© 2025 · Instituto Multimedia DerHumALC
We are living through a historic moment marked by climate, social, and health crises that demands an urgent, collective, coherent response. Against this backdrop, Argentina’s International Human Rights Film Festival emerges not only as a space fostering reflection and denouncement through arts and culture, but also as an active agent of social and environmental change. Since 2018, we have worked towards reducing our festivals’ environmental footprint and creating sustainability strategies for events and film productions.
The data is conclusive. In the last decade, the planet has experienced unprecedented warming, with record greenhouse gas emissions and increasingly extreme weather events. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated awareness of the fragility of global systems and underscored the urgent need for action to prevent even greater disasters, especially at the environmental level.
We know festivals—whether film, music, or arts festivals—have significant environmental impacts. The movement of thousands of attendees, massive resource consumption, and waste production pose great environmental challenges. A recent study by A Greener Festival (AGF) evaluating over 40 festivals in 11 countries, reveals encouraging progress in reducing single-use plastics and transitioning into renewable fuels. However, it also demonstrates the need to intensify efforts to reach full sustainability.
Transportation represents 41% of carbon emissions at these events, followed by food and beverage services at 32%. Yet, initiatives that promote, for example, broader adoption of public transport and reducing meat-based menu options have proven effective in reducing the environmental footprint. Some festivals have succeeded in reducing their average per capita daily waste, and have cut food-related emissions by over 60% by promoting vegetarian or vegan alternatives.
At our festival, we have embraced these lessons, convinced that every decision counts. As a result, we have designed a Comprehensive Sustainability Plan that encompasses:
We understand that sustainability is also a matter of social justice and human rights. The environmental crisis disproportionately affects the most vulnerable and perpetuates inequalities. For this reason, our festival stands as a space where culture and environmental responsibility intersect to promote a fairer, more inclusive and sustainable future.
Furthermore, we acknowledge the need to adapt to the effects of climate change. Extreme weather events—such as storms, heatwaves, and heavy rainfall—are already impacting festivals worldwide, which highlights the importance of designing resilient and flexible strategies to carry out our activities.
This sustainability section—which we share with complete transparency—reflects our commitment to actively contribute to building a more sustainable and humane future. Because a festival that champions human rights cannot ignore the fundamental right to a healthy and habitable planet.
This project is possible through the collaboration of the British Council, as part of their 2024 Cultura Circular program.
© 2025 · Instituto Multimedia DerHumALC