Berlin, 12 March 2026 – From 10 to 18 April 2026, the Human Rights Film Festival Berlin (HRFFB) will present 24 outstanding international documentaries under the motto “Where Stories Fight Back”. The full programme has now been published, and tickets are available.
“We are delighted to offer audiences a timely and diverse programme. With over 50 screenings and the support of our fantastic partners, the festival places voices at the centre that are all too often overlooked in public debate – inspiring reflection, discussion and action,” said Lydia Spiesberger, who co-directs the festival with Jan Sebastian Friedrich-Rust. The HRFFB is organised by Aktion gegen den Hunger, with Greenpeace as its main partner.
Diverse Themes – from Climate Crisis to Struggles for Freedom
The festival will open with Yanuni by Richard Ladkani – a powerful portrait of indigenous activist Juma Xipaia and her efforts for her people and the protection of the Amazon, produced in part by Leonardo DiCaprio. Other films also address climate justice: Black Water follows a family from Bangladesh fleeing to Dhaka due to flooding, while The Wolves Always Come at Night depicts herders in the Mongolian desert fighting for their livelihoods.
2000 Meters to Andriivka takes viewers to the frontline of Russia’s war of aggression. After his Oscar-winning film 20 Days in Mariupol, director Mstyslav Chernov now focuses on soldiers at the Ukrainian front, exploring their backgrounds, fears and hopes. Mothers of Chibok follows Nigerian mothers seeking justice more than a decade after the Boko Haram kidnappings. In Shot – the Voice of Freedom, a group of women in Afghanistan fight against Taliban oppression and for the right to freedom, education, and self-determination. The Oscar-nominated film Cutting Through Rocks tells the story of a midwife in Iran. As the first woman on her village council, she fights for girls’ and women’s rights and teaches them to ride motorcycles.
Overall, the Human Rights Film Festival Berlin presents 24 documentaries covering a wide range of themes: climate justice, conflict and peace, decolonisation, economic justice, freedom of expression, gender equality, and refugee rights. They highlight the close interconnection of social, political, and ecological issues.
Numerous filmmakers, protagonists, and activists will come to Berlin to engage with audiences in post-screening discussions.
For the full programme and further festival information: www.hrffb.de
Willy Brandt Documentary Award
This year, seven films have the chance to win the prestigious Willy Brandt Documentary Award. Endowed by the Bundeskanzler-Willy-Brandt-Stiftung, the award carries a prize of €5,000. An international jury grants this accolade annually to a competition film for outstanding artistic and thematic achievement.
To amplify the perspectives of young people, a Youth Jury Award will also be presented this year in cooperation with Schulen gegen den Hunger. Audiences can also participate by voting for their favourite film. The film receiving the most votes will be awarded the Audience Award.
Note to editors:
• For interview requests, press kits and screeners, please contact the press team.
• You can register online here
• Images/key visuals are available here: Key Visual
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 organisation Aktion gegen den Hunger. Today, it is considered one of Germany’s most important human rights film festivals with international reach. The HRFFB screens films from around the world that vividly portray human rights violations and the resistance against them. Its extensive accompanying programme provides a unique platform for exchange and networking between NGOs, filmmakers, activists, politicians, and audiences. Prominent human rights defenders, politicians, and artists such as Ai Weiwei, Nadia Murad, Filippo Grandi, Loujain al-Hathloul, Gesine Schwan, Enissa Amani, and Can Dündar have served as patrons over the years.
The HRFFB 2026 will take place from 10 to 18 April and is organised by Aktion gegen den Hunger. Greenpeace is the main partner this year. Other civil society supporters include Reporter ohne Grenzen and SOS Humanity. The Bundeskanzler-Willy-Brandt-Stiftung sponsors the Willy Brandt Documentary Award.
This year’s festival is financially supported by the Deutsche Postcode Lotterie, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Press Contact:
Vassilios Saroglou / Markus Winkler
presse@aktiongegendenhunger.de
+49 30 279 099 776
