Organisers of FIFDH (Geneva International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights) have put out the call forprojects for the next edition of Impact Days, running 7-9 March 2027. The submission deadline is midnight CET on 28 July 2027.
Impact Days is looking for 12-16 completed films with an impact campaign, as well as projects in advanced production that wish to develop a campaign. From October 2026 to March 2027, human rights filmmakers will be trained to craft and refine their impact campaigns before being connected during Impact Days with major impact players operating both internationally and within Geneva’s network of organisations, policymakers, and philanthropists.
Selection criteria
- Cinematographic quality: the project offers a high-quality cinematographic approach and storytelling.
- Topic matter: the project deals with urgent and important issues relating to human rights and/or the environment
- Impact potential: the project has the potential to affect public and/or stakeholder opinion on the issue it addresses, the team has a clear vision of the impact they want to make.
- Relevance to Geneva: the project’s impact objectives justify the teams coming to Geneva, due to the presence of strategic stakeholders (international organisations, NGOs, diplomatic missions, etc.).
- FIFDH encourages applications from independent filmmakers and/or producers who are actively committed to achieving their impact objectives by forging new collaborations and mobilising key stakeholders.
- A committee of international impact practitioners selects the final 12-16 projects.
IMPACT LAB
The Impact Lab is a five-month online and in-person training programme and an integral part of the Impact Days, the FIFDH’s professional programme. It is dedicated to documentary feature projects seeking to develop an impact campaign.
- From October 2026 to February 2027 international tutors coach the selected film teams online to refine their impact goals, develop an impact strategy, design and deliver an impact pitch, and identify potential partners outside the documentary industry.
- During the Impact Days in Geneva in March 2027, the teams pitch their campaigns and participate in curated meetings, as well as other impact activities attended by international impact professionals – case studies, panels, talks and screenings.
See last year’s Impact Lab selection here and click here to submit a project.
COMPLETED FILMS WITH AN IMPACT CAMPAIGN
For completed films with a current or ready-to-go impact campaign, FIFDH will organise a festival screening during the Festival, comprising of a screening of the documentaries followed by a panel discussion related to the issues raised by the films.
FIFDH will also help makers and producers refine their impact objectives and strategies, design and present an Impact pitch and identify partners outside the documentary sector in order to reach strategic target audiences.
For more info and to submit a film with a campaign, click here. The submission deadline for all applications is 28 July 2027 (midnight CET).
The 25th edition of FIFDH (Geneva International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights) will be presented 5-14 March 2027.
