NONVIOLENCE: FROM ME TO US

With this motto, we are beginning preparations for the 8th International Active Nonviolence Film Festival (FICNOVA), which we will hold during the week of October 2, 2026.

As in previous editions, we are sending out a signal of active nonviolence to seek out examples of this transformative sensibility around the world.

We are experiencing constant changes everywhere that create great instability in our lives. The loss of reference points can confuse us and lead us to move in an unintended direction, or it can prompt us to seek deeper internal points of reference that strengthen us. Perhaps, in that search, we arrive at nonviolence as a steadfast anchor to hold onto, preventing us from being swept away by the trends of the moment.

We find ourselves at a crossroads, observing two opposing directions—both in the world and within ourselves. On one hand, across a finally interconnected planet, a sense of a “universal ‘us'” is beginning to emerge in many people—a shift in consciousness that opens up a hopeful future. On the other hand, however, individual “selves” and group “selves” (factions) are engaged in a ruthless struggle to dominate one another through every form of violence. One path leads us toward humanization—recognizing ourselves and others, and caring for the world—while the other divides, disconnects, and dehumanizes us as we become blinded by personal desires.

In each new edition of FICNOVA, we recognize valuable examples from around the world of human beings mobilizing to overcome pain and suffering—both in themselves and in others—driven by a heartfelt, quiet emotional connection that extends from their immediate circles to the furthest reach of their capacity for transformation.

We also denounce the poor examples set by individuals and groups possessing economic power—indifferent to the suffering of others, disconnected, and callous—caught in a growing process of dehumanization and internal disintegration; people capable of viewing murder, blackmail, misappropriation, and the destruction of others’ lives and possessions merely as “collateral damage” in the pursuit of their own “grand objectives.”

We sense an internal alarm—a warning of danger—regarding that dehumanizing trend, signaling that something vital is being lost when we cannot feel the pain and suffering of others.

From this small film festival dedicated to active nonviolence—inspired by Universalist Humanism—we call for a moment of silence. A moment to open ourselves to discovering new inner spaces that connect us with others.

Through the works gathered for this edition, we will once again invite an exchange of enriching experiences—one that enables us to build bridges and foster reconciliation among siblings who were separated by circumstances beyond their control, yet who are now reconnecting through a gentle affection and quiet joy.

Indeed, we believe that the human future lies in moving toward a sense of “us” through cooperation, as so many people are already working in that direction. Consequently, this new edition will surely keep us busy recognizing the many fine examples that will reach us from across the globe.

The film submission period for the 8th FICNOVA (2026) opens on May 4 and closes on August 1, 2025.

Full information and participation guidelines will be available at:
https://festivalcinenoviolencia.org

FICNOVA Organizing Team