This Human World Festival

The film festival *this human world* will take place in Vienna from November 26 to December 6, 2026, marking its 19th edition. As Austria’s first and most significant film festival dedicated entirely to the subject of human rights, it stands as one of the city’s key cultural forums for socio-political discourse.

Visitors can look forward to a carefully curated program featuring international feature films, compelling documentaries, short films, and visual experiments. The festival envisions cinema as a space for encounter—one that invites reflection, sheds light on injustices, and sparks debate regarding both global and regional challenges.

The competition program is divided into five specialized categories:

International Competition: Socio-politically relevant feature films and documentaries from around the world.
Up and Coming: A platform for debut and sophomore works by emerging directorial talent.
Austrian Competition: Selected works from the Austrian film landscape.
Exp:an:ded Shorts: Short films, anime, and narrative experiments with a runtime of up to 15 minutes.
Youth & Student Short Film Competition (“The Future is Ours to See”): A competition for young people and students (aged 10 to 25) to present their own perspectives on human rights through short films lasting 1 to 6 minutes.

This year, a special thematic focus is placed on the unifying power of music and dance as spaces for resistance and cultural symbiosis. The film screenings are complemented by an extensive supporting program, including panel discussions, Q&A sessions with directors, exhibitions, and workshops.

Date: November 26 – December 6, 2026
Location: Selected Viennese arthouse cinemas – among others Top Kino (Rahlgasse 1), Schikaneder (Margaretenstraße 22–24), Gartenbaukino, and Stadtkino im Künstlerhaus
Admission: approx. €6–10 per ticket

Find all tips for the best EVENTS IN VIENNA.