Movies that Matter Festival 2025 (2025)

Table of Contents

The festival kicks off on Friday! Dutch Focus Night Plan Your Visit Upcoming Competitions Specials Sakharov Special NPO Doc Selection Themes More than a festival Industry Support Movies that Matter We would like to thank our partners Newsletter Partners Newsletter References

The festival kicks off on Friday!

Check out the programme and buy your tickets now for the Movies that Matter Festival 2025.

Programme

Dutch Focus Night

A special evening centered around The Garden of Earthly Delights by Morgan Knibbe.

Tickets

Plan Your Visit

Prepare for the festival and ticket sales with this practical information guide.

Fri 21 March 14:30

Meet the Activist

Den Haag
Theater aan het Spui

Accreditation only

More info

Fri 21 March 20:30

Sold out

The Promise

Den Haag
Filmhuis Den Haag

Opening Festival

More info

Sat 22 March 10:00

Sold out

Shorts: On Censorship

Den Haag
Filmhuis Den Haag

More info

Sat 22 March 10:00

Anywhere Anytime

Den Haag
Theater aan het Spui

More info

Sat 22 March 10:00

Flavors of Iraq

Den Haag
Filmhuis Den Haag

More info

view programme

Competitions

All the competition programmes

The Movies that Matter Festival has several competitions in which international juries hand out awards to the winning film or director.

Sakharov Special

On Friday 28 March, Movies that Matter will host a special screening dedicated to the Sakharov Prize. In 2024, the prize was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado and president-elect Edmundo González Urrutia. This free event is in honour of all Venezuelans fighting for freedom and democracy. Book your free ticket Programme The...

NPO Doc Selection

On Friday 28 March, NPO Doc presents two programmes around specially curated documentaries: The Dialogue Police and Blauwe ballen en andere verkrachtingsmythen, including post-screening talks. With a combi-ticket, you can visit these two films and talks for only €22. Order your combi-ticket below. The Dialogue Police A small unit within the Swedish Police works with...

Themes

Navigate through the programme with our thematic selections.

Deep DiveDeep DiveOur Deep Dive selection highlights the eve of war and the geopolitical power struggles that come with it, with two classics and two new films. Festival FavouritesFestival FavouritesFestival Favouritesfeatures audience favourites that have proven their quality at international festivals. ShortsShortsDuring the festival, thematic blocks of shorts are screened daily in zaal 6 of Filmhuis Den Haag. Discover this year’s shorts blocks here! Take on FreedomTake on FreedomInTake on Freedom, you will see films about the indomitable desire for freedom – and the work it takes to achieve it. Take on FutureTake on FutureThe transition into a sustainable future is a slow one. What is needed to speed it up? And what dilemmas does this entail? That is what the films in Take on Future are all about. Take on LoveTake on LoveTake on Love is a multi-faceted themed programme about the power, vulnerability and complexity of relationships, the right to be yourself and love who you want. Take on PowerTake on PowerInTake on Power we show films about uneven power relations. And about people taking on forces and structures that seem bigger than themselves.

Latest updates

Get the latest festival updates via our Instagram account.

More than a festival

EducationFilm in educationOn TourScreenings year roundInternationalSupporting festivals worldwide

Industry

At the Movies that Matter Industry Days, we offer a diverse programme of workshops, panel discussions, impact plan pitches, and masterclasses focused on film and human rights.

Support Movies that Matter

Do you want to contribute to our work? Awesome! Check the ways you can support Movies that Matter.

We would like to thank our partners

Learn more about the partners that make the Movies that Matter Festival possible.

Do you want to stay up to date with all Movies that Matter news, promotions and special screenings? Sign up for our newsletter (in Dutch).

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