Het Documentaire Paviljoen
Having its own building gives IDFA the ultimate opportunity to develop as an institution in Amsterdam, and remain visible year-round. This documentary heart, with a range of functions and spaces, is accessible to all on a daily basis. Here, all of IDFA’s activities come together with new programs and initiatives, which can then grow into a cultural ‘living room’ in the centre of the city, with an allure reaching throughout the Netherlands and far beyond.
Het Documentaire Paviljoen relates to the city of Amsterdam in a different way than the festival. During the festival, the focus is on an international stream of mainly new films and projects that have their premières at IDFA. The programming at the Documentaire Paviljoen has a different dynamic, providing more scope for the programme to breathe. We engage with the rhythm of the city, and there is more room to investigate – together with our partners – themes and forms that are relevant to the general public, professionals, talents and education.
One of IDFA’s core activities is supporting talented filmmakers and makers active in new media. Het Documentaire Paviljoen hosts workshops, masterclasses and talkshows for talent all year round. Being able to bring all of these activities together at a single location is an opportunity to create greater contact and synergy between participants, but also with professionals and students from the Netherlands and abroad. Another leading aspect of the Documentaire Paviljoen programming is the schools’ screenings, including workshops for teachers. IDFA seeks to stimulate media literacy among school students, to enable them to read images through an appropriately critical lens.