{"id":42304,"date":"2026-01-27T10:33:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T09:33:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fifdh.org\/?post_type=festival&p=42304"},"modified":"2026-03-17T10:26:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T09:26:12","slug":"2026-juries-and-awards","status":"publish","type":"festival","link":"https:\/\/fifdh.org\/en\/festival\/2026-juries-and-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Juries and Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Two international juries, one Focus jury and a youth jury will hand out three, one and two awards respectively in the FIFDH’s international competitions. Seven other awards will be given in other competitions.<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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International Documentary Jury<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Zed
Nelson<\/div>\n
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Photographer and filmmaker<\/div>\n

Zed Nelson<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

is a British award-winning documentary photographer and filmmaker. Renowned for his long-term photographic projects, he explores contemporary society through works such as <\/span>Gun Nation <\/span><\/i>(America\u2019s gun culture), <\/span>Love Me<\/span><\/i> (global beauty obsession), <\/span>A Portrait of Hackney<\/span><\/i> (his childhood neighborhood), and <\/span>The Anthropocene Illusion<\/span><\/i> (environmental change and humanity\u2019s connection to the living world). His photography has earned numerous awards, including First Prize at World Press Photo and 2025 Sony World Photographer of the Year. Zed Nelson also directs films, including <\/span>The Street<\/span><\/i> (2019), a four-year portrait of gentrification in London.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Sarah
Schulman<\/div>\n
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US author and playwright<\/div>\n

Sarah Schulman<\/a> is a US writer, playwright, screenwriter, and historian, born in New York in 1958. She is the author of around twenty works\u2014 novels, essays, and plays\u2014that combine literature and political engagement. Her novels include The Cosmopolitans<\/i>, Rat Bohemia<\/i>, and Maggie Terry<\/i>. Her essays and analyses cover The Gentrification of the Mind: <\/i>Witness to a Lost Imagination<\/i>, Conflict Is Not Abuse: <\/i>Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair<\/i>, and Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York 1987\u20131993<\/i>. In 1986, she co-founded the experimental queer festival MIX New York and co-directed an oral history project on ACT UP, the New York-based AIDS activism group. A longtime LGBTQIA+ rights activist, she has documented the impact of the AIDS epidemic, gentrification, systems of oppression, and the evolution of queer identities. She teaches creative writing and non-fiction literature, and continues to be a significant voice in queer feminism, LGBTQIA+ memory, and social activism.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Dieudo
Hamadi<\/div>\n
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Filmmaker<\/div>\n

Dieudo Hamadi is a Congolese documentary filmmaker, born in Kisangani in 1984. After initially studying medicine, he discovered his passion for cinema and began directing short documentaries. He gained recognition with <\/span>Ladies in Waiting<\/span><\/i> (2009) and <\/span>Zero Tolerance <\/span><\/i>(2010), which were screened at numerous festivals around the world. He has since directed a series of acclaimed feature documentaries exploring social, political, and human rights issues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including <\/span>Atalaku<\/span><\/i> (2013), <\/span>National Diploma<\/span><\/i> (2014), <\/span>Mama Colonel<\/span><\/i> (2017), <\/span>Kinshasa Makambo<\/span><\/i> (2018), and <\/span>Downstream to Kinshasa<\/span><\/i> (2020). In 2015, he founded his production company, Kiripifilms. His films, internationally awarded, are praised for their courage and commitment to depicting the everyday realities and struggles of Congolese people. Hamadi is regarded as one of the leading voices of contemporary African documentary cinema.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n

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International Fiction Jury<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Adania
Shibli<\/div>\n
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Author<\/div>\n

Adania Shibli (Palestine, 1974) is a novels, plays, short stories and narrative essays writer. She has twice been awarded the Qattan Young Writer’s Award-Palestine in 2001 and in 2003. Her novel <\/span>Tafsil Thanawi <\/span><\/i>(Al-Adab, 2017, translated as <\/span>Minor Detail<\/span><\/i>, Fitzcarraldo Edition\/UK, and New Directions\/USA, 2020), was shortlisted for the National Book Award in 2020, and was nominated for the International Booker Prize in 2021. Her latest work is <\/span>Tamwih<\/span><\/i> (Delusion, al-Adab, 2025), a newly released novel. Shibli is also engaged in academic research and teaching in different universities across Europe, as well as at Birzeit University, Palestine (2012-2018). From 2022-2025\u00a0 she acted as a co-curator of the Bergen Assembly 2025, Bergen, Norway.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Elie
Grappe<\/div>\n
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Director<\/div>\n
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Franco-Swiss writer and director Elie Grappe was born in Lyon in 1994. He first studied music before pursuing film at ECAL (\u00c9cole cantonale d\u2019art de Lausanne). In 2021, his first feature film, OLGA<\/em>, shot between Ukraine and Switzerland, was selected for the Cannes Critics\u2019 Week, where it received the SACD Prize. In 2022, Olga<\/em> was Switzerland\u2019s official submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film and won three Swiss Film Awards (Quartz), including Best Film. The film was released in thirty-eight countries, generating numerous fundraising initiatives in support of Ukraine. It has received around twenty awards and, in 2024, was included in France\u2019s \u201cColl\u00e8ge au Cin\u00e9ma\u201d educational program. Elie Grappe is currently developing his second feature film, CHAVIRER<\/em>, adapted from the novel by Lola Lafon, in collaboration with Pauline Gu\u00e9na.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n

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Jenny
Billeter<\/div>\n
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Programmer<\/div>\n

Jenny Billeter is co-programming director of the independent cinema Kino Xenix<\/a> in Zurich, a cinema known for its broad range of curated programs. She gained her professional experience working as a festival programmer for Visions du R\u00e9el, Solothurn Film Festival and Locarno Festival. She was a board member of the Human Rights Film Festival Zurich for many years and regularly serves on juries. After having worked in journalism and played in several bands, she went to the University of Zurich and holds a Master of Arts in cinema studies and cultural anthropology.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Thierry
Oppikofer<\/div>\n
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Repr\u00e9sentant de la fondation Barbour<\/div>\n

Alongside a professional career as founder\/editor-in-chief of several media outlets and host of radio and TV programmes, Thierry Oppikofer also founded and presided over the Swiss-Vietnam Committee for Freedom and Democracy (Cosunam) for 25 years, championing human rights in Vietnam. A member of the H\u00e9l\u00e8ne and Victor Barbour Foundation<\/a>\u2019s board since 2019, he represents the foundation in its various cultural activities. His longstanding interest in cinema naturally extends to his participation on the Jury for the FIFDH Fiction Grand Award \u2014sponsored by the H\u00e9l\u00e8ne and Victor Barbour Foundation\u2014for the Festival\u2019s 2026 edition.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n

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Focus Jury<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Judith
Fiss<\/div>\n
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Human Rights Activism Coordinator \u2013 Amnesty International Switzerland<\/div>\n

Judith Fiss works at Amnesty International<\/a>, <\/span>where she coordinates youth activism in French\u2011speaking Switzerland and supports groups mobilising for human rights. Before joining Amnesty, she spent several years in humanitarian aid, working with communities and specialising in child protection with Swiss humanitarian aid organisations, UN agencies and NGOs across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Elise
Golay<\/div>\n
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Campaign and Mobilisation Manager – International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)<\/div>\n

Elise Golay joined the Campaign and Mobilisation team at the International Service for Human Rights<\/a> (ISHR) in 2022. She co-leads efforts to expand the reach and impact of ISHR\u2019s advocacy through participatory campaigns and by building and mobilising communities of support. Prior to joining ISHR, she worked in Haiti, supporting local organisations and human rights defenders with advocacy and communications.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Spring
Gombe<\/div>\n
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Board Member \u2013 Helvetas, Founding Director \u2013 Policy\/Strategy Group<\/div>\n

Spring Gombe is a global health expert and a staunch advocate for rights and equality. She has spent over two decades advancing global health through policy advocacy and programme leadership. She is the founder and chief strategist of policy\/strategy advisory GmbH, serves on the Board of Directors of Helvetas<\/a>, and is a Senior Fellow for Health at the Africa-Europe Foundation, among other appointments.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n

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Kibrom
Mehari<\/div>\n
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Policy Advisor, Right to Food \u2013 HEKS\/EPER<\/div>\n

Kibrom Mehari is a policy advisor at HEKS\/EPER on the right to food, land and seeds, with a focus on Swiss public policies and investments affecting communities in Africa. He has worked across development, human rights and peace in Africa, including roles at the Eritrean Ministry of National Development, the Salvation Army Switzerland, and the Africa Progress Panel, chaired by Mr. Kofi Annan.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Sharon
Oseku-Frainier<\/div>\n
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Senior Resource Mobilization and Partnerships Officer \u2013 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands<\/div>\n

Sharon Oseku-Frainier has 18 years of international experience supporting mission-driven organisations advancing environmental conservation and sustainable development. She specializes in resource mobilisation and strategic engagement, and has extensive experience leading global awareness campaigns that educate, inspire and amplify environmental and social issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Youth Jury – Documentary
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Sekouba Camara (ACCESS II)
Andrea Carrer (Coll\u00e8ge Rousseau)
Ali Jawadi (CIP)
Am\u00e9lie Lant\u00e9ri (ECG Jean-Piaget)
Elisa Levacher (Coll\u00e8ge Clapar\u00e8de)
Hesam Mohammadi (CEC Andr\u00e9-Chavanne)
Dario Rizzo (CEC Andr\u00e9-Chavanne)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Youth Jury – Fiction<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Laura Bapst Apst
Julien Chapiteau
Alice K\u00fcndig
Charles Massicote
Askadirou Nfankue
Dimitrios Sofologis
Mohammad Yousufi<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FIFDH’s Awards<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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International Documentary Competition<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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FIFDH Geneva Grand Award<\/strong>
Endowed with CHF 10\u2019000
Offered by the City and State of Geneva
Awarded by the International Documentary Jury<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FIFDH<\/strong> Gilda Vieira de Mello<\/strong> Award<\/strong>, in honor of her son Sergio Vieira de Mello
Endowed with CHF 5\u2019000
Offered by the Barbara Hendricks Foundation for Peace and Reconciliation
Awarded by the International Documentary Jury<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Youth Jury Award – Documentary
<\/strong>Endowed with CHF 3’000
Offered by Peace Brigades International (PBI) and the Hospice g\u00e9n\u00e9ral
Awarded by the Youth Jury – Documentary<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first time in 2026, the FIFDH and Hospice g\u00e9n\u00e9ral Youth Jury will bring together young people with migration backgrounds and students as part of a cultural mediation project, fostering exchange, an understanding of the role of a juror, and encounters with film professionals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction Competition<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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FIFDH<\/strong> Fiction Grand Award<\/strong>
Endowed with CHF 10\u2019000
Offered by the H\u00e9l\u00e8ne and Victor Barbour Foundation
Awarded by the International Jury<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Youth Jury Award<\/strong> \u2013 Fiction<\/strong>
Endowed with CHF 3\u2019000
Offered by the Hospice g\u00e9n\u00e9ral<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first time in 2026, the FIFDH and Hospice g\u00e9n\u00e9ral Youth Jury will bring together young people with migration backgrounds and students as part of a cultural mediation project, fostering exchange, an understanding of the role of a juror, and encounters with film professionals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Focus Competition<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Vision for Human Rights<\/strong> Award<\/strong>
CHF 5\u2019000 prize
Awarded to a film whose quality, theme and narrative encourage commitment and can contribute to constructive social change by tackling an urgent human rights issue.
Awarded by the Focus Jury<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Other Competitions<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Impact Days<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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StoryBoard Impact Award<\/strong>
A CHF 10,000 grant awarded to an International Selection project of the Impact Days 2026.
The winner is selected based on feedback from participating organizations, an evaluation of the campaign\u2019s quality and potential, and an assessment of its feasibility by the Impact Days and The StoryBoard Collective teams. This prize is a grant from The StoryBoard Collective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another Story Foundation x Impact Social Club Award<\/strong>
A \u20ac 2,500 grant + a consultancy awarded to International Selection and Swiss Focus projects.
The Another Story Foundation x Impact Social Club Award supports a bold project that can change our perspective and spark essential conversations. The \u20ac2,500 grant and 2 hours of expert mentoring are designed to give the awarded project the boost it needs to move to the next stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swiss Focus Impact Award <\/strong>
A CHF 2,500 prize awarded to one project presented at Swiss Focus.
The funds support an impact initiative in Switzerland<\/em> that advances the project\u2019s national and\/or international goals such as advocacy or braintrust screenings, impact strategy development, fundraising activities. The winner is selected by the FIFDH Impact Days team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sublimages Impact Award <\/strong>
Translation and subtitle creation for an International Selection or Swiss Focus project.
This award provides a full film translation and subtitle creation in one of four languages: English, French, Spanish or Portuguese. Offered by Sublimages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Special Jury – in hospitals<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Convergences Award<\/strong>
The FIFDH is collaborating with the Maison de l\u2019enfance et de l\u2019adolescence (MEA) on a Convergences<\/a> Jury workshop for teenagers from different units.

The young juries watch several films in the presence of the directors, protagonists or speakers. They then deliberate and award the Convergences Prize to the best film. By expressing their point of view and confronting others, these young juries regain confidence in their abilities. The Convergences Prize is announced at the Festival\u2019s closing ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first time in 2026, the film awarded the Convergences Jury Prize will be screened during the Festival at the Maison de l\u2019enfance et de l\u2019adolescence (MEA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More information : Cultural mediation<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Special Jury – in correctional facilities<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Champ-Dollon Jury Award <\/strong>and La Brenaz Jury Award<\/strong>
In collaboration with the Office cantonal de la d\u00e9tention <\/a>(OCD), women and men deprived of their liberty in the La Brenaz and Champ-Dollon prisons also take part in the Festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forming a jury, they attend film screenings in the presence of guests and award a prize to the best film, announced at the closing ceremony. The workshop also includes writing articles for the establishments\u2019 in-house newspapers, to recount their experiences as juries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More information : Cultural mediation<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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