What Human Rights Film Festival Zurich does

Human Rights Film Festival Zurich (HRFF Zurich) is an independent non-profit association (Verein Human Rights Film Festival Zurich) founded in 2015 and headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. The organization operates a curated annual film festival centered on documentary and fiction feature films that explore human rights themes — including migration, women's rights, LGBTQI rights, war and conflict, and corporate responsibility — screened at Riffraff cinema in Zurich's district 5. Films are not accepted via open submission; instead, the small core team (Sascha Bleuler as Artistic Director, Nina Oppliger as Head of Communication, and a board led by President Katharina Morawek) proactively curates titles in collaboration with distributors, peer festivals, and filmmakers. Every screening is followed by Q&A panels with directors, protagonists, and subject-matter experts, and the festival is supplemented by a side program of performances, readings, installations, quiz evenings, and book kiosks.

The festival's revenue model is a hybrid of ticket sales (per-screening pricing through Riffraff cinema, plus free festival passes for N/F/S permit holders), institutional grants from the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA), Canton of Zurich, and City of Zurich, donations (via RaiseNow, Twint, and Postfinance), and in-kind and promotional support from a wide network of NGO partners (Amnesty, MSF, Solidar, Public Eye, Greenpeace), media partners (WOZ, Reportagen, Filmbulletin, Republik), and peer festivals (FIFDH Geneva, Festival Diritti Umani Lugano, Black Film Festival Zurich). Distribution is regionally focused: the main 7-day festival takes place in Zurich each spring, while the 'HRFF On Tour' program extends selected titles year-round through co-presentations at Stattkino Basel and Riffraff Zürich. The festival has no proprietary technology platform; its digital footprint is limited to its website, standard social media channels, a biannual email newsletter, and standard cinema ticketing and donation infrastructure.

Name

Human Rights Film Festival Zurich

Legal name

Verein Human Rights Film Festival Zurich

Website

https://humanrightsfilmfestival.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Human Rights Film Festival Zurich is a Swiss non-profit association that runs an annual curated festival of human rights documentary and fiction films at Riffraff cinema, supplemented by Q&A panels, side events, and a year-round HRFF On Tour co-presentation program in Zurich and Basel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival / Cultural Events

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Screening Rooms & Cinematheques (Nonprofit/Institutional) (MPADAKAF), Programming, Booking & Repertory Exhibition Services (MPADAKAL)

Keywords

• Human rights film festival
• Documentary film programming
• Film festival curation
• Cultural event programming
• Independent film screening

Headquarters

HQ city

Zurich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: The festival generates revenue through ticket sales for film screenings. Tickets are sold online via Riffraff's website and at the cinema box office. Festival passes are available for partners, press, and staff.
2. Donor and Patron Support: HRFF Zurich operates as an independent, non-profit association. It accepts donations via Twint and bank transfer, with supporters designated as 'Gönner:in'. Donations are processed through RaiseNow (donate.raisenow.io/fxdzr) and via Postfinance (Kontonummer: 61-978753-3, IBAN: CH34 0900 0000 6197 8753 3).
3. Sponsorship and Partnerships: The festival is funded in part by main institutional partners including the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA), Canton of Zurich Department of Culture, and City of Zurich Culture. These government and cultural bodies provide financial and organizational support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HRFF Zurich operates an annual 7-day curated human rights film festival in Zurich (Riffraff cinema plus side-event venues) featuring documentary and fiction feature films followed by Q&A panels with directors, protagonists, and experts. The festival is complemented year-round by HRFF On Tour co-presentations at partner cinemas (e.g., Stattkino Basel), a Side Events Programme (performances, readings, installations, quiz evenings), and a Filmeinreichungen film-submissions selection service open annually to filmmakers, distributors, and festivals.

Product overview

HRFF Zurich is an annual human rights film festival that presents a curated selection of documentary and fiction films exploring human rights themes across diverse geographic and social contexts. The festival operates as a single unified event product (now in its 12th edition, 2026) featuring film screenings at Riffraff cinema, followed by Q&A sessions with filmmakers and experts. The core offering is supplemented by the HRFF On Tour programme for off-season screenings, a Side Events programme with performances and installations, and festival passes for various audiences including free access for asylum seekers. The festival also accepts film submissions during an annual selection period.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HRFF Zurich Film Festival (Annual 7-Day Festival) Annual curated 7-day film festival featuring documentary and fiction feature films on human rights themes, each followed by a Q&A panel with directors, protagonists, and experts; open to individual ticket-buying audiences, with free access for N/F/S residence permit holders. Held at Riffraff cinema and adjacent venues in Zurich's Kreis 5 district.
• HRFF On Tour (Off-Season Co-Presentations) Year-round co-presented screenings of selected HRFF Zurich films at partner cinemas (Stattkino Basel, Riffraff Zurich), ticketed via the partner venue's box office; extends human rights cinema programming beyond the annual 7-day festival.
• Side Events Programme (Rahmenprogramm) Supplementary cultural programme of performances, readings, installations, quiz evenings, and book kiosks that complement the film screenings and explore human rights themes through additional artistic formats at Zollhaus, Das Gleis bar, and sogar theater; some events free, others ticketed.
• Filmeinreichungen (Film Submissions Service) Annual submission and selection service for filmmakers, distributors, and festivals offering professionally produced feature-length films (documentary or fiction) with international or Swiss cinema distribution; runs May to January each year in advance of the next edition, with the festival proactively approaching potential submitters.
• School Screenings (Educational Programme) Curated moderated school screenings of festival films with Q&A discussions for students, designed to contextualize migration, conflict, and rights themes in classroom settings; offered as a separate educational programme within the festival with the support of the Canton of Zurich Education Department.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12th edition in 2026, running since 2015 — over a decade of annual programming
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Riffraff Cinema (riffraff.ch)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 April 2026Primary cinema partner and venue for HRFF Zurich. Riffraff serves as the main screening location for the festival and handles ticket sales via riffraff.ch. The cinema's technical crew manages all screenings.
• Amnesty International SwitzerlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Core NGO partner co-presenting film screenings and panel discussions. At HRFF Zurich 2026, Amnesty participated in discussions following screenings of 'MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN' and other films. Also a media clipping partner.
• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) / Ärzte ohne GrenzencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026NGO partner co-presenting film screenings and discussions. At HRFF Zurich 2026, MSF participated in the panel 'LET'S TALK ABOUT SUDAN' following the screening of 'KHARTOUM', and previously presented films on medical humanitarian themes.
• Solidar SuissecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026NGO partner providing expert panelists for post-screening discussions on labor rights, corporate responsibility, and global supply chains. Has co-presented films including 'SHE' (MADE IN ASIA – WHOSE PROFIT? panel).
• Public Eye (formerly Erklärung von Bern)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Swiss investigative journalism organization and NGO partner. Has co-presented films including 'The Chocolate Case' and 'Ghost Fleet', providing expert panelists on corporate responsibility and supply chain issues.
• Greenpeace SwitzerlandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Environmental NGO partner co-presenting films and discussions on climate change and environmental justice, including 'Thank You for the Rain' and 'Anote's Ark'.
• FIFDH Geneva (Festival International du Film et Forum sur les Droits Humains)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Partner festival with a joint thematic evening on migration and refugees. Both HRFF Zurich and FIFDH Geneva co-present films on International Human Rights Day (December 10) addressing refugee and migration themes.
• Festival Diritti Umani LuganominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Partner festival in Italian Switzerland, forming a network of human rights film festivals across Switzerland that co-present films on human rights themes.
• Black Film Festival ZurichminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Partner festival in Zurich co-presenting the screening of 'KHARTOUM' (2026) alongside MSF, expanding the audience reach for both festivals.
• Yesh (yesh.ch)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Partner festival listed under partner festivals, serving the Jewish and human rights film community in Switzerland.
• Guesthouse ZollhausminorOthers · 8 April 2026Cooperation partner providing accommodation recommendations for festival attendees. Located at Langstrasse/Zollstrasse, within walking distance of Riffraff. Run in an ecologically and socially sustainable manner.
• Guesthouse Für DichminorOthers · 8 April 2026Cooperation partner offering accommodation recommendations for festival attendees. Located near Stauffacherstrasse/Schreinerstrasse, 1 minute from Langstrasse.
• 25Hours Hotel LangstrasseminorOthers · 8 April 2026Cooperation partner offering 15% discount on online bookings during the festival with code 25_hrff. Located in walking distance of Riffraff, with Cinchona Bar available for pre/post-festival drinks.
• Kein & Aber Publishing HouseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026BOOKS FOR CHANGE collaboration — Kein & Aber curates human rights titles for a book kiosk at the festival, inviting visitors to linger at the 25h things shop on Langstrasse.
• sogar theaterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Cooperation partner hosting the HUMAN RIGHTS ON STAGE reading-performance at the 2026 festival with Sahar Tavakoli, Zarina Tadjibaeva, and Charla Hofstetter.
• Das Gleis BarminorOthers · 8 April 2026Official late-night hangout venue for HRFF Zurich, offering drinks, discussions, and informal networking. Located at Zollstrasse 121, Zollhaus 1st floor, 8005 Zürich.
• Marktlücke ZürichminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Cooperation partner producing festival merchandise (bags) and the RAISE YOUR FISTS installation created by Mirabella-Morganti and sewn by unemployed women in the Marktlücke Zurich studio.
• EnSoieminorOthers · 8 April 2026Cooperation partner producing festival bags featured at HRFF Zurich 2026.
• Creatrices.chminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Cooperation partner presenting the Billboard project at HRFF Zurich 2026, featuring Christina Schumacher presenting the creatrices.ch initiative.
• WOZ Die WochenzeitungminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 April 2026Media partner providing press coverage and editorial support for HRFF Zurich. Listed as a media partner alongside Reportagen, Filmbulletin, and Republik.
• ReportagenminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 April 2026Media partner providing press coverage and editorial support for HRFF Zurich.
• DezentrumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Cooperation partner presenting the discussion following 'ETERNAL YOU' with Sarah Bleuler from Dezentrum moderating the panel.
• LectorbooksminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Cooperation partner co-presenting the reading and book launch of Anna Stern's 'aber morgen ein neuer tag.' in collaboration with 25Hours Hotel Zürich.
• Canton of Zurich Education Department (Bildungsdirektion)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Educational partner supporting school screenings within the festival program. School screenings are followed by moderated Q&A sessions for students.
• Weiter Schreiben SchweizminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Cooperation partner for the ZAN – Reading-Performance at sogar theater, co-presented with auch sogar Theater and Weiter Schreiben Schweiz.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Broad incumbents

• Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival): One of the world's largest film festivals, with sections and programming that address human rights and social issues. Not a direct competitor at HRFF Zurich's scale, but a relevant broad incumbent whose programming overlaps thematically with curated human rights cinema.
• IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam): The world's leading documentary film festival, with substantial human rights and social-issue programming. Functions as a content pipeline and prestige reference point for European documentary film festivals including HRFF Zurich.

Regional players

• Yesh (Zurich): Zurich-based cultural platform focused on Jewish and human rights film. Listed as a partner festival of HRFF Zurich; operates in the same Zurich niche cultural festival space.
• Black Film Festival Zurich: Zurich-based film festival focused on Black cinema and diaspora perspectives. An explicit HRFF Zurich partner; co-presented 'KHARTOUM' in 2026 and shares the Zurich cultural ecosystem.

Direct peers

• This Human World (Vienna): Vienna-based annual international human rights film festival. Comparable in mission and format, operating in a German-speaking European context similar to Switzerland's linguistic landscape.
• FIFDH Geneva (Festival International du Film et Forum sur les Droits Humains): Geneva-based annual international film and forum festival on human rights. Directly comparable to HRFF Zurich in mission, format, and Swiss context, and an active strategic partner — both festivals co-present films on International Human Rights Day.
• Movies that Matter (Netherlands): Annual international human rights film festival in The Hague, Netherlands. Highly comparable as a curated human rights film festival combining screenings, Q&A, and activism, and a global reference point for the human rights festival format.
• Human Rights Watch Film Festival: International human rights film festival organized by Human Rights Watch across multiple cities (London, New York, Toronto). Closely comparable in thematic focus and the integration of rights organizations into film curation.
• One World Human Rights Film Festival (Prague): Prague-based annual human rights documentary film festival. Directly comparable in curatorial mission (human rights cinema, post-screening discussions, education programs) and similar scale of operation.
• Festival Diritti Umani Lugano: Lugano-based human rights film festival serving Italian-speaking Switzerland. Comparable in mission and thematic focus; explicitly identified as a partner festival in HRFF Zurich's Swiss human rights film network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIeXyjFpKG4DmCfopxFaPNA
• Facebookfacebook.com/hrffzurich
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/human-rights-film-festival-zurich
• Instagraminstagram.com/humanrightsfilm_festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Human Rights Film Festival Zurich