13/10/2026 - The Geneva-based initiative will bring together international documentary teams to develop impact campaigns broaching issues that range from AI surveillance to forced displacement

The International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH), which will take place in Geneva from 6-15 March 2027, has announced the 12 projects selected for the ninth edition of its Impact Days programme. The initiative combines public events with the Impact Lab, an international training programme supporting documentary filmmakers in developing campaigns designed to bring about social change.

The 2027 selection spans several continents, bringing together projects that explore a broad range of social, political and environmental concerns. Among the European-produced titles, #ClickRevolution, directed by Anja Strelec, follows Croatian influencer Nina Skočak and her independent Generation Z list during the 2024 European Parliament elections, examining youth participation in politics and the hurdles faced by women who challenge conventional representations of power. In The Others, Ofelia de Pablo del Valle and Javier García Zurita turn their attention to Spain’s intensive agricultural sector, exposing the exploitation of migrant workers and questioning the sustainability credentials of a food production system built on their precarious labour. Meanwhile, Sisters Act, co-directed by Dea Gjinovci and Antoine Goldet, documents the efforts of Catholic religious sisters across Europe and Africa to combat human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

Other selected projects examine working-class identity, disability and the impact of illness on family life. In Smoking Shores, David Roland Warwick portrays a surfing community living in the shadow of the UK’s largest steelworks, exploring questions of belonging and resilience amid industrial change. Still Here, directed by Linda Kallistová Jablonská, focuses on a mother with terminal cancer and her two teenage daughters as they confront anticipatory grief and the challenges of caring for a dying parent. In Sara, Harde Samir follows a Kurdish girl who loses her right leg in a Turkish bombardment in northern Syria and attempts to rebuild her childhood while her family seeks asylum in Europe.

Through the Impact Lab, the selected teams receive online guidance over several months to refine their impact goals, campaign strategies and potential partnerships. The programme reaches a climax in Geneva from 7-9 March 2027, when participants will pitch their campaigns, and take part in curated meetings with international impact professionals and human rights organisations. The initiative aims to connect documentary storytelling with advocacy networks and organisations capable of supporting long-term social change.

Here are the selected projects for the 2027 Impact Lab:

The Road to Bama – Kachi Benson (USA)
Producer: Joshua Roth (Bama Holding LLC)
Impact producer: Adrian DeDomenico

The Displaced – María José Calderón, Samuel Pigott (USA)
Producers: Nate Birnbaum, Benjamin Stephen
Impact producer: Marianna Olinger

Justice in the Land of Fog – Laura Dauden (Brazil/Colombia)
Producers: Laura Dauden (Forward Films), Valentina Romero (Uno Uno Films)
Impact producers: Kristie Robinson, Valentina Romero

The Others – Ofelia de Pablo del Valle, Javier García Zurita (Spain)
Producer: Ofelia de Pablo del Valle (Hakawatifilm)
Impact producer: Mia Bendrimia

Sisters Act – Dea Gjinovci, Antoine Goldet (Switzerland/USA/Italy)
Producers: Ivan Madeo (Contrast Film), Chachi Hauser (Astrae Productions), Jon Coplon (Stay Black Productions)
Impact producer: Ivan Madeo

Still Here – Linda Kallistová Jablonská (Czech Republic)
Producer: Alice Tabery (Cinepoint)
Impact producer: Lucie Medková

ExCoded – Javier Lovera (Canada)
Producers: Hannah Donegan, Marc Serpa Francoeur (Better Together Films)

Before the Feast – Rajani Mani (India)
Producers: Miriam Chandy Menacherry, Rajani Mani, Josy Joseph, Anisa Draboo (Elephant Corridor Films, Filament Pictures, Confluence Media)
Impact producer: Rajani Mani

Smoking Shores – David Roland Warwick (UK)
Producer: Dewi Gregory (Truth Department)
Impact producer: Rachel Caplan

Sara – Harde Samir (Switzerland/Iraq)
Producers: Elaheh Nobakht, Harde Samir, Saeed Sheidi (Elsa Image)
Impact producer: Elaheh Nobakht

Camels of the Sea – Vikram Singh (India)
Producer: Mandakini Gahlot (Elefant Films)
Impact producer: Marina Azcarate

#ClickRevolution – Anja Strelec (Croatia/Belgium)
Producers: Iva Tkalec (Kinoteka), Anny Tubbs (First Move Productions)
Impact producer: Anny Tubbs