Stories of Freedom 2026 is an international film award and Award & Film Day celebrating documentaries and feature films about freedom, democracy and human rights – part of Berlin Freedom Week, November 11, 2026 in Berlin.
Some films don't let you go. Not because they give answers, but because they raise questions that stay with you. Stories of Freedom is about films like these. The film day and award honors documentaries and feature films that tell the stories of freedom struggles of our time. It is part of Berlin Freedom Week, in which the city creates space for questions of freedom, democracy, and social cohesion.
We are looking for feature films, animations and documentaries (min 50 min) completed in late 2025 or 2026 that center people who stand up for freedom, democracy, and human rights. We are interested in stories of courage and resistance, of civil courage and the power to make change possible. For us, what matters is not the genre but the story. Films that move audiences, open up new perspectives, and change the way we see the world.
Films can be submitted in 6 categories until August 31. Nominations and the program will be announced on October 1. Selected films will be honored and screened on November 11, 2026 in Berlin. Submission is free of charge.
Categories
The thematic categories are open to all formats. Documentary, feature film, and hybrid works are equally welcome. Immersive works have their own category, Best Immersive Work.
♦ DEFENDING PRESS FREEDOM – Press freedom, journalism under pressure, exile media
♦ FIGHTING FOR DEMOCRACY – Democracy movements, civil society, political prisoners and their families
♦ RESISTING GENDER APARTHEID – Resistance against the systematic disenfranchisement of women
♦ ARTIVISM – Art as a practice of resistance and creative forms of protest
♦ DEMANDING JUSTICE – Rule of law, reckoning with the past, and international justice
♦ EXPOSING CORRUPTION – Investigative work, whistleblowing, accountability
♦ BEST IMMERSIVE WORK (VR/XR) – VR, AR, 360-degree, and interactive works on themes of freedom
Terms of Participation
Deadlines
Stories of Freedom is an initiative of The Good Media Network, taking place as part of Berlin Freedom Week with the support of the Senate Chancellery of Berlin and Berliner Sparkasse at the Colosseum Berlin, in partnership with Meine Schönhauser Allee. Berlin Freedom Week is a joint initiative of the Berlin Freedom Society e. V., the World Liberty Congress, the Robert Havemann Society, the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation, and visitBerlin.
