competition & awards

Every year, the festival presents four competition programmes. International expert juries, a students' jury and a youth jury will assign a total of five awards for the winning films. Finally, the festival's visitors will assign a sixth award for their favourite.

Films in the A Matter of ACT and Camera Justitia main sections are nominated for two Golden Butterfly's and one Silver Butterfly. These awards have been named after the Movies that Matter Festival's logo, the butterfly, which embodies vulnerability, but also inspiration, freedom of thought and the capacity to change.

The first GOLDEN BUTTERFLY, Amnesty International's €5,000 A Matter of ACT award, goes to the most imposing and inspiring human rights defender in the A Matter of ACT programme.

The second GOLDEN BUTTERFLY, Amnesty International's €4,000 A Matter of ACT documentary award is for the maker of the best documentary in the A Matter of ACT programme.

The SILVER BUTTERFLY, €3,000 Camera Justitia Award, goes to the director of the best film in the Camera Justitia programme.

Furthermore, a youth jury of the ‘Nederlands Instituut voor Filmeducatie' (Dutch Institute for Film Education) assigns the €2,000 MOVIESQUAD ALL RIGHTS AWARD for the best film in the MovieSquad All Rights programme, and a students' jury assigns the €1,000 STUDENTS' CHOICE AWARD to the best film in the Students' Choice programme.

Finally, the director of the favourite film will receive the €5,000 VARAGIDS PUBLIEKSPRIJS, a prize assigned by the festival's audience.