Honorary Awards Film Awards Laudations
Trailer of the Week News from Cinema for Peace Cinema for Peace in the News
New Opportunities

Our Mission

Connecting Through Film 

 
 

Since September 11, 2001, the Cinema for Peace initiative has aimed to influence perceptions and resolutions of global social, political, and humanitarian challenges through the power of film, paying a particular focus on opposing war and terror.

In 2008, this initiative led to the establishment of the Cinema for Peace Foundation in Berlin, an international non-profit and non-governmental organisation dedicated to driving change through films capable of changing perspectives and bringing hope to its audiences. We support films and filmmakers who strive to make a difference.

We believe that film plays a crucial role in spotlighting inequality, injustice, and inhumanity, as well as in presenting visions of a better future.

We aim to raise awareness of humanitarian issues by collaborating with international film communities, global human rights networks, and influential decision-makers and opinionated leaders in media, politics, business, and society. Together we highlight cinematic works that emphasise the human condition and its core values of freedom and democracy.

In recent years, Cinema for Peace has supported numerous important causes and films, working with artists such as Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Charlize Theron, and Nicole Kidman, as well as prominent figures like The Dalai Lama, Muhammad Ali, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and former Honorary Patron Nelson Mandela.

 

Founder of Cinema for Peace

 

“I wanted to give these people, these experts, these heroes of mine that devoted their lives to environmental issues a forum in which to speak, that was not reduced to a ten-second sound bite in the media. Giving them the opportunity to express what they learnt in their entire lifetimes. And this is the importance of this event.”

Leonardo DiCaprio on Cinema For Peace Gala

“We know that all people are in fact equal. We know that while we can and should be proud of who we are individually, we’re part of a global world. And we know that we are supposed to come together in defense of something greater than ourselves.”

Angelina Jolie

“I want to thank you for this award. It means a lot to me because last time I was there for Cinema for Peace, a couple of years ago just before the Iraq war, after walking in and coming home to the United States I was called a traitor to my own country (because of his opposition to the Iraq war at Cinema for Peace)... It made me a little angry and I wrote a film because of that. So you can honestly say that you were an active participant in us making this film.”

George Clooney when Cinema for Peace honoured his film Good Night, and Good Luck

“I am pleased to send my greetings to Cinema for Peace and congratulate you on 20 years of relentless dedication and hard work for human rights and justice.”

Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres

“The camera is much more powerful than the gun.”

Cinema for Peace Humanitarian Award Recipient Ben Affleck

“Let me applaud Cinema for Peace. Every time you and our friends from the creative community reach out to help people to learn about human rights and justice, you help the United Nations to keep the peace.”

Former Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon

 

  Cinema for Peace Annual Reports

The Cinema for Peace Foundation is a public entity registered under German Law and controlled by the Senate of Berlin - Berliner Senat.

The auditing of the foundation’s activities and financial management has been annually conducted by Grams & Partner, Dentons Europe LLP, and Knischewski & Boßlet in Berlin.

The Cinema for Peace Foundation, in addition to its core employees, benefits from a wide array of voluntary supporters, including International and National Committee members, members of the board, as well as the chairman, who contribute to the foundation without any remuneration. Therefore these individuals and their efforts are not reflected in the annual reports.