2001
– the first International Film Festival Human Rights in Film held
in December in Warsaw
2003
– traveling film Festival established, screening in six Polish
cities after the international Festival in Warsaw as well as in Osh
in Kyrgyzstan.
2003
– the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights awards the first
festival prize for excellent achievement in showing human rights in
film to Kim Longinotto (Since 2006, the prize has been renamed the
Marek Nowicki Prize, after the cofounder and longtime HFHR
president.)
2004
– on April 18th in Prague, WATCH DOCS (then – Human Rights in
Film FF) becomes a founding member of the Human Rights Film Network –
the world platform for cooperation among human rights film festivals
2004
– for the first time, the Warsaw edition of the festival is held in
more than one venue. Screenings at six theaters draw more than 10 000
viewers.
2005
– the first public prize is awarded at the Warsaw edition of the
festival to Hanna Polak and Andrzej Celiński for their film
"Children of Leningradsky"
2005
– festival organizers establish the Social Institute of Film to
propagate the festival mission and formula
2005
– festival begins contributing to the organization of docudays.ua,
Ukrainian human rights film Festival, currently one of the largest
festivals of such kind in Europe
2006
– festival changes its name to WATCH DOCS. Human Rights in Film and
adopts a new competition formula, screening over 100 films in its
sixth year
2007
– the Traveling Film Festival WATCH DOCS. Human Rights in Film
sparks Lithuania’s first human rights film festival: Ad Hoc.
Inconvenient Films. Currently, Ad Hoc is an independent event
organized in cooperation with WATCH DOCS and one of Lithuania’s
largest social and cultural events.
2007
– the WATCH DOCS school film club program begins in several Warsaw
high schools
2008
– Warsaw festival is accompanied by the “Human Rights Matters”
campaign, based on graphic design by Dominika Raczkowska, laureate of
the prestigious Sappi Ideas That Matter competition
2010
– WATCH DOCS university video libraries program begins operating at
several Polish universities
2010
– WATCH DOCS co-organizes One World Brussels film festival, the
first human rights film festival targeting political decision-makers,
EU employees, and international NGOs, initiated by the Czech One
World film festival.
2010
– Celebrations of 10th, anniversary edition of WATCH DOCS include
visit of Frederick Wiseman – one of the worlds best-known
documentary filmmakers, and the laureate of the
Marek Nowicki Prize. During the festival, first Polish retrospective
of Wiseman's films is held.
2011
– WATCH DOCS free of charge on-line channel at the www.kinoplex.pl
VoD site starts, including several films from the last edition of the
festival.
2011
– thanks to the support of the European Commision, during the
festival, big international conference „Human Rights – Current
State of Debate” is held with participation of international guests
– renowned scholars and NGO representatives.
2012 – International
Film Festival WATCH DOCS. Human Rights in Film for the first time is
held simultaneously in two cities: Warsaw and Lublin