New editorial directors at the FIFDH

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Laila Alonso Huarte – currently in charge of cultural action and audience development, who has been with the FIFDH for six years – and Laura Longobardi – currently in charge of the industry programme Impact Days, who has been involved with the Festival for seven years – to lead the Festival's programmes as from June 1st, 2023. 

Together with their team, they are committed to strengthening the FIFDH's role as an activist for human rights and social change, while at the same time building on the power of cinema combined with discussions on major issues of the day.

"We want to challenge our audience by presenting films that are artistically moving and encounters that inspire change," say the new editorial directors of the FIFDH, Laila Alonso Huarte and Laura Longobardi. "Through an increasingly inclusive approach that seeks to involve those most affected in the elaboration of possible solutions, the FIFDH questionsand encourages reflection on the challenges posed by the current global context, and the increase in global crises that both feed on each other and are interlinked."

After an eventful but highly successful 21st edition of the FIFDH, and following the resignation of general management, the Foundation Board and the Festival team began a strategic review of the FIFDH's future, which resulted in a project to strengthen its impact. 

To lead this project, the Festival will benefit from the experience of its two new editorial directors – Laila Alonso Huarte and Laura Longobardi – in various regional and international cultural projects, as well as their desire to amplify the impact of the films selected and the causes supported by the Festival's guests. 

Together they will ensure the coherence of the programme proposed by the FIFDH for its various target audiences. The editorial management will be supported by a new administrative and operational manager, a position which is currently being advertised.

"We are proud to present a collaborative project that enhances the FIFDH's power of mobilisation, both within the film community and with its various audiences," says Yves Daccord, President of the Board. "Given the unsettling challenges facing the world, we want to present views and voices that question, foster solidarity and encourage involvement and commitment."

The FIFDH team welcomes these new visions and ambitions for change, which aim to further strengthen the relevance of the Festival in the current global context, as well as to ensure a harmonious working environment by optimising internal resources and processes.

The 22nd edition of the FIFDH will take place from 8 to 17 March 2024. The Festival offers events, screenings and meetings throughout the year. The full programme can be found in our agenda page. 

Laila Alonso Huarte

Laila Alonso Huarte has gained extensive experience in festivals over six years, including Les Créatives where she worked between 2018 and 2021 as coordinator of the thematic hub and head of mediation. At the FIFDH, Laila has collaborated with several management teams and has held a number of programming positions. Over the past few months, Laila and her team have organised and expanded the cultural actions offered by the Festival throughout the year, in particular the new version of the educational programme, some of the partner events and the extension of the Human Rights Film Tour, an international tour of Swiss films followed by debates.

Laura Longobardi

Laura Longobardi, after having worked for almost twenty years at the Italian national TV – Rai – and at the European Broadcasting Union, Laura became particularly interested in social justice documentaries and collaborated in several international professional events, such as Sunny Side of the Doc, MIA and IDS. In 2019, she launched the industry programme of the FIFDH, entirely dedicated to impact : in five editions, the Impact Days have grown to include more than 500 participants from 70 countries in 2023, and include leading Swiss and international partners such as Media Desk-OFC, Doc Society and IRIS Foundation.