The Valencia International Film and Human Rights Festival, Humans Fest, organized by Fundación por la Justicia, has announced the theme for its XIV edition: the gender perspective in defense of human rights. The objective is to support cinema that identifies and questions discrimination, inequality and exclusion based on gender, as well as the actions that are undertaken anywhere in the world to change and advance the construction of equality.
To achieve this, Humans Fest will bring to the city a selection of cinematographic and documentary works that citizens can enjoy in different spaces. “Feminism has been the great revolution of the last century, but even so many of our rights remain in dispute, especially those of the most vulnerable women: the poor, the racialized, the trans, those from certain countries in the Global South,” she points out. the director of the festival Majo Siscar.
Thus, the next festival will offer an open, inclusive and diverse look at the fight for rights that helps to bring down stereotypes and to create a new imaginary around the gender roles and identities. “Although women have the worst rates of poverty, inequality or violence, we want to highlight our capacity for agency and resilience. Because we are the ones who continue to sustain life and, now, we are the ones who lead protests and changes in the face of the most conservative agendas,” adds Siscar.
JUNE CONSOLIDATED AS FILM MONTH FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Given the good reception it had in 2022 at the gates of summer, Humans Fest has decided to maintain June to celebrate its edition this year. Specifically, it will take place from Thursday the 1st to Friday the 9th of said month. Once again, the festival will not only include screenings, but will also have a varied program of activities, such as human rights forums, workshops, exhibitions or concerts.
Likewise, the team does not change either, which will continue to be led by the journalist Majo Siscar, who will once again count on the journalists Cristina Vivo, as production coordinator, Pilar Almenar, as awareness coordinator, and Laura Bellver, as communication coordinator.
“We have trusted cinema as a tool for advocacy, denunciation and debate since 2008, when we launched this festival. We know that 2023 will not be an exception. We will demonstrate once again that citizens are interested in human rights and that we need initiatives like this to reflect on them and generate a collective commitment,” concludes José María Tomás y Tío, president of Fundación por la Justicia.
OFFICIAL SECTION OPEN UNTIL MARCH 2023
The festival has published the basics registration to participate in the official sections of its XIV edition, which can be consulted on the website www.humansfest.com and on the specialised platform Festhome. On this occasion, the period will remain open for three months: from Tuesday, December 20, 2022 until Monday, March 20, 2023.
Specifically, they distinguish four categories: Humans Ficfor the best international feature and short fiction films; Humans Docfor the best feature and short documentary films; Curt i Barrejatfor Valencian short films dealing with human rights in documentary or fiction genre; and 1 minute, 1 rightfor micro-films made by students.
Additionally, a honorary prize to a person distinguished for his career in the defense of human rights from the audiovisual world, as well as other recognitions without financial remuneration outside the official section. All of this, in accordance with the bases, always seeking “a perspective of rebellion, empowerment and resilience.”
Humans Fest is part of the international Human Rights Film Network. Its 14th edition is celebrated thanks to the collaboration of the Conselleria de Cooperació, Diputació de València, Ajuntament de València, Institut Valencià de Cultura, Caixa Popular and Teika.