The Netherlands-based Movies that Matter Festival has announced its official selection for the 2025 edition, showcasing “a powerful line-up of films that explore pressing social and political issues through bold storytelling.” The festival, running 21 – 29 March in the Dutch city of The Hague, will host a total of 98 films, 10 of them world premieres.
Opening Film
Kicking off this year’s festival is the world premiere of The Promise, directed by Daan Veldhuizen. The film will screen as part of the Oscar-qualifying Grand Jury Documentary Competition and the Justice Frame program, highlighting its significance in the realm of human rights cinema. “Through powerful testimonies from exiled Papuans and their ongoing fight for recognition, The Promise paints a painful picture of how colonialism gave way to neo-colonialism—and how the world remained silent,” the film notes underline.
Grand Jury Competitions
This year’s Grand Jury Documentary Competition features an eclectic selection of films. The Bibi Files, directed by Alexis Bloom, presents a gripping investigation into the corruption trial of Benjamin Netanyahu, featuring leaked interrogation footage. Flavors of Iraq, from director Léonard Cohen, blends animation with documentary to provide a deeply personal perspective on Iraq’s history. Ji.hlava winner Grey Zone, by Daniela Merssa Rusnoková, delves into the complexities of conflict and survival. Mr. Nobody Against Putin, directed by David Borenstein, offers a striking portrait of resistance against authoritarian power. Filmmaker Nanfu Wang returns with The Night is Not Eternal, following Cuban activist Rosa María Payá Acevedo over several years as she navigates the universal struggle for freedom. Straight from CPH:DOX, Facing War by Tommy Gulliksen examines the realities of modern warfare, while Monica Strømdahl’s Flophouse America offers “a raw and intimate” portrayal of life on the fringes of American society through the eyes of a young boy and his dysfunctional parents. Rounding out the selection is My Dear Théo by Alisa Kovalenko, a deeply personal testament to the power of a mother’s love for her child in times of war.
This year’s Grand Jury Fiction Competition presents eight films, including the world premiere of The Garden of Earthly Delights by Morgan Knibbe, a harrowing exploration of systemic injustices and (post)colonial inequality. Anywhere Anytime, the fiction feature debut of Iranian rock star-turned-filmmaker Milad Tangshir, tells the story of a young undocumented immigrant navigating life in Turin. Oscar-nominated Scandar Copti’s Happy Holidays follows a Palestinian and Israeli family whose personal struggles and societal pressures put their relationships to the test, while Neo Sora’s Happyend is set in a near-future Japan where a group of teenage musicians grapple with friendship and anxiety as a looming earthquake threatens their city. In Manas, Marianna Brennand tells the story of a 13-year-old girl in the Amazon rainforest who begins to see through the illusions of her childhood and takes a stand against deep-rooted exploitation. Based on a true story, Lotfi Achour’s Red Path follows a young Tunisian boy forced to return home alone with his cousin’s severed head after a brutal terrorist attack. Iranian Oscar nominee Mohammad Rasoulof presents The Seed of the Sacred Fig, while Emanuel Pârvu’s Three Kilometres to the End of the World explores a gay teenager’s clash with his conservative Danube Delta community.
Further Competitions
The Movies that Matter Festival has also rebranded its thematic competitions: the Activist Lens, featuring eight documentaries about the work of human rights activists; Justice Frame, which zooms in on the importance of the rule of law and the fight against impunity; and the Dutch Focus competition, celebrating films from the Netherlands that broaden views on human rights. A record number of 27 shorts will compete in the Shorts Competition and the Education Award, for which films that are part of the Movies that Matter Education Festival are eligible, highlights the importance of film in raising the social awareness of children and young people.
Industry Days
At the Movies that Matter Industry Days, the festival offers a diverse programme of workshops, panel discussions, impact plan pitches, and masterclasses focused on film and human rights, and will welcome delegations of talented filmmakers and producers from Ukraine, South Africa, Nepal, Morocco and Kenya. A key focus is Take on Film and Impact, which hosts both an Inspirational Morning, featuring case studies, panel discussions, and keynotes on audience design and the intersection of sales and impact, as well as a panel on the role of impact funds. Later, the Pitches & One-on-Ones provide ten selected teams the opportunity to present their projects and impact goals to NGOs, international organizations, and industry professionals. Emerging filmmakers can join The Mission of the New Make, an afternoon session focused on the role and safety of filmmakers, organized in collaboration with NFF and CoBo. Take on Journalism & Censorship brings together industry experts, including Jihan El-Tahri (Al Jazeera) and Santiago Maza Stern (State of Silence), alongside representatives from the Ukrainian delegation and Free Press Unlimited, for a vital discussion on press freedom. Take on Scaling Up Your Film explores strategies for bringing films to the international stage and maximizing their impact beyond the screening room, while Take on New Beginnings sees AMIR and Buddy Film Foundation present three powerful films, followed by in-depth discussions with the filmmakers and those involved.
Click here to view the full programme of Movies that Matter 2025.
