Documentaries have the ability to transport us to different regions around the world, giving us a glimpse of other cultures without hopping on a plane. They tell the intimate stories of those whose struggles are difficult to comprehend from news headlines and social media threads. They drop us right into the wars, crises and discrimination that affect the lives of so many—and when we emerge, our perspective is changed.
That’s the goal of Colorado State University’s ACT Human Rights Film Festival, an annual event that brings dozens of international films to Fort Collins with screenings at the college and The Lyric. The films are meant to educate audience members and spark discussions about difficult topics in a safe, inclusive space, says Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, PhD, a communications professor at CSU and the festival’s faculty program director, who has been a part of ACT since its inaugural year.
“ACT stands for awaken, connect and transform,” she says. “You’re awakening to the issues around the world, then connecting to those issues and the people who create the documentaries, the people who are affected by what’s going on and the community who cares. You’re transforming your worldview.”
Stories with impact
Now in its 10th year, the festival will take place from April 2-6, with topics ranging from climate change and indigenous rights to conflicts overseas. More than 20 films are set to screen, including feature-length films and shorts ACT’s managing director Beth Seymour describes as creating a “time capsule of what human rights events are most talked about and most critical in the world” right now.
“We make sure that we’re balancing geographies as well as human rights topics and different voices,” she says of the months-long selection process. “We look for films that go deeper than traditional journalism would, ones that really dig into human stories and uplift the artistry of filmmaking.”
The films are ultimately selected by Seymour and Khrebtan-Hörhager—including any especially relevant ones they seek out—though the hundreds of options are first narrowed down by a diverse committee of film enthusiasts who vet them for accuracy and ethics. This democratic selection process helps to ensure the films are thought provoking and pertain to a wide audience.
“I will always look at things from the perspective of a liberal, big-city European,” says Khrebtan-Hörhager, who has traveled the world as a scholar and Semester at Sea professor, “but somebody who comes from a very different geopolitical bubble…they might say, ‘I never even thought of that.’ The more people who are personally affected by these stories, the more sensitive we all are to these issues.”
The best films are the ones that leave the viewer with more questions or make them think about what they can do better, Seymour says, noting that films that instill empathy can create positive changes in everyday life.
“They change our behaviors so that we realize that the electric scooter left across the sidewalk may be blocking the way of a person who uses a wheelchair,” she says. “Those little behaviors help to build a kinder, more compassionate and more inclusive community.”
An intimate experience
Filmmakers from all over the world attend the ACT Human Rights Film Festival every year, including some whose films are shown and are there to answer questions from the audience afterward. This year, renowned film director Reid Davenport will attend the screening of his film, “Life After,” which recently won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival. Ukranian film director Olha Zhurba will hold a virtual Q&A following the screening of her film, “Songs of a Slow Burning Earth,” inviting audience members to ask questions about the war and its impact on Ukranian society.
Also expected to appear are Jesse Short Bull and Jhane Myers, whose film, “Free Leonard Peltier,” was updated just days before its world premiere due to former U.S. President Joe Biden commuting Peltier’s sentence during his final days in office. That particular film goes to show how human rights documentaries “can live and breathe along with the history that’s happening almost concurrently,” Seymour says.
For those who aren’t able to attend the festival in person, most films will have a “virtual encore” beginning April 7 on the ACT website. Tickets are required for both in-person and virtual showings, though Khrebtan-Hörhager recommends attending the festival in person if possible. CSU students get free admission, and a shuttle will be available to transport them from CSU to The Lyric.
“I’m personally a huge believer in face-to-face connection, especially because our guests are activists,” Khrebtan-Hörhager says. “They make it magic.”
In addition to the screenings, the festival’s opening night will feature a performance from local hip-hop group New Bloodline, and the closing celebration will include live music from a jazz trio. First Friday marks the opening of local artist Brigid McAuliffe’s Hyphens and Hemispheres exhibition at The Lyric, which will combine photography and poetry from local residents who came from 38 different countries and now live in Northern Colorado. Local human rights nonprofits will also be present throughout the festival to educate audiences about the ways they can make an impact in our region. 
The overall theme of this year’s festival is “looking back but also looking forward,” Seymour says, acknowledging how far we’ve come regarding conversations about human rights but also how much work isn’t yet done. Khrebtan-Hörhager echoes that sentiment, sharing a bit of wisdom her mother, a physician who worked for Doctors Without Borders, instilled in her as a child.
“The idea she transmitted was that ‘every heart is a bleeding heart,’ which is red and full of passion, and as long as it beats, we’re all the same,” Khrebtan-Hörhager says. “The magical thing about films is that you start seeing what’s happening and realize that it doesn’t matter how different those cultures and communities might be. Fundamentally, we have more in common than what’s different.”
