Festival

The Lugano Human Rights Film Festival presents itself in its seventh edition and invites you to participate and get involved. This event will place the theme of Human Rights at the centre of the debates and screenings which will take place during the five days of the festival; promote the public’s awareness of the importance of such topics; denounce without compliance the violations of Human Rights and to give the space to those who already commit themselves to respect these rights, to support and give visibility to those campaigns that work in favour of human dignity.   

Images and words to get to know and confront one another

The Festival intends to inform and raise awareness of a diverse public about the issues linked to the respect of Human Rights, by proposing an open forum that highlights the universality and the different facets of the theme of Human Rights.

The aim is to bring awareness to a wide audience through a high-quality film programme and in-depth discussions enhanced by the presence of important guests.

The Festival places an emphasis on the participation of young people by providing them with a privileged space, proposing special days to the students from Upper Secondary Schools, Professional Schools and Universities of the Swiss Italian Canton of Ticino.

The Human Rights Foundation

To guarantee some continuity and reliability, the Festival is promoted and supported by a Swiss Foundation based in Lugano, recognized as being of public utility and which benefits from tax exemption. The Festival is represented by a Foundation Board.

The Foundation Board and the Management of the Festival are assisted by a Film Commission, a Forum Commission and by a Schools Committee.

The Festival is supported by an Honorary Committee which includes many renowned personalities for their commitment to the community.

The Festival’s network

The Festival’s activities are carried out in close collaboration with various governmental and non-governmental organisations that work in the field of Human Rights at the national Swiss level, as well as at the local level in Canton Ticino, with the aim of promoting such a mutual participation.

Organisation Chart

• Roberto Pomari, President of the Festival  
• Antonio Prata, Director
• Francesca Spinedi, Film Festival Project Coordinator
• Margherita Cascio, Programming coordinator
• Gabriela Giuria, Volunteer coordinator and Forum contact
• Elisabetta Brigato, Partner and sponsor management
• Kleona Benzani, Guest management

Film Commission

• Bruno Bergomi
  Producer, former ICRC delegate
• Natascia Bandecchi 
  Journalist at RSI
• Manuela Buono
  Producer and international distributor
• Alberto Chollet
  Journalist, former manager of the fiction production at RSI, SRG SSR, RTS
• Giampiero Raganelli
  Film and theatre critic, journalist
• Maria Giovanna Vagenas
  Film curator and film critic

Forum Commission

• Roberto Antonini
  Journalist at RSI
• Paolo Bernasconi
  Member of the Committee of Swiss Section Human Rights Watch; former ICRC Member
• Jürg Bischoff
  former ICRC delegate
• Aldo Sofia
  Journalist, Director of the Swiss Italian Journalism Course

School Commission

• Mauro Arrigoni
  Member of the ICRC governing body, Geneva; former director of the High School of Mendrisio
• Rosa Butti, docente SSMT Lugano
  Teacher CPS Lugano, Coordinator for the theme of culture
• Pier Franco Demaria
  Teacher
• Georgia Fioroni
  Teacher CPS and CSIA Lugano
• Gabriella Soldini
  Teacher

Consultants

• Silvana Bezzola, Commission Film Consultant
  Producer at the Department of Culture at RSI, Responsible for the acquisition and the co-production of documentaries
• Fabrizio Ceppi, Film Commission Consultant
  Journalist
• Ornella Manzocchi, Consulente della Commissione Scuole
  Psychotherapist, lecturer at SUPSI
• Pietro Veglio, Consulente della Commissione Forum
  Honorary President of the Federation of the Swiss Italian NGOs (FOSIT)
• Viviana Viri, Forum Commission Consultant
  Journalist

Media and Communication

• Francesca Rossini – Laboratorio delle Parole
  Press Office Manager
• Alessandra Zanzi
  Communication assistant
• Devis Gastaldon - Sandstudio.CH
  Graphic Design
• Ivan Sasu - Consultati SA
  Webmaster

Human Rights Foundation

• Bruno Bergomi, President
• Mauro Arrigoni
• Morena Ferrari
• Ludovica Molo
• Francesca Snider

Committee of Honour

• Carla Del Ponte, Honorary President
  Former Criminal Magistrate, former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia; Member of the UN International Independent Commission of the Inquiry on Syria
• Tashi Albertini
  Member of the Tibetan women association in Switzerland
• Agnese Balestra
  President of the Third Age Ticinese Association (ATTE); former Criminal Magistrate
• Geraldine Becchi
  Portfolio manager for UN Volunteers
• Fulvio Caccia
  Engineer, former Council or of State
• Marco Cameroni
  Member of the Board of directors of the Locarno Film Festival
• Daniele Finzi Pasca
  Artist and Film Director
• Gabriele Gendotti
  Chairman of the Foundation Board of the Swiss National Fund for Scientific research
• Villi Hermann
  Film Director, producer and screenwriter
• Léo Kaneman
  Founder and honorary president of the International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH), Geneva
• Piero Martinoli
  Former president of the Swiss Italian University
• Dick Marty
  Former chairman of Legal Affairs and Human Rights Commission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
• Paolo Magri
  Executive Vice President and Director of the Institute for International Policy Studies (ISPI)
• Fabio Merlini
  Philosopher, Regional Director of the Federal University Institute for Vocational Training
• Amalia Mirante
  Economist, lecturer at the Swiss Italian University and at SUPSI
• Alberto Nessi
  Writer
• John Noseda
  Former Public Prosecutor of the Public Ministry of Canton Ticino
• Paulo Pinheiro
  Chairman of the Un International Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria; UN special Rapporteur on Burundi and Myanmar; Independent Expert of the UN Secretary-General for the world report on violence against children
• Fausto Pocar
  Appeal judge of the former president of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yogoslavia; Professor emeritus University of Milan; President of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law, Sanremo
• Alberto Saibene
  Director of Hoepli Publishing House, Milan
• Marco Solari 
  President of the Locarno Film Festival
• Claudio Valsangiacomo
  Head of SUPSI Competence Centre for Cooperation and Development at SUPSI

From the closing ceremony of the 2014 Festival:

“... and remember a fundamental individual right: the right to laugh!”

In memory of Dimitri, enthusiastic member of the Committee of Honour and supporter of the Festival since its foundation 

Network of Educational Institutes

Upper Secondary Schools
Professional Schools (commercial, socio-sanitary, artistic, handcraft)
Professional University Schools