Press Release : June 5 2025
The Human Rights Film Festival Berlin (HRFFB) is planning its next edition for spring 2026, with the upcoming festival scheduled for April. With this strategic decision, the festival is laying the groundwork for the future - with strengthened formats, sustainable funding and new synergies.
The move to April is part of a strategic realignment to ensure that the festival remains viable amid evolving global global and financial conditions. The aim is to further strengthen the existing formats and develop new partnerships.
Strategic Realignment for Greater Impact
"In a world where humanitarian aid, democracy, and press freedom are under attack, the last edition of the Human Rights Film Festival Berlin powerfully underscored the importance of spaces for encounter, dialogue, and standing up for one’s beliefs. We welcomed more committed visitors and international guests than ever before – people who raised their voices with us in support of human rights and justice. We were deeply moved by this response. It inspires us to shape the future of the festival with renewed energy, courage and impact." says Jan Sebastian Friedrich-Rust, co-director of the festival and CEO of Action Against Hunger.
With the decision to postpone the festival, we are also creating the necessary planning security and space for further development in terms of content and structure.
Special Screening 2025 will shine a spotlight on the forgotten crisis in Sudan
In the transitional year 2025, the HRFFB is sending a clear signal: In October, a Special Screening will spotlight the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
"Since the outbreak of the conflict in April 2023, Sudan has been experiencing the worst food crisis in its history: over 25 million people are dependent on humanitarian aid and more than eight million are at risk of acute hunger. Our Action Against Hunger teams have been active in the country since 2018 and have been able to reach almost 817,000 people with food and medical aid and support around 12,000 people affected by gender-based violence since the start of the war. With our Human Rights Film Festival Berlin, we want to raise awareness, initiate debates and strengthen the call for change,” says Jan Sebastian Friedrich-Rust.
With a powerful documentary and a post-screening featuring activists, journalists, and experts, we invite you to an evening of listening, learning and action – for one of the most neglected crises of our time.
Human Rights in the classroom – and on the big screen in 2026
The educational work of the HRFFB is also continuing: more than 100 school screenings are already planned for 2025 to bring human rights issues into the classroom and encouraging young people to engage with society and take an active role in shaping it.
About the Human Rights Film Festival Berlin
The Human Rights Film Festival Berlin was founded in 2018 by Jan Sebastian Friedrich-Rust, CEO of the humanitarian and development organization Action Against Hunger. Today, it is considered the most important German human rights film festival with international appeal. The film festival shows films from all over the world that tell of human rights violations and the resistance against them in an impressive way. With a comprehensive accompanying program, the festival also offers a unique platform for exchange and networking between NGOs, filmmakers, activists, politicians and the public.
Press inquiries
Vassilios Saroglou / Markus Winkler
presse@aktiongegendenhunger.de
030 279 099 776
