.
• Accessibility: This year we will celebrate 10 years of systematically making the programme accessible to people with visual, hearing, or mobility impairments (One World for All section).

Full programme and guest list available at www.oneworld.cz.