The International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH), running from 7-16 March, has unveiled the line-up for the seventh edition of its Impact Days programme. The initiative blends public events with an Impact Lab training programme designed to amplify the social influence of 12 film projects.

For the 2025 edition, FIFDH’s Impact Lab team reviewed 196 submissions from 77 countries, spanning all continents, ultimately selecting 12 thought-provoking documentaries. These films tackle a diverse array of pressing global issues. Among them is a story of resilience, following Indian women mastering an ancient martial art to combat pervasive gender violence. Another explores the legacy of wartime sexual violence, spotlighting the children born from such atrocities and advocating for their legal protection. In Australia, an Aboriginal elder fights to heal asbestos-scarred lands, linking ecological restoration to community well-being. Meanwhile, in Colombia, a black woman’s groundbreaking presidential campaign reclaims a derogatory term as a rallying cry for justice in a deeply divided society.

Curated by a panel of impact professionals, including Abeer Bayazidi (Jordan), Lea Maria Strandbæk Sørensen (Denmark), Prince (Austin) Nyambok II (Kenya), FIFDH editorial co-director Laura Longobardi and Ana Castañosa, head of Impact Days, the selected projects embody the programme’s mission to inspire change through compelling storytelling. Participating filmmakers will join the Impact Lab to refine their outreach strategies under expert guidance. The programme fosters connections with NGOs, international organisations and philanthropists, ensuring that these documentaries serve as catalysts for tangible action.

This year’s edition also introduces the Swiss Focus, a new initiative showcasing Swiss documentaries with global ambitions. Set to announce four projects next year, this addition further cements FIFDH’s role as a platform for international collaboration.

Impact Days will officially begin on 16 January with the webinar “Impact Filmmaking for Social Justice”, followed by a series of in-person events in Geneva. These gatherings aim to create synergies between filmmakers, NGOs and social justice advocates, offering a unique opportunity to forge impactful partnerships. As FIFDH continues to bridge the worlds of cinema and activism, the 2025 Impact Days are poised to inspire both storytellers and changemakers to harness the transformative power of film.

Here are the selected projects for the 2025 Impact Lab:

Above and Below the Ground - Emily Hong (Myanmar/South Korea/USA)
Producers: Emily Hong, Maggie Lemere, Ja Nang Tsen (Rhiza Collective)
Impact producer: Ji San

Children of Honey - Jigar Ganatra, Immanuel Musa Marc (Tanzania/UK)
Producer: Natalie Humphreys (Storyboard Studios)
Impact producer: Simona Nickmanova (Regina Safari)

Cinderella Unbound - Ilinca Calugareanu (Romania/UK)
Producers: Ilinca Calugareanu (Seaweed Pictures), Anamaria Antoci (Tangaj Production)

Dissidents - Manon Loizeau (France)
Producer: Stéphanie Lebrun (Babel Doc)
Impact producer: Stanislas Gazelle

Igualada - Juan Mejia (Colombia)
Producers: Juan Yepes, Sonia Serna, Daniela Alatorre (Human Pictures)
Impact producers: Nodo Sur, Vanessa Cuervo

In Front of Us - Inna Sahakyan (Armenia/Netherlands/USA)
Producers: Vardan Hovhannisyan, Mariam Davtyan (Bars Media)

Kalari - Maria Kaur Bedi, Satindar Singh Bedi (India/Switzerland)
Producers: Esther van Messel (Spirited Heroine), Maria Kaur Bedi, Satindar Singh Bedi (First Hand Films)

The Myth of Monsters - Beatrice Leong (Malaysia/Switzerland/Thailand/Turkey/USA)
Producer: M’GO FILMS
Impact producer: Panuksmi Hardjowirogo

Queer as Punk - Yihwen Chen (Malaysia/UK/Thailand)
Producers: Yihwen Chen (Locke Films), Mandy Marahimin (Talamedia)
Impact producer: Han Yan Yuen

The Other Side of Silence - Dheeraj Akolkar (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Germany/Iraq/Norway/Uganda/Ukraine/Vietnam)
Producers: Anita Rehoff Larsen, Tone Grottjord-Glenne (Sant & Usant), Alex Tondowski (Tondowski Film)
Impact producer: Sabine Lee

Traces - Alisa Kovalenko, Marysia Nikitiuk (Ukraine)
Producer: Olha Beskhmelnytsina (2Brave Productions)

Yurlu | Country - Yaara Bou Melhem (Australia)
Producer: Yaara Bou Melhem (Illuminate Films)