Movies that Matter Festival (The Netherlands) has revealed the full programme for its 2026 edition, bringing together a selection of films that confront urgent human rights issues and global social challenges. From 20 – 28 March 2026, the festival will “transform The Hague into an international meeting place for filmmakers, activists and audiences, presenting 95 films, including 10 world premieres,” organisers write.
The festival will open 20 March 2026 with the feature documentary American Doctor by Poh Si Teng. The film follows three American physicians — one Palestinian, one Jewish and one Zoroastrian — as they enter a besieged and heavily bombed Gaza to provide medical aid, navigating the fraught intersection of medicine and politics. Their stories reveal not only the human cost of war, but also the failure of the international community to protect civilians. The film is part of the festival’s Grand Jury Documentary Competition.
The Grand Jury Documentary Competition features eight impactful documentaries exploring urgent social, political, and human-rights issues from around the world, with the winner receiving a €5,000 prize and eligibility for consideration in the Academy Award® for Best Documentary Feature Film.
The international jury, composed of Debra Zimmerman (executive director, Women Make Movies), Joëlle Alexis (editor), and Tommy Gulliksen (filmmaker), will select the winner from a line-up that, apart from the opening film, also includes All About The Money (Sinéad O’Shea), following the heir of one of America’s wealthiest families as he creates a communist revolutionary base in rural Massachusetts; Kikuyu Land (Andrew H Brown & Bea Wangondu), documenting a Kenyan man’s fight to reclaim land seized during colonial rule; CPH:DOX opener MARIINKA (Pieter-Jan De Pue), a portrait of young Ukrainians living amid over a decade of war in the Donbas; Sentient (Tony Jones), investigating laboratory research on animals and the ethical implications for science and society; Silenced (Selina Miles), following survivors of gendered violence confronting defamation laws weaponized against them; Kasper Verkaik’s world-premiering Soldier’s Bones, chronicling a US reporter’s uncovering of secret military campaigns in Vietnam; and Traces(Alisa Kovalenko), telling the stories of women who survived sexual violence and torture during Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and their pursuit of justice.
This year’s Grand Jury Fiction Competition brings together eight compelling narrative films that explore human rights, identity, and social justice, with the €5,000 Grand Jury Fiction Award to be decided by an international jury composed of writer and production designer Jolein Laarman (film professional), Khalid Shamis (documentary director and producer), and Mandy Chang (filmmaker and producer).
The line-up includes Aisha Can’t Fly Away (Morad Mostafa), following a young Sudanese caregiver navigating societal pressures and personal dreams in Cairo; Eagles of the Republic (Tarik Saleh), a politically charged thriller about an actor drawn into the machinery of authoritarian power; Lost Land (Akio Fujimoto), portraying the perilous journey of Rohingya children seeking safety and reunification; The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo (Diego Céspedes), an evocative coming-of-age story set in a marginalised Chilean community during the AIDS crisis; La Petite Dernière (Hafsia Herzi), a poignant exploration of identity and self-determination within a French-Algerian family; The Plague (Charlie Polinger), a psychological drama examining group dynamics and cruelty within a competitive sports environment; Truly Naked(Muriel d’Ansembourg), a bold narrative confronting vulnerability and societal expectations; and Two Prosecutors (Sergei Loznitsa), a historical drama set during Stalin’s Great Purge in which a young prosecutor confronts the impossibility of justice under totalitarian rule.
Further Competitions
The Movies that Matter Festival also continues to spotlight thematic storytelling through its other competitions: Activist Lens features eight compelling documentaries that follow the courageous work of human rights defenders on the frontlines, while Justice Frame highlights films that interrogate the rule of law, accountability, and the fight against impunity. The Dutch Focus competition showcases striking works from the Netherlands that broaden perspectives on human rights, demonstrating the strength of local storytelling on global issues. A total of 26 shorts will compete in the Shorts Competition, offering fresh and concise perspectives on contemporary challenges, while the Education Award, drawing from the Movies that Matter Education Festival, underscores the transformative power of film in raising awareness and inspiring social consciousness among children and young people.
Industry Days
Running from 22–24 March 2026, the Industry Days programme bring together filmmakers, producers, activists and media professionals for a focused programme of masterclasses, deep dives, panels and creative development sessions aimed at strengthening both craft and community in human‑rights cinema.
A highlight of the programme is the Masterclass: Mental Health in Documentary Filmmaking, where participants explore psychological wellbeing and resilience when working with challenging subject matter, complemented by the Deep Dive Navigating Trauma in Documentary Work, an immersive session offering practical tools for handling traumatic material responsibly. The new Take on Archive Work workshop invites creators to engage with archival material and its ethical, historical and creative implications, while recurring sessions such as Take on Film & Impact support filmmakers in refining their impact strategies and building partnerships that extend a film’s reach.
The Mission of the New Maker continues to nurture early‑career talent with guidance on developing purpose‑driven projects and navigating the international film landscape. With the very first edition of ESTAFET, Movies that Matter kicks off a series of four events that contribute to a dynamic and sustainable film and media ecosystem in The Hague.
Grand Jury Documentary Competition
- All About The Money Sinéad O’Shea, 94 minutes
- American Doctor Poh Si Teng, 93 minutes
- Kikuyu Land Andrew H. Brown, Bea Wangondu, 95 minutes
- MARIINKA Pieter-Jan de Pue, 94 minutes
- Sentient Tony Jones, 106 minutes
- Silenced Selina Miles, 97 minutes
- Soldier’s Bones Kasper Verkaik, 90 minutes
- Traces Alisa Kovalenko, Marysia Nikitiuk, 82 minutes
