Human rights film festivals occur around the world, from Naples to Buenos Aires to Kathmandu and Addis Ababa. They are galvanizing cultural and civic events. Only a few occur in the United States, and just one in Colorado – ACT Human Rights Film Festival.
This spring Colorado State University’s ACT Human Rights Film Festival will celebrate its tenth festival edition. Over the past nine years, ACT grew from a professor’s research interest into a full-blown annual cultural event with year-round staff. From 2016-2019, the festival hosted new and auteur filmmakers from around the world. It presented luminaries like actor and activist Harry Belafonte and Pulitzer Prize winner N. Scott Momaday.
ACT’s fifth festival, scheduled for early April 2020, was among the first film festivals postponed by COVID-19. Following two years of virtual-only programming, as theatres re-opened, ACT resumed its community screenings and began to rebuild momentum by presenting artistically excellent films and impressive media artists in Fort Collins. By 2024, the festival had its highest attendance to date.
Regardless of circumstance and setting, ACT’s focus has remained the same throughout the past decade: to uplift human rights stories and create space for insightful community conversations.
Looking Back
ACT (which stands for Awaken, Connect, Transform) was born out of expertise in the Department of Communication Studies at Colorado State University. Dr. Scott Diffrient, Professor of Film and Media Studies, held the William E. Morgan Endowed Chair of Liberal Arts from 2013-2016 and dedicated a portion of his funding to establish the first ACT Human Rights Film Festival in April 2016.
Dr. Diffrient’s vision led ACT to curate a slate of relevant, artistically excellent, and recently produced documentary and narrative films that explores a range of human rights issues, as outlined by the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Dr. Greg Dickinson was the festival’s founding producer from 2016-2024. He says, “When we started ACT 10 years ago, we had no idea what would come of the festival beyond the one long weekend we had planned. Ten years later, ACT is woven into our community as an essential part of our lives. So many people have supported the festival by attending, by volunteering, by donating. We have built powerful connections.”
Over the past nine years, more than 18,000 people have attended ACT film screenings. The festival has presented more than 200 films from around the world, and hosted more than 150 filmmakers, film participants, academics, experts, and activists to speak on topical human rights issues. It remains one of a small handful of human rights focused film festivals in the United States.
ACT’s Managing Director, Beth Seymour says, “The films ACT has screened have taken audiences inside people’s homes and struggles, both in faraway countries and in nearby neighborhoods. These stories can create empathy and understanding that touch our hearts and inspire us to do better. Attending ACT is unforgettable.”
Looking Forward
The 2025 festival will be held April 2-6, 2025 in Fort Collins, Colorado. Film selections, special guests, and the festival schedule will be announced at the 10th annual Kickoff Party at Odell Brewing Co. on March 11, 2025 [RSVP and more information].
ACT’s Faculty Program Director Dr. Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager says, “ACT Human Rights Film Festival is a window to our imperfect, war-torn, hurting world, where human rights critically need to be protected. ACT is at the core of our community. It creates space for dialogue and transformative conversations with the hope to inspire action and positive change both locally and globally.”
The festival screenings will be held at the Lory Student Center Theatre (April 2) and at The Lyric (April 3-6) with an after-party at Ace Gillett’s on April 4. Following five days of in-person movie watching, filmmaker Q&As, and festive parties, ACT will shift online for a virtual encore. Ticket packages and festival passes are on sale now with select passes discounted until March 11 [more information].
In the past few years, ACT has worked to increase accessibility and remove barriers across multiple initiatives. This includes screening films with captions when possible, screening both on weekdays and weekends, posting an accessibility guide on the festival box office site, offering live language interpretation as appropriate, and making tickets pay-what-you-can ($0+) for all events. New in 2025 ACT will offer free shuttle service from Colorado State University to The Lyric. While these efforts do not eliminate all barriers to access, the festival has seen an increase in attendance and positive audience response.
Department of Communication Studies Chair and ACT Producer, Dr. Elizabeth Williams says, “In Communication Studies we care deeply about elevating the conversations we have in all areas of our lives—ACT Human Rights Film Festival brings us together with our friends, neighbors, and community to bear witness to human rights stories and then to begin a conversation—a conversation that can transform how we think about human rights.”
In addition to filmmakers and films, ACT partners with non-profits and organizations that share ways for audience members to get involved and help create positive change in support of human rights.
Join the Movement & Bring Your Friends
The complete festival lineup and schedule, as well as festival passes and individual film tickets, will be on ACT’s festival hub here after March 11. Tickets may also be purchased on the day of show, pending availability.
Festival passes offer the most flexibility, priority seating and special perks to best experience the festival. In addition to all regular screenings, passholders receive entrance to opening and closing night films and receptions, a T-shirt, and film ticket vouchers to bring a friend to films. A three-ticket pack is also for sale at a discounted price.
ACT is produced by the Department of Communication Studies at Colorado State University with generous support from CSU partners including the College of Liberal Arts; Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts program; Lilla B. Morgan Memorial Fund Endowment; Office for Inclusive Excellence; Women and Philanthropy; Commitment to Campus; History, English, Anthropology and Geography, Music Theatre and Dance, and Sociology.
Off-campus partners include the City of Fort Collins Fort Fund; The Lyric; Bohemian Foundation; the Colorado Office of Film, TV and Media; Odell Brewing; One Tribe Creative; and The Armstrong Hotel. Individual sponsors include Jo Anne Busch, Wendy Poppen, Marcia Simmons, Anita Simon, The Spokespeople Fund, Maria Fernandez Gimenez and Devin Odell. Sponsorship opportunities available.
Thanks to Student Leadership, Involvement & Community Engagement (SLiCE), Colorado State University students will be able to attend ACT for free. SLiCE will provide free shuttle services from campus to The Lyric to help with transportation and parking access. Learn more at www.actfilmfest.colostate.edu or follow ACT on social media @actfilmfest