Human Rights Watch Film Festival comes to London this March, with a season of challenging, ground-breaking cinema and storytelling.

500 YEARS is the story of Mayan resistance in Guatemala -- to threaten the powerful and empower the dispossessed, from the first trial in the history of the Americas to prosecute the genocide of indigenous people in 2013 to a citizen’s uprising that threatens to topple a corrupt government.

The film exposes a world of brutality, entrenched racism and impunity, that challenges the historical narrative of Guatemala. “There is joy in dreaming about a new country, a country where we indigenous people, with our culture, our language, our spirituality, our worldview, can exist as part of this country.” - Daniel Pascual, Peasant Leader

ALL GOVERNMENTS LIE documents how the mainstream, corporate news outlets have successfully reduced the validity and trustworthiness of news reporting in recent times. Independent journalists Amy Goodman, Glenn Greenwald, Jeremy Scahill, and Matt Taibbi are among those defending journalistic integrity, providing investigative alternatives - and are arguably more important than ever.

“I want to tell girls, fear is taught; that you are born free and you are born brave.” - Maria Toorpakai, film subject, GIRL UNBOUND

In Waziristan, Pakistan, Maria Toorpakai, with the help of her progressive father, Shamsul, defies strict Taliban law forbidding women to play sports by disguising herself as a boy to practice and compete in squash tournaments. But when she becomes a rising star, her gender is revealed, forcing Maria to leave her home and country after constant death threats to both herself and her family.

Human Rights Watch is one of the world’s leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights. They work tenaciously to lay the legal and moral groundwork for deep rooted change and fight to bring greater justice and security to people around the world.

Through their Human Rights Watch Film Festival they bear witness to human rights violations and create a forum for courageous individuals on both sides of the lens to empower audiences with the knowledge that personal commitment can make a difference. The film festival brings to life human rights abuses through storytelling in a way that challenges each individual to empathize and demand justice for all people.

The HRW Film Festival currently screens in over 20 cities around the world throughout the year. The festival's programming committee operates out of the New York office to screen more than 500 films each year.