13th Annual Human Rights Film Festival

The Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA) is hosting its 13th annual Human Rights Watch Film Festival from Feb. 2 to 9. The Human Rights Watch Film Festival will feature critically acclaimed films on topics including child care and education, environmental protection, gender equity, trans and Indigenous rights, women’s rights and more.

This hybrid film festival features in-person screenings of select films, plus opportunities to watch films virtually at any time throughout the festival.

Films include:

Thursday, Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. PST (Opening Night – in-person only screening and reception at Museum of Photographic Arts)

"Clarissa's Battle" (2022)

Single mother and organizer Clarissa Doutherd is building a powerful coalition of parents. They’re fighting for childcare and early education funds, desperately needed by low and middle-income parents and children across the United States.

Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 5 p.m. PST (Q&A featuring Fazila Amiri, the director, and Fereshta Abbasi, researcher in the Asia division at Human Rights Watch and film participants)

"And Still I Sing" (2022) by Fazila Amiri

Afghan Star, a popular national televised singing contest has never had a female winner. But that is about to change. The feminist Afghan pop icon Aryana Sayeed takes two female singers under her wing and with each episode they defy the odds – winning the hearts and minds of the public, and pushing the national conversation on women’s rights along the way. When the Taliban suddenly take power – these brave artists must decide whether to stay and fight for their rights or to escape abroad to safety.

Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 5 p.m. PST (Q&A with Andrea Patiño Contreras, the director, and the film participant Karina Lopez)

"#IAmVanessaGuillen" (2022) by Andrea Patiño

In 2018, a US soldier, Karina Lopez, survived a sexual assault at Fort Hood military base. When Vanessa Guillen, another Latina service member, disappears and is then murdered, Karina steps forward to share her story, creating the #IAmVanessaGuillen hashtag. Hundreds of service members chime in, exposing the cycle of abuse occurring on military bases and demanding justice.

Thursday, Feb. 9 at 5 p.m. PST (Q&A with director Juliana Curi and producer Martina Sönksen)

"Uýra: The Rising Forest" (2022)

Uýra, a transgender Indigenous artist, travels through the Amazon on a journey of self-discovery using performance art to teach Indigenous youth that they are the guardians of ancestral messages of the Amazon Forest. In a country that kills an incredibly high number of transgender, Indigenous and environmentalist youth of any country , Uýra leads a rising movement while fostering unity and providing inspiration for the LGBTQIA+ and environmental movements in the heart of the Amazon Forest.

Virtual screenings available to watch at any time:

"Category: Woman" (2022) by Phyllis Ellis

Who is a woman, and who gets to decide? "Category: Woman" focuses on four athletes from the Global South who are required by sporting institution World Athletics to medically alter their healthy bodies if they want to continue to compete in their sport. A recorded Q&A will be featured following the film available to all digital ticket holders for this title.

"Delikado" (2022) by Karl Malakunas

In Delikado, three environmental defenders are tested like never before in their battle to save their home, Palawan, an island paradise in the Philippines from the illegal destruction of its forests, fisheries, and mountains.

Pricing and ticketing information:
The Human Rights Watch Film Festival team does not want the cost of watching these films to be a barrier for participation. If the price of a ticket to any film screening would prevent you from participating, please email filmticket@hrw.org, and they will send you a free ticket code. Human Rights Watch has set aside a set number of tickets per film on a first-come, first-served basis.

Your ticket purchase enables the team to make tickets free for those who might otherwise be unable to watch. This also allows the festival to support the filmmakers for sharing their work in the festival and for the festival to cover the cost of hosting the films online.

- Opening Night screening + reception - $10
- Standard ticket price – $9
- Standard pass price for all films – $35
- MOPA /HRW member ticket – $6
- MOPA/HRW member pass – $20
- Student/Senior/Active Military ticket – $8
- Student/Senior/Active Military pass – $35

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