Hope emerged powerfully as the predominant theme at the 21st European Festival for Religious TV and Online Programmes, “Belief on Screen,” organized by WACC Europe and SIGNIS Europe in Copenhagen, Denmark, in late September.

Eighteen films selected from 75 entries from across Europe were screened at the Danish Film Institute during “Belief on Screen.” The two-day festival offered a high standard of documentary filmmaking and covered a diversity of topics, said Agnieszka Godfrejów-Tarnogórska, WACC Europe Vice-President and member of the organizing and pre-selection committees.

“Selecting the winning films was no easy task, as many of them addressed important social, ethical, and existential issues. The richness of perspectives and the diversity of the religious and faith traditions represented also caught our attention, making the festival a particularly inspiring experience,” she added.

Award-winning films highlight faith, diversity, courage

The festival’s top prize was awarded to the documentary film Jaffa, School of Peace, which tells the story of a unique Lasallian school south of Tel Aviv, Israel, where Jewish, Muslim, and Christian children learn together and the commitment of the teachers has created a place of encounter and shared life in a reality marked by the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

Directed by Hélène Renaux and produced by CFRT for France Télévisions, the film shows how the pupils not only acquire knowledge but also forge friendships and learn to live together despite their religious and social differences, according to the international jury comprised of journalist and documentary filmmaker Catia Barone (Italy), religious broadcasting specialist and WACC Director Jim McDonnell (England), and journalist and historian Kristian Danholm (Denmark).

The film War does not have the last word won the festival’s Special Award for Innovation and Creativity. Directed by Paul Cabanis and Thibaut la Flaquière and broadcast by the French Roman Catholic television channel KTO, the film depicts the lives of Christians in the Gaza Strip and the surrounding area during the war. A special focus is placed on the Parish of the Holy Family in Gaza where a significant part of the local Christian community found refuge, with its parish priest, Fr Gabriel Romanelli, playing a key role.

The jury noted that the film is not merely a war report but a story about what it means to be the Church in a crisis – to remain close to people, to share their fate, and to sustain the community when almost everything else is under threat.

The Audience Award went to the film Crossroads – From Addiction to Redemption, produced by Ben Jebbink and Bas Roetman for the Dutch television broadcaster KRO-NCRV. The documentary shows how people who have experienced addiction or are struggling with mental health issues find new courage to face life through an ecumenical pilgrimage to Rome. The film explores the experience of faith not merely as an element of culture or tradition, but as part of a person’s personal experience.

Space for discussion and exchange

The festival provided an opportunity to discuss the status of religious and ethical programming on European television and to reflect on the expectations of content that deals with spiritual and existential themes.

In his opening address, festival president Christoffer Emil Bruun, an editor at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, stated: “it is crucial for Europe to understand its own values and its own faith. Europe needs a festival that encourages thought, discussions, and exchange of ideas on religion and ethics as topics for mass communication.”

Another important element of the festival was the discussions held between screenings, which allowed participants to network, share experiences, and get to know one another, opening up opportunities for future collaboration.

“Belief on Screen” 2026 was organized by WACC Europe and SIGNIS Europe, in collaboration with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR), the Danish Film Institute (DFI), the Diocese of Copenhagen of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark, and the European Broadcasting Union. Aside from a Covid-enforced pause, the festival has been held every two to three years since 1969.

Screening during Belief on Screen 2026. Photo: Joachim Opahle