Morehouse College will shine its social justice spotlight on filmmakers who use their artistry to promote activism at the second annual Human Rights Film Festival, which will be held virtually from Sept. 24-26, 2020. 

Films from five continents and 13 countries—from China to Gambia—are competing for the title award. Film submissions often explore the impact of race, gender identity, religion, and poverty on the areas of health care, housing, hunger, education, environmental justice, and law enforcement.  

This year’s line-up is being sponsored by the Atlanta Film Festival, Netflix, Eventive, and Oz Magazine. Screenings, workshops, and other festivities will be held online to protect the health and safety of festival attendees during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

To register for the Human Rights Film Festival, visit https://watch.eventive.org/morehousefilmfestival.

“We, at Morehouse College, champion filmmakers who have the courage to capture our lives in motion pictures and force us to consider new ideas and creative solutions for the way we co-exist. They remind us that we are all inescapably in this together," said Kara Walker, executive director of the Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival. "In a year marred by a worldwide pandemic and civil unrest, human rights and social justice issues have been brought to the very forefront of our existence. Our films will help to provide a greater understanding of the social issues that touch our lives.”

The Human Rights Film Festival provides a prominent platform for filmmakers who are artists and activists. Workshops promote cultural understanding and inspire the discussion of solutions to address social ills.

One of the highlights of this year’s festival will be the screening of Death of a Telemarketer by Hollywood producer and filmmaker Datari Turner (LUV, Video Girl, Another Happy Day, Growing Up Hip-Hop). Daturi has produced more than 30 feature films, including some with Academy Award winners Marisa Tomei and Jennifer Connolly, and A-list actors such as Ed Harris.

Student films will also be featured at the annual festival.

Festival tickets range from $5 for a single virtual screening to $100 for access to all virtual screenings, workshops, and post-film discussions. Screenings and events will be held through Saturday, Sept. 26 on a YouTube subscriber channel. The annual awards ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Film of the Year for 2019 was Child of Nature directed by Marcos Negrão. Oscar-winner Spike Lee, a 1979 alumnus of Morehouse College, received a lifetime achievement award for his body of work during the inaugural festival. 

The Human Rights Film Festival aligns with Morehouse’s mission to produce global leaders. As the national epicenter for thought leadership on civil rights, Morehouse is committed to helping the nation address the inequities caused by institutional racism, which have created disparities in income, employment, health, housing, and educational opportunities for people of African descent.