San Diego Human Rights Watch Film Festival To Shine Spotlight On Changemakers Tackling Global Social Issues
The Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA) is hosting its 14th annual Human Rights Watch Film Festival from February 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.
The festival will kick off on February 2 with an in-person-only screening and opening night reception of Clarissa’s Battle, followed by a live panel discussion with Clarissa Doutherd and executive director of Parent Voices Oakland, and Director Tamara Perkins. Three of the five films streaming digitally will be followed by a live Q&A with the award-winning filmmakers, film participants and human rights advocates to highlight key social issues impacting the global community today.
Why the Human Rights Watch Film Festival
Since MOPA’s founding in 1983, the museum has endeavored to consistently amplify and address cultural, historical and social issues through its exhibitions, educational programs and annual events. This year’s hybrid in-person and virtual Human Rights Watch Film Festival will serve as a vehicle to empower, educate and mobilize an audience throughout the country.
The direct storytelling that brings to life current human rights situations across the globe will challenge the audience to empathize and promote justice for everyone. Audiences who feel personally connected to these films will be provided with resources and information so they can take action around the issues presented in each film.
Tickets
Watch at your own pace online
The five digital films in the Human Rights Watch Film Festival San Diego lineup are available to audience members across the United States to stream at their own pace from February 3 through 11:59PM PST on February 9.
Film enthusiasts are invited to purchase tickets to the online cinematic experience. Tickets are limited and may sell out, so audience members are encouraged to book in advance. Click here to purchase.
In-person opening night
Tickets to the in-person opening night event at MOPA for Clarissa’s Battle can be found here.
Our opening night in-person event for Clarissa’s Battle will include Spanish language subtitles and live interpretation of Q&A in Spanish.
Other details
Please find other details about wheelchair accessibility for the in-person event at MOPA here. Online titles including Delikado and Category: Woman are available for purchase with Audio Description for audience members who are Blind or have low-vision and closed captions for audience members who are D/deaf or hard of hearing. Q&A discussions will include live captions.
Films | Q&A Panels
The following are the films being shown and the panelists that will be at the films’ virtual post-screening Q&A:
Thursday, February 2 | 6PM PST (Opening Night – in-person only screening and reception at MOPA)
Clarissa’s Battle (2022) by Tamara Perkins | Watch Trailer Here!
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.
Featuring director Tamara Perkins, and film participant Clarissa Doutherd, the executive director of Parent Voices Oakland.
Tuesday, Februaru 7 | 5PM PST
And Still I Sing (2022) by Fazila Amiri | Watch trailer here!
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.
Featuring Fazila Amiri, the director, and Fereshta Abbasi, researcher in the Asia division at Human Rights Watch and film participants.
Wednesday, February 8 | 5PM PST
#IAmVanessaGuillen (2022) by Andrea Patiño | Watch Trailer Here!
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.
Featuring Andrea Patiño Contreras, the director, and the film participant Karina Lopez.
Thursday, February 9 | 5PM
Uýra: The Rising Forest (2022) by Juliana Curi | Watch Trailer Here!
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.
Featuring Juliana Curi, the director, and Martina Sönksen, the producer and special guests.
Ticket holders can watch anytime.
Category: Woman (2022) by Phyllis Ellis | Watch Trailer Here!
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 – Watch Trailer Here!
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.
Ticket Pricing
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 HERE, 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
See you there, San Diego!
