17/03/2023 - The industry section of the Geneva human rights festival awarded three projects and broke records in it latest edition

My Name is Happy by Nick Read and Ayse Toprak

The fifth edition of Impact Days, the industry programme of Geneva’s International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH), which ran from 12 to 14 March, has come to a close. The event brought together global impact filmmakers, NGOs, and philanthropists, and announced the recipients of its prizes.

This year, the Impact Lab received 110 submissions from around the world and selected 16 to participate (read the news). The teams worked with tutors from Colombia, Kenya, Mexico, and the United States to create a final impact strategy and pitch for potential partners and funders in Geneva. Three teams received special awards, with a focus on women and girls' rights and freedoms in the stories and impact campaigns.

The StoryBoard Collective's Impact Fund, which focuses on developing capacity in media impact production through strategic partnerships and direct grants, awarded the StoryBoard Impact Award valued at 10,000 CHF to Nick Read and Ayse Toprak's My Name Is Happy [+see also:
film review
interview: Nick Read and Ayse Toprak
film profile]. The documentary tells the inspiring story of Mutlu Kaya, a teenage singing sensation who overcomes being shot to become a fearless survivor and advocate for women's rights in Turkey and beyond. The project is a co-production between Nick Read for UK’s Red Zed Films and Adam Bullmore of October Films.

The DOCS UP Fund, which provides consulting services, awards €1,500 to support an impact campaign during the editing phase of a film, and was presented to Scarlet Girls by Paula Cury. The lyrical documentary features women of all ages discussing the challenges and consequences of illegal abortion in the Dominican Republic. The documentary is a co-production between Paula Cury and Samuel Didonato (Critale Cine) and Natalia Imaz for Germany’s Parabellum Film.

The Sublimages Award was presented to Aymar El Amir and Nada Riyadh's The Brink of Dreams. The award provides free translation and subtitling services to reach strategic audiences and is worth approximately €2,000. The film follows a group of energetic and humourous young Coptic women in Egypt who rebel against societal norms by forming an all-female street theatre troupe. The project is an Egyptian-French-Danish co-production among Ayman El Amir (Felucca Films), Marc Irhmer (Dolce Vita Films), and Mette-Ann Schepelern (Magma Film).

This year's Impact Days set new records with over 150 attendees from 34 countries participating in global case studies, talks, training sessions, and networking opportunities. The event facilitated 100 one-to-one meetings that matched potential partners based on common social justice and environmental issues. The sixteen selected impact projects received increased public exposure through a new pitching event. Furthermore, all nine regional advisors of the Global Impact Producers' Alliance (GIPA) from five continents attended, providing insight into the field of Impact Production.

Impact Days also hosted an event for Swiss philanthropic organisations to introduce them to the notion and value of Impact Production. National and international partners, including the City of Geneva, Fondation Leenaards, Haas Foundation, Rosa Luxembourg Foundation, StoryBoard Collective, the Federal Office for Culture via Media Desk Suisse, and the US-based International Resource for Impact & Storytelling (IRIS) provided increased and new support. Finally, for the first time, the Perspective Fund and Ford Foundation participated in person in Geneva, indicating the increasing importance of Impact Production in today's world.

Here are the winners of FIFDH Impact Days 2023:

StoryBoard Impact Award
My Name Is Happy [+see also:
film review
interview: Nick Read and Ayse Toprak
film profile] - Nick Read, Ayse Toprak (UK)
Producers: Nick Read (Red Zed Films), Adam Bullmore (October Films)

DOCS UP Fund Award
Scarlet Girls - Paula Cury (Dominican Republic/Germany)
Producers: Paula Cury, Samuel Didonato (Critale Cine), Natalia Imaz (Parabellum Film)

Sublimages Award
The Brink of Dreams - Ayman El Amir, Nada Riyadh (Egypt/France/Denmark)
Producers: Ayman El Amir (Felucca Films), Marc Irhmer (Dolce Vita Films), Mette-Ann Schepelern (Magma Film)