[6][7] The festival takes its roots from a 2005 documentary film screening for students of the European Regional MA in Democracy and Human Rights in South East Europe.

The next year's edition widened the program and launched numerous annual workshops as part of the festival.

The Zoom Lights is another program that presents socially engaged audio projects from across the world and organizes sound design workshops.

Participants focus on one chosen discipline, but rely on experience sharing and an interdisciplinary approach to execute their respective projects.

[18] The program works with primary and secondary school teachers by familiarizing them with audio-visual material and films that can help them in the educational process.

The school organizes three-day long seminars four times a year, with an annual symposium being held during the festival.