This year’s Movies that Matter Festival will take place from 24 March until 1 April in Filmhuis Den Haag and Theater aan het Spui. The Movies that Matter Festival, the successor to the Amnesty International Film Festival, is an annual film and debate festival about human rights and human dignity.

Every year the Movies that Matter Festival presents around 60 recent feature films and documentaries by passionate filmmakers, embedded in an extensive programme of debates and in-depth discussions. Films that stir the debate on human rights, peace and freedom.

All films are in English or are subtitled.

Opening film

This year’s Movies that Matter film and debate festival will kick off with the screening of The Other Side of Hope by Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki. His latest movie tells the story of a Finnish travelling salesman and a Syrian refugee whose paths cross.

Programme

The festival has 2 main programmes: A Matter of ACT about human rights defenders (together with Amnesty International) and Camera Justitia, sponsored by vfonds, which zooms in on the rule of law and tackling impunity. This year’s novelty is the Weapon of Choice programme, which contains a selection of films chosen by a number of Dutch celebrities.

Other programme components include Shorts that Matter, a joint venture with the Go Short Festival, Movies at Midnight; human rights films with a twist, public’s choice Harvest, and the Panorama programme. For those who cannot make up their minds, there is a Best of Day.

In-depth programmes

Unlike other festivals, the Movies that Matter Festival provides extensive in-depth programmes for most film screenings, which allows members of the audience to interact with festival guests from all over the world in debates, Q&A sessions, workshops, talk shows, seminars and master classes. These programmes also inform the public about the background of the films and the choices that have been made during their shooting.

The contribution of representatives from the world of theatre, politics, science and business often leads to surprising discussions that enable the audience to look beyond its own borders.

Awards

The week-long film and debate festival will conclude with the presentation of the Butterfly Awards, with the Golden Butterflies for best film and activist of human rights from the A Matter of ACT competition and the Silver Butterfly for the director of the best film in the Camera Justitia programme.

About the festival

The Movies that Matter Festival is an initiative of the Dutch chapter of Amnesty International. The festival’s partners are Amnesty International and the Municipality of The Hague.

Visit the website of the Movies that Matter Festival for the complete programme and to purchase tickets. Don’t wait too long because film screenings sell out quickly!

Source: www.denhaag/nl