FIFDH has detailed the on-the-ground mechanics of Impact Days 2026, sharpening the programme into a three-day, campaign-facing marketplace where films, funders, and Geneva-based institutions meet on practical terms.
Taking place 8–10 March 2026 at Espace Pitoëff in Geneva, Impact Days sits inside the wider FIFDH dates of 6–15 March 2026, and leans hard into what the organisers call «an engaging programme of campaign case studies, pitches, panels and networking opportunities for all things impact».
The opening night, Sunday 8 March, starts with a Welcome Cocktail followed by an Impact Spotlight screening and discussion, with the Spotlight title set to be revealed on 12 February 2026. Industry accreditation and daily pass holders will also need to reserve seats for evening screenings starting 12 February 2026.
Monday 9 March pivots into knowledge transfer and coalition-building. The day begins with a keynote from Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Masharawi, titled «From the Rubble to the Screen: Cinema for Survival». Case studies follow, including «The Indigenous Impact Alliance: Multiple Films for Collective Impact», moderated by Laura Longobardi, and a European campaign deep dive titled «The Pickers Journey: How Strategy and Robust Funding Fueled a European Impact Campaign», centred on The Pickers and moderated by Ana Castañosa Bielsa.
A mid-day panel, «Beyond the Headlines: Media as Meaningful Partners for Change», signals an editorial shift. Impact campaigns are no longer treating journalism as downstream publicity, but as an upstream partner with its own incentives, ethics, and amplification pathways. The afternoon then turns explicitly institutional with «Navigating NGOs: From First Contact to Meaningful Collaboration», framed as a «meet the organisations» session.
FIFDH’s published roster ranges from major Geneva-based anchors such as OHCHR, ICRC, ICJ, IOM, and WHO to global NGOs and advocacy networks, including Human Rights Watch, Médecins Sans Frontières, Reporters Without Borders, Transparency International, and Greenpeace International.
Tuesday, 10 March, is the financing and deal-logic day. The morning is devoted to «Twelve teams pitch their impact campaigns», followed by a heavyweight panel, «Impact Financing Today: Insights, Challenges and Opportunities», before invitation-only roundtables. The afternoon includes «Anatomy of an Impact Campaign», presented as a «Meet the GIPA» panel and AMA, reflecting the growing professionalisation of impact producing as a field.
On the funder side, FIFDH’s foundations list includes Doc Society, IRIS – International Resource for Impact and Storytelling, Oak Foundation, International Media Support, The StoryBoard Collective, and Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund.
Find the full 2026 FIFDH Impact Days programme – HERE
