• Cinematographic quality: the project offers a high-quality cinematographic approach and storytelling.
• Topic matter: the project deals with urgent and important issues relating to human rights and/or the environment
• Impact potential: the project has the potential to affect public and/or stakeholder opinion on the issue it addresses, the team has a clear vision of the impact they want to make.
• Relevance to Geneva: the project’s impact objectives justify the teams coming to Geneva, due to the presence of strategic stakeholders (international organisations, NGOs, diplomatic missions, etc.).
  
  We encourage applications from independent filmmakers and/or producers who are actively committed to achieving their impact objectives by forging new collaborations and mobilising key stakeholders.
  
  A committee of international impact practitioners selects the final 12-16 projects.

• We consider non-fiction films of 52+ minutes 
• By December 2026, projects must be in late production, edit or post-production: you should have at least 75% of material shot.
• A teaser or trailer is essential – submissions without one will not be considered!
• Only one project per company or filmmaker. However, an applicant can be a member of the key creative personnel on multiple projects.

• Expert training on how to refine impact goals, develop an impact strategy, design and deliver an impact pitch, identify potential partners outside the documentary industry
• Public pitching of your project and impact campaign in the presence of potential funders and partners in Geneva.
• Curated connections to key players – NGOs and other international organizations, foundations, impact producers – within your issue areas, through pre-arranged meetings.
• Network with other current and previous international Impact Days participants: filmmakers, producers, impact producers, experts and Lab tutors, as well as other FIFDH Festival attendees.
• Win cash and in-kind prizes to help further your impact campaign.

We require a minimum of one team member to participate in the programme, and a maximum of three. These must be the Director, Producer and/or Impact Producer/Strategist.

The selected film teams must attend all compulsory events. All events are held in English. The online dates for the Impact Lab (Oct 26-Feb 27) will be announced upon selection. The Impact Days take place in Geneva 7-9 March 2027.

The FIFDH requires its Impact Days 2027 selection logo to be included in all the materials related to the impact campaign of the film. 

Submission is free. Selected teams will need to pay an accreditation fee of 200 CHF for each team member participating in our programme. The accreditation gives access to all Impact Lab and Impact Days activities including lunches and the closing cocktail, as well as to all festival screenings and debates for the entire duration of the FIFDH on 5-14 March 2027.

Selected participants who are members of partner organisations or alumni of partner training programmes with this same project will benefit from 25% off their accreditation cost.
See here for the list of partner organisations – scroll down to “In collaboration with”.

In addition, the FIFDH Impact Days will cover accommodation for up to 2 participants per film.

Travel to and from Geneva will be at the participants’ own expense.

Thanks to the support of the South Culture Fund, selected participants based in the priority countries of the DDC (Direction suisse du développement et de la coopération) can have their accreditation, trip and accommodation covered by the FIFDH. See countries here.