Fictional films to enrich programme of One World
Every year, One World Film Festival highlights important topics that stir society. Whether the films screened cover freedom of speech, judicial independence, identity, or relationships, lead us through hidden alleyways, or immerse us in war zones, they always transcend beyond the confines of cinema halls with their impactful ideas. To underscore the significance of the themes explored in its films, the festival will now be enhancing its programme by newly incorporating fictional films that tackle human rights issues. These fictional films will seamlessly blend with non-competitive documentaries, complementing the overall cinematic experience.
"In an era demanding heightened efforts to shed light on human rights issues, it becomes imperative to embrace varied storytelling formats and unleash the power of imagination to envision potential, alternative worlds. Feature films will help elevate the human rights dimension of One World by delving into phenomena that documentary filmmakers might otherwise struggle to capture in a fleeting reality," says festival director Ondřej Kamenický as he describes the new programme.
Within the category of fictional films, you can also expect cinematic works originating from countries with less-developed film industries compared to Europe. "Our goal is to carve out a space for titles that may have been overlooked in the Czech context and to amplify the voices of creators who have yet to become established festival names," the director explains.
This year's One World will not only include its traditional competitive sections but will also introduce 7 non-competitive categories that group films by theme into sections. And those sections are: Identities, Structures of Power, The Middle East, Ecosystems, Searching for Freedom, On the Edge of Maturity, and Communities. These sections will also include something completely new for the festival – fictional films that feature human rights themes.
And just like in previous years, festivalgoers can look forward to our discussion panels as part of this year’s programme, which will bring together hosts and hostesses from all around the world.
The 26th edition of One World International Human Rights Film Festival is scheduled to run from 20 March to 21 April 2024 in 48 cities across the Czech Republic. In Prague, the festival will unfold from 20 March to 28 March 2024, followed by additional screenings in various districts of Prague from 2 April to 21 April.