At the Movies that Matter Festival in the Hague March 2010 the third edition of the international outreach programme Cinema without Borders took place: a workshop and network opportunity for guests from developing countries and countries in transition who want to set up their own human rights film event. Thirteen guests – among which activists, journalists and film makers coming from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe – participated.

During four intensive yet inspiring days, festival organisers from One World Documentary Film Festival in Prague, the Perspektive Festival in Nürnberg and Movies that Matter shared their knowledge and experiences with the participants. Interactively, relevant topics such as programming, publicity, production and fundraising were thoroughly discussed.

Besides the workshop, an informal network meeting was organised to match Cinema without Borders guests with experts representing various NGO’s, festivals and media. A video library was installed at the Filmhuis Den Haag to enable international guests to watch and research films individually. At night, participants enjoyed the festival thoroughly – sometimes participating in panel discussions – and closely observed the flows (and flaws) of the festival.

At the end of the week, all participants had turned their plans into concrete proposals, varying from a film festival with a focus on LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) issues to a mobile cinema raising awareness about violence against women in rural areas. Participants gained practical knowledge and new ideas, and are motivated to take their plans further.

Movies that Matter’s international section stays in touch with its Cinema without Borders guests to provide guidance as their plans evolve. Several participants have already successfully sent in applications to the foundation’s fund and will receive financial support to realise their plans the coming year.

Cinema without Borders is a bi-annual event. The next edition is expected to take place at the Movies that Matter Festival in March 2012. Questions about eligibility and participation can be sent to international@moviesthatmatter.nl.

 Watch a video clip of Cinema without Borders 2008.

Movies that Matter organised the second edition of its outreach programme Cinema without Borders at Amnesty International Film Festival (AIFF) 2008. This programme creates a platform to share practical knowledge, experience, tools and networks that are essential to organise human rights film events.

 

Movies that Matter invited fifteen applicants from countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe to participate in interactive workshops and inspiring meetings. Among the guests are filmmakers and activists who plan to organise a human rights film event in countries like Afghanistan, Russia, Ukraine, Indonesia, Thailand, Kenya, Suriname and Peru. 

Cinema without Borders offers a workshop & network platform to share experience and knowledge about the essentials of organizing a human rights film event: where to start, how to program films, how to arrange the finances, how to reach specific audiences, how to organise debates and additional educational programmes and what developments do we find in the field of human rights film production? The participants are stimulated to exchange views and help each other turn creative ideas into realisable festival plans. Additionally, some of the best compelling cinema about human rights and social justice are shown at the festival and in our DVD-library.

The workshops are facilitated by national and international experts from the field of human rights cinema and festival organisation, such as the respected human rights film festivals Ciné Droit Libre in Burkina Faso, One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Prague, International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and Amnesty International Film Festival.

After the Amnesty International Film Festival Movies that Matter stimulates a cooperative relation between the Cinema without Borders participants and relevant parties in the field of cinema and human rights.

During the Amnesty International Film Festival 2006 in Amsterdam, the first Cinema Without Borders workshop was organised. Movies that Matter invited eleven participants from all over the world to take part in the workshops about how to set up a human rights film festival and how to organise a special education programme, which focuses on the youth. 
The participants came from Peru, Hong Kong, Bolivia, Nepal, Bahrein, Liberia, Serbia, Morocco and Libanon.