The Valencia International Film and Human Rights Festival, Humans Fest, organized by Fundación por la Justicia, has reached the midpoint of its 17th edition, celebrating the success of the 'Children's and Youth Rights' cycle and consolidating itself throughout Valencia as a suitable meeting point for debate and reflection on human rights beyond film screenings.

“Humans Fest is not limited to showing films on a screen and that's it. We are a festival of thought and action, and this is conveyed not only in the programming,” explains the festival director, Pilar Almenar. “These days we have had two sold-out events with the 'Children's and Youth Rights' cycle, we have received and accompanied the Pau i Justícia Award Pavel Talankin, and we have been a meeting point in the city's cultural life to discuss issues that concern us,” she defends.

The sold-out tickets at the Filmoteca, for the sessions of Mr Nobody Against Putin and Amèlie i la metafísica de tubos, are proof of the interest sparked by programming sensitive to children's and youth rights. However, the success of the Human Vermouths on mental health, and the Human Debates on cinema to change reality, offer a counterpoint to a festival that goes beyond cinema and aims for critical thinking.

The Official Sections have already taken the reins of the festival. The British film The Mission, premiering in Spain, was responsible for starting the feature film competition. The film, which follows a neurosurgeon as he returns to Gaza for his third medical aid mission, featured a presentation and Q&A with co-director Mike Lerner and producer Martin Herring. “We are facing the normalization of mass murder. And this has affected all layers of society,” explained Lerner, “Hollywood, television, and the media have done everything possible to prevent us from understanding this truth.” While the film's producer defended the difficulties in talking about the real situation in Gaza.

The short films at Sala SGAE have also begun their programming, with visits from the teams of shorts such as Els llençols blancs —world premiere—, Cemento, Fast Rats, Los mayos, or El aspirante. This competitive section has surpassed the record for registrations in the festival's history, with over five hundred fiction and documentary short films submitted. This has had an effect on programming more than double the number of shorts compared to previous years, in a programmatic effort that reflects that the short format is not lagging behind.

The programming continues on Tuesday, June 2nd, in three venues in the capital of Turia. The Human Debates return to the Colegio Mayor Rector Peset to discuss youth and disability with specialists, first-person accounts, and social integration technicians. Short films return to SGAE with two intense sessions featuring the Spanish premieres of El segundo by Pedro Miguel Rozo Flores and Luz by Aner Etxebarria. Feature films continue at Cines Babel with a visit from the director of Corren las liebres, Lorena Ros, accompanied by members of the film's team. In addition to the Spanish premiere of Ghost School, by Seemab Gul.

On Wednesday, June 3rd, the Human Debates move to the Library of the Woman to discuss youth and anti-racism with migrants, activists, mediators, cultural managers, and education professionals. Short films continue at SGAE with the Spanish premieres of Ishaq by Tuna Kaptan, Exilis by Dani Reina, and ¿Dónde está Samuel? by Jared Katsiane. And the feature films welcome the director of Amor Trava, Lucrecia Mastrangelo, at Babel, as well as the documentary Earth’s Greatest Enemy.

The programming enters its second half with key milestones, such as the workshop focused on audiovisual industry professionals on intimacy coordination, taught by Miracle Candela, which will be held on Friday, June 5th, at Rector Peset. Also, an already essential event of the festival, outdoor cinema in the Orriols neighborhood, in collaboration with the Orriols Convive association. Not to forget the closing ceremony, which will take place on Saturday, June 6th, in the Botanical Garden of the University of València, where the awards for the official sections will be presented, and the winning short film of its category will be screened.