Herat International Women’s Film Festival (HIWFF) was founded by Roya Film House (RFH) and Armanshahr/OPEN ASIA in 2013, in Afghanistan, celebrated the month of March highlighting “Women’s Issues” in their societies.
HIWFF is the first and the most prestigious Women’s Film Festival in the region; gathering filmmakers, cinema lovers, and women’s rights activists from all over the world, HIWFF tackles issues such Human rights, gender equality, sexual identity, domestic violence among others through the power of the lens and cinema which is the window to society and particularly women in this case. HIWFF is a celebration of all filmmakers and individuals working in this space - a space where film, women's rights, and the community come together to share critical stories and raise awareness about issues affecting women and girls around the world. As the theme reflects, HIWFF mission is to act as disciples of the seventh art, by seeking the true change via calling to take actions, to make a stand, to insist on equal rights and responsibilities in the film craft, and in any other aspect in society.
HIWFF, which comprises films about women and/or executed by women, aims to highlight the power of women in different life situations, the festival organizers believe in promoting a positive image of women struggling with dignity to make a change in their environment. The festival’s judges and programmers are coming from different film backgrounds, and are eager to put together an exciting and truly high-quality program of various films focusing on human problems.
In “World Cinema Section” By covering and discovering a wide range of genres, issues, new talents, films, filmmakers, HIWFF seeks to promote great cinematic art. In world cinema section there’s no limitation, the festival is open to everyone regardless of budget and experience. We consider the films submitted for each category for all individual categories.
We are now accepting submissions for our 2020 edition
The Secretariat of the 6thedition of the Heart International Women’s Film Festival requests filmmakers to send in short or long feature and documentary films the main theme of which should be concerned with women-related issues for the one-week Festival to be held as of August 2020 in Afghanistan.
The regular deadline for submitting the films to the Secretariat is from January 1, 2020, till 15 of February 2020.
The 6thFestival is a competition event and the winners will receive the Festival’s Statue. A jury comprising domestic and international filmmakers and critics shall judge the films in two national and international sections. In the National Films Section, the Festival Statues and other prizes shall be awarded to the best fiction and feature film, best documentary, best animation, best feature director, best documentary director, best film script, best leading female and male actors, best female child actor, best cinematography, best sound mixing and best editing. In the International Film Section, the Festival Statue shall be awarded to the best feature film, best documentary, best short film, and best animation.
The 6thFestival is a competition event and the winners will receive the Festival’s Statue. A jury comprising domestic and international filmmakers and critics shall judge the films in two national and international sections. In the National Films Section, the Festival Statues and other prizes shall be awarded to the best fiction and feature film, best documentary, best animation, best feature director, best documentary director, best film script, best leading female and male actors, best female child actor, best cinematography, best sound mixing and best editing. In the International Film Section, the Festival Statue shall be awarded to the best feature film, best documentary, best short film, and best animation.