Fritz Bauer & Raphael Lemkin Human Rights Film Award

Deadline 31 May2021Submit a film now

The Human Rights Film Award of the BUXUS STIFTUNG (Germany) and the BERG INSTITUTE (Spain) honours filmmakers who have made outstanding contributions to human rights, democracy and dialogue in their cinema, television and film productions.

The films tell stories of survival and resistance. Stories of people who have survived genocide, war and social injustice and yet do not feel victimised. Films that not only explore the fate of the survivors and their relatives in documentary form, but also tell their stories artistically and emotionally.

The expert jury of „Unlimited Hope“ presents the Human Rights Film Award annually. The films compete in three categories. The awards are presented on 10 December – the day on which the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. All categories are endowed.

The honoured films of our Fritz Bauer & Raphael Lemkin Human Rights Film Award explore and unite the stories of people who fight for human rights worldwide – their own and those of others. What drives them to resist? Where do they find the strength to do so in situations where others, often everyone, falls silent and adapts to injustice? What can we do ourselves?

Our films tell the stories of the „fight for human rights“. This is the only way to keep the voices of resistance alive and strengthen human rights.

Three categories – three prizes

The BUXUS STIFTUNG and BERG INSTITUTE Human Rights Film Prize is awarded in three different categories. One winner will be honoured in each category.

Films in English or with English subtitles (or without dialogue) of all genres are eligible. Film productions can be submitted directly in the following categories. Whether feature-length, short or non-professional film: in each of the three categories you have the chance to win a unique award.

You can submit particularly detailed, elaborate film productions in the feature-length film category. However, short or non-professional films can also win a prize in the other two categories with the best film in each.

Would you like to take the chance to win one of our prizes?

Submit your film today on the subject of human rights or on a situation in which human rights are violated. Take part in the competition for the „Unlimited Hope“ film prize organised by the BUXUS FOUNDATION and the BERG INSTITUTE.

The expert jury

KARINA SAINZ BURGO, WRITER AND JOURNALIST, MADRID

GABRIELE CLAUDIA WENGLER, AUTHOR, DIRECTOR AND PHOTOGRAPHER, MUNICH

FRANZ BIRKNER, FILMMAKER, PHOTOGRAPHER, ARTIST, GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN

GABE IBÁÑEZ, FILM DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER, MADRID

PAMELA YATES, CO-FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF SKYLIGHT, BROOKLYN (NEW YORK CITY)

PACO DE ONIS, FILM DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER FROM LATIN AMERICA, BROOKLYN (NEW YORK CITY)