In recognition of the power of film to educate and galvanize a broad constituency of concerned citizens, the University of San Francisco is hosting a Human Rights Film Festival with selections from the Human Rights Watch Traveling Film Festival. This traveling film festival (organized by the largest human rights nongovernmental organization based in the United States) has become a leading venue for distinguished fiction, documentary and animated films and videos with a distinctive human rights theme. Through the eyes of committed and courageous filmmakers, it showcases the heroic stories of activists and survivors from all over the world. The works featured help to put a human face on threats to individual freedom and dignity, and celebrate the power of the human spirit and intellect to prevail. We seek to empower everyone with the knowledge that personal commitment can make a very real difference.

This coming year, the Festival will take place on March 19, 20, and 21 and will include films focusing on Costa Rica , Chile , Iraq , Burma , Argentina , Mexico , and the U.S. In addition, this year's festival will feature a film program organized by the USF GLBQT Caucus. The works featured help put a human face on threats to individual freedom and dignity, and celebrate the power of the human spirit and intellect to prevail.

Admission to each of the seven featured films is free and open to the general public. As with past editions, our goals are to promote awareness and discussion of global human rights issues and explore challenges to human rights in specific locations.

Furthermore, this festival seeks to strengthen the University's links with Bay Area human rights organizations, which we invite to participate in educating festival audiences on human rights issues. We encourage these organizations to disseminate their publications to our audiences prior to each screening.

Human Rights Film Festival Closing Night Reception
Wednesday, March 21 from 9-10pm
All are welcome to join director of the film THROUGH THICK AND THIN, Sebastian Cordoba, and others as we celebrate the end of the festival. Reception will take place down the hall from Presentation Theatre in room 102 in the School of Education building.