After previous adapted editions due to Covid-19, Movies that Matter Festival is back in Filmhuis Den Haag and Theater aan het Spui this year. During the 15th anniversary edition, compelling, moving and inspiring films can be seen in The Hague and satellite locations throughout the country. Special screenings will also be shown in other venues like Amare, Theater en Filmhuis Dakota and Theater De Nieuwe Regentes.
This year’s Movies that Matter Festival presents more than eighty beautiful, exciting and moving feature films and documentaries and there are countless inspiring conversations, performances and Q&As. Like every edition, different directors, activists, thinkers and experts are present at the festival and are eager to meet and connect. This year’s selection includes films on international topics such as the situation in Iran and the war in Ukraine. But attention is also paid to, for example, the commemorative year of the History of Slavery.
Competitions
The Movies that Matter Festival presents a total of seven awards in different competitions. The first competition program, Activist, shows documentaries about the work and life of human rights defenders. Camera Justitia zooms in on the importance of the rule of law and the fight against impunity. The third competition program is Dutch Movies Matter, with Dutch feature films and documentaries that draw attention to human rights.
Awards
Furthermore, international juries will select winners for the Grand Jury Documentary and Grand Jury Fiction, where cinematography and content go hand in hand. Three films are eligible for the Students’ Choice Award, chosen by a student jury from Leiden University. In addition, the Shorts Award, for the best short film, will be presented. All visitors can vote for the films they have seen. The film with the highest score wins the Audience Award and can be seen again during the Best of #MtMF23 day on Saturday 1 April.
Themes
Take on Future shows the dilemmas of the transition to a sustainable future. Take on Love is a colorful, diverse and sparkling theme program about the right to be yourself and love who you want. In Take on Power, films are presented about unequal power relations and about people who take on forces and structures that seem bigger than themselves. This year, the theme Take on Mental Health has been added, with films and documentaries focusing on many facets of mental health.
For more information and tickets:
www.moviesthatmatter.nl/festival/