Competitions and Awards
HUMAN International Documentary Film Festival presents two competition programs. One for new Norwegian documentaries (with no restraints on topic), and one for International documentaries concerning human rights related topics. The Norwegian films have been submitted and pre-selected by a jury, while the international competition program is curated.
Besides these two competition programs we also have a large film program outside of competition, with a wide selection of international documentaries on any topic imaginable.
International Competition Program
The international competition program consists of up to 10 documentaries focusing on human rights issues. The winner will receive The Human Rights Human Wrongs Film Award and 30.000 NOK given by Amnesty International Norway and The Norwegian Helsinki Committee, two organizations that have been close partners of the festival since its beginning. With this award they wish to highlight filmmakers’ efforts to make a human rights case better known to an international audience.
The International competition program is curated. For questions, please contact the festival administration.
The winner of the Human Rights Human Wrongs Award 2025
- Yintah
Directors: Michael Toledano, Jennifer Wickham, Brenda Michell
Honorable mention:
- Patrice: The Movie
Director: Mats Andersen
Production company: Rebel Unit
The films in the Norwegian Competition Program were:
- Devi
- Eyes of Gaza
- Green is the New Red
- HAIYU – Rebel Singer Mariem Hassan and the struggle for a Free Western Sahara
- The Battle for Laikipia
- Intercepted
- Khartoum
- Patrice: The Movie
- The Battle For Laikipia
- The Friendship Bench
- Yintah
Ten documentaries from around the world with human rights themes competed for the Human Rights Human Wrongs Award and 30,000 kroner provided by Amnesty International Norway and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. Read about the films here.
The jury consisted of Mariam Kirollos, Silje Poulsen Viki and Mari Monrad Vistven.
The winner of the Human Rights Human Wrongs Award 2024
Ten documentaries from around the world with human rights themes competed for the Human Rights Human Wrongs Award and 30,000 kroner provided by Amnesty International Norway and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee.
- No Other Land
Directors: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor and Hamdan Balal
The jury for the Human Rights Human Wrongs competition program were Berit Lindeman, Øystein Egge and Nataša Urban.
The films in the competition were:
- 5 Seasons of Revolution, director: Lina
- And Still I Sing, director: Fazila Amiri
- Aurora’s Sunrise, director: Inna Sahakyan
- Bobi Wine: The People’s President, director: Christopher Sharp & Moses Bwayo
- Lotus Sports Club, director: Tommaso Colognese & Vanna Hem
- My Name is Happy, director: Nick Read & Ayse Toprak
- Ruthless Times – Songs of Care, director: Susanna Helke
- Two Kids a Day, director: David Wachsmann
- When Spring Came to Bucha, director: Marcus Lenz & Mila Teshaieva
- While We Watched, director: Vinay Shukla
Norwegian Competition Program
Up to 10 new Norwegian documentaries will compete for the HUMAN Award and 50 000 NOK, as well as a qualification for Amanda nomination.
A pre-selection committee will consider all submitted films, before a jury presentes the winner at our Awards Ceremony.
The competition program for Norwegian documentaries is open to all films running longer than 40 minutes. The program has no restrictions regarding topic.
Follow our website for news about registration deadline in December 2021.
For any questions regarding the competition and registration, contact Kari Nøst Hegseth at [email protected]
The winner of the HUMAN-award 2025:
- Kyiv Solists
Director: Trond Kvig Andreassen
Production company: Indie Film
Honorable mention:
- What we talk about when we talk about music
Director: Mats Andersen
Production company: Rebel Unit
The films in the Norwegian Competition Program were:
- An Army of Women – Julie Lunde Lillesæter
- Choreographies towards loss – Irene Kalterborn
- Fighter – Sunniva Sundby, Mari Bakke Riise
- Hva vi snakker om når vi snakker om musikk – Mats Andersen
- Innerst i tonen – Torstein Grude
- Morgendagens helter – Mariken Halle
- Pet Farm – Finn Walther & Martin Walther
- Solistene – Trond Kvig Andreassen
The jury for the Norwegian competition program consisted of Erland Edenholm, Atle Hunnes Isaksen and Ingrid Liavaag.
New Norwegian documentaries competed to win the HUMAN award and 50,000 kroner. Read more about the films here.
The winner of the HUMAN-award 2024:
- Ukjent landskap
Director: Silje Evensmo Jacobsen
Production Company: A5 film
Honorable mention:
- Ibelin
Director: Benjamin Ree
Production Company: Medieoperatørene
The films in the Norwegian Competition Program were:
- Brev til Håkon Banken, directors: Sven Arild Storberget, Martin Walther
- Democracy, directors: Fabien Greenberg, Bård Kjøge Rønning
- Ibelin, director: Benjamin Ree
- Lie to Me, director: Bår Tymri
- Livet er vakkert, director: Mohamed Jabaly
- Sau, director: Rebekka Nystabakk
- Søstre elsker evig, director: Sigve Endresen
- Tax Wars, director: Hege Dehli
- Todd & Super-Stella, director: Mari Monrad Vistven
- Ukjent landskap, director: Silje Evensmo Jacobsen
The jury for the Norwegian competition program consisted of Ragnhild Nøst Bergem, Karrar Al-Azzawi og Anton Ligaarden.
