FIFDH Geneva

What FIFDH Geneva does

FIFDH Geneva (Festival du film et forum international sur les droits humains de Genève) is a Swiss non-profit foundation, founded in 2003 and headquartered at 1 Rue Chantepoulet, Geneva. It organizes an annual ten-day international film and human-rights festival held each March in Geneva, deliberately scheduled to coincide with the United Nations Human Rights Council session. The festival features documentary and fiction competitions, expert forums, and audience discussions, with sections including the Documentary Competition, Fiction Competition, Focus Competition, Forum, and a Schools Programme. Swiss premiere exclusivity is required for selected films, and the festival issues multiple prizes including the Grand Prix Fiction, Grand Prix de Genève, Gilda Vieira de Mello Award, and Vision for Human Rights Award.

Beyond the annual event, FIFDH operates a multi-product ecosystem year-round: Impact Days (a professional programme comprising Impact Lab mentorship, Impact Spotlight screenings, and a Who's Who directory for filmmakers, NGOs, and funders), the Plateforme Écoles (a video-on-demand platform for French-speaking Swiss secondary schools with time-limited access codes and pedagogical kits), the Resources & Media archive (cataloguing content from 22+ editions), the Human Rights Film Tour (mobile screenings beyond Geneva), and Cultural Mediation / Agenda +365 programming. Technology infrastructure consists primarily of off-the-shelf SaaS (Ticketack for ticketing and box-office operations, Eventival for film submissions, accreditation and guest management, MailChimp for newsletter distribution, Google Analytics and reCAPTCHA for web analytics and form protection), with no proprietary technology or AI/ML components identified.

Revenue is generated from five main streams: unit-priced ticket sales (CHF 8-25), festival passes (CHF 75-150) and industry accreditations (CHF 50-170), tiered donor memberships (CHF 55-330 for Ami.es du FIFDH), institutional public funding (Ville de Genève, Canton/Republic of Geneva, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Loterie Romande, Federal Office of Culture), and corporate/media partnerships (RTS, ARTE, TV5 Monde, SRG SSR, The Guardian Documentaries). Customer segments are diversified across general cinema-going audiences, film industry professionals, NGOs and international organizations, secondary-school educators and students, and journalists; pricing is broadly accessible with substantial reduced, youth, and subsidized tiers.

Name

FIFDH Geneva

Legal name

Fondation FIFDH

Website

https://fifdh.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FIFDH Geneva is a Swiss non-profit foundation founded in 2003 that runs an annual international film and human rights festival in Geneva each March, alongside year-round Impact Days, Schools, and touring programmes serving filmmakers, NGOs, educators, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHAJAM

Legal, Justice & Human Rights Congresses

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Association, Government & Academic Congresses

SECONDARYBPAGAKAH

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

Keywords

• Human rights film festival
• Documentary film competition
• Film impact program
• Human rights education
• Cultural events programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Genève

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Individual film tickets, Forum/Spotlight tickets, and award-winning film tickets sold at various price points (CHF 8-25). Tickets available online via Ticketack and at physical box offices.
2. Festival Passes: Festival Pass (nominative, CHF 110-150) and 5-entry cards (transferable, CHF 75) provide access to festival screenings excluding opening ceremony and Impact Days.
3. Industry Accreditations: Professional industry accreditations for Impact Days programme at CHF 50-170, targeting film industry professionals, NGOs, and impact practitioners.
4. Membership/Donations: Ami.es du FIFDH membership tiers (CHF 55-330) offering various benefits including festival access, invitations, and tote bags.
5. Institutional Funding: Support from public institutions including Ville de Genève, Canton de Genève, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Loterie romande, and others.
6. Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorship and partnership arrangements with media organizations (RTS, ARTE, TV5 Monde), foundations, and corporations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

FIFDH Geneva organizes an annual international film festival and forum on human rights held each March in Geneva, featuring documentary and fiction film competitions, forums, and discussions with filmmakers and human rights experts. Beyond the 10-day festival, the foundation operates year-round programming including Impact Days (a professional programme for NGOs, filmmakers, and impact practitioners), a Schools Programme with an online video platform for French-speaking Swiss classrooms, a Human Rights Film Tour, and Cultural Mediation events.

Product overview

FIFDH (Festival du film et forum international sur les droits humains de Genève) is a Geneva-based non-profit foundation organizing one of the most important events dedicated to cinema and human rights. The organization operates a multi-platform ecosystem consisting of: (1) the core Festival — an annual international film festival featuring documentary and fiction competitions, forums, and discussions held each March in Geneva; (2) Impact Days — a professional programme offering Impact Lab mentorship, Impact Spotlight screenings, and a film catalogue for NGOs and filmmakers; (3) the Schools Programme — educational screenings and discussions for secondary school students, complemented by the Plateforme Écoles online video platform for classroom use; and (4) year-round offerings including the Human Rights Film Tour, Cultural Mediation programme, and a Resources & Media platform with archived content from all editions. The organization also facilitates networking through its Who's Who directory and accepts film submissions through Eventival.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Impact Days: Professional programme for NGOs, filmmakers, impact practitioners and funders, featuring the Impact Lab, Impact Spotlight, and industry networking events.
• Plateforme Écoles
• Human Rights Film Tour
• École FIFDH (School Programme)

Products and services

• FIFDH Festival (Annual International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights) Annual international film festival and forum on human rights held in Geneva each March, featuring documentary and fiction film competitions, forums, and discussions with filmmakers and human rights experts. Open to the general public, film industry professionals, and NGOs.
• Impact Days Professional Programme Professional programme for NGOs, filmmakers, impact practitioners, and funders. Includes the Impact Lab (project mentorship), Impact Spotlight (screenings with follow-up activities), and structured networking. Requires industry accreditation.
• Impact Lab Structured mentorship programme supporting documentary film projects with impact strategies, providing guidance for filmmakers developing social impact campaigns. Part of Impact Days.
• Impact Spotlight Film screenings followed by structured discussions and activities aimed at creating social change and raising awareness on human rights issues. Part of Impact Days.
• Schools Programme (Écoles) Educational programme for secondary school classes featuring film screenings, discussions with filmmakers and experts, and teaching materials aligned with human rights themes including human rights, migration, democracy, gender equality, and environmental issues.
• Plateforme Écoles (Schools Online Platform) Online video-on-demand platform for secondary school teachers in French-speaking Switzerland to access films for classroom use. Provides access codes with limited viewings (2 weeks, 3 viewings per film) and includes pedagogical kits. Free for educational purposes.
• Human Rights Film Tour Travelling programme that brings human rights films to audiences beyond Geneva throughout the year, extending the festival's reach geographically and temporally.
• Cultural Mediation (Médiation Culturelle) Year-round programming of cultural events connecting cinema and human rights advocacy beyond the annual festival, including Agenda +365 events held in Geneva and beyond.
• Resources & Media Platform Open-access platform offering video, audio, and written content from 22+ editions of the festival, filterable by edition, theme, region, and content type.
• Impact Days Film Catalogue Curated catalogue of documentary films for outreach and advocacy purposes, available to Impact Days participants (NGOs, foundations, impact practitioners).
• Forum (Discussion Events) Discussion events accompanying film screenings, featuring international experts, activists, and stakeholders on human rights topics, including the Forum and Impact Spotlight sessions.
• Ami·es du FIFDH Membership Multi-tier membership/donor programme for supporters of the festival, with annual benefits including festival passes, invitations to award-winning screenings, opening/closing ceremony access, and tote bags. Price tiers: Amie 55 CHF, Amie 110 CHF, Amie 220 CHF, Amie Duo 330 CHF.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25th edition in 2027 after over 20 years of operation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Ville de GenèvecoreOthersMajor public funder and partner of the festival. Supports the festival as part of Geneva's cultural and human rights programming.
• République et Canton de GenèvecoreOthersPrimary public authority providing institutional support and funding to the festival.
• Département Fédéral des Affaires Étrangères (DFAE)coreOthersSwiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs supporting the festival's human rights mission, co-presenting forums on human rights issues.
• Loterie RomandecoreOthersMajor funder supporting cultural initiatives in French-speaking Switzerland including the FIFDH.
• OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN human rights office, providing alignment with international human rights agenda. The festival is held in parallel with the UN Human Rights Council session.
• Amnesty International SwitzerlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner providing human rights education expertise, moderating discussions, and collaborating on advocacy campaigns including petitions.
• Caritas SwitzerlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian organization partner addressing migration and social justice themes featured in the festival programming.
• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical humanitarian organization collaborating on human rights film programming and advocacy.
• OMCT (Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational human rights organization co-presenting forums such as 'White Torture' on Narges Mohammadi with the DFAE and FIFDH.
• HelvetascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss development organization working on international cooperation and development themes featured in festival programming.
• RTS (Radio Télévision Suisse)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerSwiss public broadcaster providing media partnership, press coverage, and content distribution for the festival.
• ARTEmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEuropean cultural channel partner providing media coverage and content distribution for human rights documentaries.
• TV5 MondemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFrench-speaking international television channel partner for media coverage and content distribution.
• SRG SSRmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSwiss Radio and Television Corporation providing comprehensive media partnership for the festival.
• Ticketack (Net Oxygen Sàrl)coreTechnology or IntegrationSwiss-based ticketing platform provider for secure online ticket sales and festival box office operations.
• EventivalcoreTechnology or IntegrationProfessional event management software used for film submissions, industry accreditations, guest management, and the Impact Days Who s Who platform.
• MailChimp (Rocket Science Group)coreTechnology or IntegrationEmail marketing platform for newsletter distribution, certified under Swiss-US/EU-US Privacy Shield for data protection compliance.
• Office Fédéral de la Culture (OFC)coreOthersSwiss Federal Office of Culture providing institutional support for cultural events including film festivals.
• Fondation LeenaardssupportingOthersSwiss foundation providing cultural funding support to the festival.
• Fondation AlbatrossupportingOthersFoundation supporting the festival with cultural funding.
• Fondation Hélène et Victor BarboursupportingOthersFoundation providing financial support to the festival.
• The Guardian DocumentariessupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for documentary content distribution and promotion.
• Palestine Film InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with FIFDH on co-presenting the Palestinian Film Pavilion at Cannes and Palestinian-focused programming.
• Palestine, Filmer C'est ExistersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner co-presenting film screenings such as 'J'aimerais voir la mer' on Palestinian perspectives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Movies That Matter: Human rights film festival based in The Hague, organized with Amnesty International's involvement. Direct peer to FIFDH: both run annual film festivals focused on human rights themes with strong NGO partnerships and educational programming.
• Cinéma du Réel: Paris-based international documentary film festival at the Centre Pompidou. Comparable to FIFDH as a European documentary film festival with parallel programmes, retrospectives, and debates.
• Docudays UA: Ukrainian international human rights documentary film festival. Direct thematic peer to FIFDH, focused on documentary cinema and human rights, with educational programmes and travelling screenings.
• One World Film Festival: Prague-based international human rights documentary film festival. Closely comparable to FIFDH in mission (human rights cinema), format (annual festival with industry programme), and target audience (NGOs, filmmakers, engaged public).
• This Human World (THW): Vienna-based human rights film festival. Comparable to FIFDH as a European human rights film festival with public funding support, educational outreach, and a focus on documentary and fiction films on social issues.

Broad incumbents

• Sheffield DocFest: UK-based documentary and digital storytelling festival with a substantial industry and impact programme. Comparable to FIFDH in its industry/market structure but broader in thematic scope than human rights.
• Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival): One of the world's largest and most prestigious film festivals with a dedicated documentary and human rights-focused programme. Comparable to FIFDH as a major European festival with public funding and educational outreach, but operates at a far larger scale.
• IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam): Largest dedicated documentary film festival in the world. A broader incumbent in the documentary festival space; comparable in industry programming and audience scale, though not exclusively human rights-focused.
• Hot Docs: Toronto-based documentary film festival, one of North America's largest. Comparable to FIFDH as a documentary festival with industry programming, though broader in theme.

Regional players

• True/False Film Fest: US-based documentary film festival known for curatorial prestige and industry presence. Comparable to FIFDH in arthouse documentary focus and industry programming, but operates in a distinct geographic market (North America).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/fifdh
• Xx.com/fifdh
• Facebookfacebook.com/fifdh.geneve
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fifdh

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FIFDH Geneva