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Speaker & Guests

Every year, many speakers and guests enrich the Human Rights Film Festival Berlin with their expertise and commitment. Here you can find all information about the guests of the 2026 festival as well as former guests from previous years.

Speaker & Gäste 2026

Abd Alkader Habak

Writer, producer & director

film guest
Birds of War

Anita Ladkani
© Andrew H. Walker

Anita Ladkani

Producer 

film guest
Yanuni

Antonia Nestler

Antonia Nestler

Set design

film guest

Where The Waves Took Her
Charlotte Peters

Charlotte Peters

Producer

film guest
Where The Waves Took Her

Claudia Chávez Lévano

Claudia Chávez Lévano

Producer

film guest
Runa Simi

Gabrielle Brady

Gabrielle Brady

Writer & director

film guest
The Wolves Always Come at Night 

© Sebastian Beierle

Jana Stallein

Director

film guest
Where The Waves Took Her

Janay Boulos

Janay Boulos

Writer, producer & director

film guest
Birds of War
 
Jean-François Ravagnan

Jean-François Ravagnan

Director

film guest
The Last Shore 

Jenni Kivistö

Writer, director & editor

film guest
Silent Legacy 

Jussi Rastas

Jussi Rastas

Writer, director, editor, camera operator

film guest
Silent Legacy 

 

Kinshuk Surjan
© Evelien De Graef

Kinshuk Surjan

Writer & director

film guest
Marching in the Dark 

Leigh Iacobucci

Leigh Iacobucci

Writer, producer, director, editor, camera operator

film guest

A Free Daughter Of Free Kyrgyzstan 

Lena Gill

Production company

film guest
Where The Waves Took Her 
Patience Nitumwesiga

Patience Nitumwesiga

Producer & director

film guest
The Woman Who Poked The Leopard

 
Pegah Rakhsha

Pegah Rakhsha

Producer

film guest
All The Mountains Give 

Richard Ladkani
© RAINER HOSCH

Richard Ladkani

Writer & director

film guest
Yanuni

Sophia Fenn

Camera Operator
film guest
Where The Waves Took Her 
Zainab Entezar

Zainab Entezar

Writer, producer & director

film guest
Shot the Voice of Freedom 

Zere Asylbek-kyzy

Zere Asylbek

Protagonist

film guest
A Free Daughter Of Free Kyrgyzstan

Speaker & Gäste 2025

Ibrahim Snoopy

Director

Film Guest & Panel Guest
Khartoum Calling – Voices for Sudan

Infos about the event

Yousra Elbagir

Journalist & Author

Speaker & Panel Guest
Khartoum Calling – Voices for Sudan

Infos about the event

Samy Guessabi

Country Director ACF Sudan

Speaker & Panel Guest 
Khartoum Calling – Voices for Sudan

Infos about the event
© Pako Quijada/KiWi

Anna Dushime

Journalist & Author

Moderator
Khartoum Calling – Voices for Sudan

Infos about the event

Andrea Böhm

Journalist & Author

Panel Guest
Khartoum Calling – Voices for Sudan

Infos about the event
© Bundesregierung/Steffen Kugler

Reem Alabali Radovan

Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development

Speaker
Khartoum Calling – Voices for Sudan

Infos about the event

Jaafar Abdul Karim

Journalist

Moderator
Khartoum Calling – Voices for Sudan

Infos about the event

Speaker & Guests 2024

Alexis Franco

Director & Producer

Film Guest
Where The Trees Bear Meat

Infos & Tickets about the event

Adriano Galante

Co-Producer & Author

Film Guest
We won't shut up – A film for freedom

Infos & Tickets about the event
Alli Neumann
© Robin Hinsch

Alli Neumann

Musician & Actress

Youth Jury & Film Ambassador 
Awards Ceremony

Q&A-Guest at Forest

Q&A-Guest at Stray Bodies

Infos about the events
Audrey MacLean

Audrey MacLean

Youth Delegate for Sustainable Develpoment 

Panel Guest
Choosing Zero Hunger – Defending the Right to Food in the Climate Crisis

Infos & Tickets about the event

Babett Oroszi

Protagonist

Film Guest
Democracy Noir

Infos & Tickets about the event
Can Dündar
© Milena Schlösser

Can Dündar

Journalist, Documentary Filmmaker & Author

Honorary Patron 2024 & Panel Guest
Guardians of Truth: Julian Assange and the Dark Secrets of War

Infos & Tickets about the event
Christiane Grefe

Christiane Grefe

Journalist & Author

Moderator
Choosing Zero Hunger – Defending the Right to Food in the Climate Crisis

Infos & Tickets about the event
Clara Bünger

Clara Bünger

Member of the German Bundestag

Film Guest
Bêmal – Heimatlos

Infos & Tickets about the event
Düzen Tekkal

Düzen Tekkal

Author & Journalist

Panel Guest & Director 
Bêmal – Heimatlos

Infos & Tickets about the event
Ethan McCord
© Guardians Of Truth

Ethan McCord

Film Guest
Guardians of Truth: Julian Assange and the Dark Secrets of War

Infos & Tickets about the event

Florian Schewe

Co-Producer

Film Guest
Tongo Saa – Rising up at night

Infos & Tickets about the event
Jean-Baptiste Bonnet

Jean-Baptiste Bonnet

Director (Save Our Souls)

Panel Guest
New Risks and Opportunities: Filmmakers, Journalists, NGOs

Infos & Tickets about the event

Ilyas Yourish

Producer & Director

Film Guest
Kamay

Infos & Tickets about the event
Dr. Jens Eder

Dr. Jens Eder

Professor Film University Babelsberg

Jury Willy Brandt Documentary Film Award
Awards Ceremony

Infos about the event
Jess Mukeba

Jess Mukeba

Actor

Youth Jury
Awards Ceremony

Infos & Tickets about the Event
Josephine Schmidt

Josephine Schmidt

Moderator
New Risks and Opportunities: Filmmakers, Journalists, NGOs 
and
Documentaries as Tool of Investigative Journalism

Infos & Tickets about the events
© ZDF/Ralph Orlowski

Jörg-Hendrik Brase

Reporter & Editor

Panel Guest
Neue Risks and Opportunities: Filmmakers, Journalists, NGOs

Infos & Tickets about the event

Juan Mejia

Director

Film Guest
Igualada

Infos & Tickets about the event
Kristinn Hrafnsson

Kristinn Hrafnsson

WikiLeaks-Chefredakteur

Panel Guest
Guardians of Truth: Julian Assange and the Dark Secrets of War

Infos & Tickets about the event
Larissa Straßer

Larissa Straßer

Youth Jury
Awards Ceremony

Infos about the event
Laura Warner

Laura Warner

Director & Journalist

Panel Guest
Documentaries as Tool of Investigative Journalism

Infos & Tickets about the event
Layla Mirza

Layla Mirza

Model & Activist

Film Guest
Bêmal – Heimatlos

Infos & Tickets about the event
Liwaa-Yazji
© Florian Riemann

Liwaa Yazji

Filmmaker, screenwriter & playwright

Jury Willy Brandt Documentary Film Award
Awards Ceremony

Infos about the event

Lotta Pommerien

Director

Film Guest
Was bleibt – Journalistinnen in Krisenregionen

Infos & Tickets about the event
Luisa Neubauer
© Lena Faye

Luisa Neubauer

Climate activist

Jury Willy Brandt Documentary Film Award
 

Infos about the event
Luise Amtsberg

Luise Amtsberg

Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Assistance

Speaker 
Opening Ceremony

Infos about the event
Malte Mau

Malte Mau

Bundeskanzler Willy-Brandt-Stiftung

Jury Willy Brandt Documentary Film Award
Awards Ceremony

Infos about the event
Margje de Koning

Margje de Koning

Director & Journalist

Jury Willy Brandt Documentary Film Award
 

Infos about the event
Dr. Martin Frick
© WFP

Dr. Martin Frick

Direktor World Food Programme Germany 

Panel Guest
Choosing Zero Hunger – Defending the Right to Food in the Climate Crisis

Infos & Tickets about the event
Martina Dase
© Dovile Sermokas

Martina Dase

Strategy Consultant

Panel Guest
New Risks and Opportunities: Filmmakers, Journalists, NGOs

Infos & Tickets about the event

Marty Rosenbluth

Protagonist

Film Guest
An hour from the middle of nowhere

Infos & Tickets about the event
Dr. Melinda Crane

Dr. Melinda Crane

Chief Political Correspondent at Deutsche Welle TV

Moderator
Guardians of Truth: Julian Assange and the Dark Secrets of War

Infos & Tickets about the event

Meena Nanji

Director

Film Guest
Our Land, Our Freedom

Infos & Tickets about the event
Mohammed Komani

Mohammed Komani

Investigative Journalist ARIJ 

Panel Guest
Documentaries as Tool of Investigative Journalism

Infos & Tickets about the event
Natalie von Wistinghausen

Natalie von Wistinghausen

Specialist criminal defence lawyer

Film Guest
Bêmal – Heimatlos

Infos & Tickets abou the event

Nikos Vavouris

Film Editor

Film Guest
Stray Bodies

Infos & Tickets about the event
Oliver Kulikowski
© Lennart Diesen/Sea-Watch

Oliver Kulikowski

Spokesperson & Head of Media Sea-Watch

Panel Guest
New Risks and Opportunities: Filmmakers, Journalists, NGOs

Infos & Tickets about the event

Pieter van Eecke

Director

Film Guest
Planet B

Infos & Tickets about the event

Rachita Taneja

Protagonist

Film Guest
Drawing A Line

Infos & Tickets about the event
Renate Künast
© Anne Hufnagl

Renate Künast

Member of the German Bundestag

Panel Guest
Choosing Zero Hunger – Defending the Right to Food in the Climate Crisis

Infos & Tickets about the event
©Saldern

Prof. Dr. Rita Süssmuth

Bundestagspräsidentin a. D. 

Film Guest

Schoolscreening of Petra Kelly - Act Now!

Infos & Tickets zum Event
Sajjad Mutashar
© Guardians Of Truth

Sajjad Mutashar

Film Guest
Guardians of Truth: Julian Assange and the Dark Secrets of War

Infos & Tickets about the event
Sarah Mabrouk

Sarah Mabrouk

Filmdirector & Journalist

Panel Guest
Guardians of Truth: Julian Assange and the Dark Secrets of War

Infos & Tickets about the
Seyi Rhodes

Seyi Rhodes

Journalist Channel 4, BBC

Panel Guest
New Risks and Opportunities: Filmmakers, Journalists, NGOs

Infos & Tickets about the event

Shila Behjat

Journalist & author

Moderator
Bêmal – Heimatlos

Infos & Tickets about the event
Spyros Patsouras

Spyros Patsouras

Filmproducer

Youth Jury
Awards Ceremony

Infos about the event
Tahsin Mirza
© Amelie Riedesel

Tahsin Mirza

Drama educator & Comedian

Film Guest
Bêmal – Heimatlos

Infos & Tickets about the event
Till Eckert
© Ivo Mayr

Till Eckert

Investigative Reporter Correctiv e.V.

Panel Guest
Documentaries as Tool of Investigative Journalism

Infos & Tickets about the event

Yann Ollivier

Co-Author

Film Guest
Everyone's Business

Infos & Tickets about the event

Ziya Emre Yildirim

Youth Jury
Awards Ceremony

Infos about the event
9. MARCH 2026