FAQ Attend the Festival
Accreditation and Passes
1. I attended IDFA last year and I am already in your system. What is the procedure for me this year?
2. What about the IDFA passes? Which one is the best for me?
3. How long does it take to receive a confirmation regarding my accreditation application?
4. What are the requirements for accreditation?
5. I took part in IDFAcademy before. Can I apply again?
6. Can I get a pass for only specific dates and not for the entire festival?
7. I have purchased my pass at IDFA, but due to unforeseen circumstances I will not be able to attend. Can I transfer my pass to someone else?
8. I missed the deadline for accreditation. Can I still apply?
Payment
9. How long does it take to receive the invoice from IDFA?
10. What about payment methods? I don’t have a credit card, can I pay by PayPal or can I pay in cash upon arrival?
11. What is the cancellation procedure?
Practical info and other
12. I am an invited guest of IDFA's. Is it possible to bring someone with me?
13. I am not involved in the film business but I want to see the films. Can I buy regular tickets to the films? Are they sold in advance or can I purchase them on the day of the festival?
14. What is the location of the screenings?
15. Do you offer transportation from Schiphol Airport to my hotel?
16. Can you recommend hotels close to the festival area?
17. Is it possible to see an overview of all the guests who will attend IDFA this year?
18. Can I rent a private room for screenings during the festival?
1. I attended IDFA last year and I am already in your system. What is the procedure for me this year?
Even if you have attended the festival previously, every guest must complete an accreditation form. If you attended IDFA in 2010 or 2011 as a guest, a new accreditation form has already been created for you. Just edit your IDFA 2012 accreditation in MyIDFA. You can log in with the same user name and password as last year.
Read more.
2. What about the IDFA passes? Which one is the best for me?
We have several kinds of passes, and the best pass for you depends on what your main focus is. Every pass offers different benefits at the festival. The IDFA Festival Guest Pass gives you full access to IDFA screenings, industry screenings, master classes, industry panels, other secondary programming and an invitation to the awards ceremony and party. The IDFA Festival Guest Pass Light offers a discounted ticket price of €7.50 for screenings, music documentaries, concerts and access to industry screenings (no ticket needed), industry panels and other secondary programming.
IDFAcademy is a four-day training program for filmmakers, producers and film students. There are master classes, case studies, lectures and panels in the program. The IDFAcademy pass grants access to the four-day IDFAcademy program, industry screenings, IDFA screenings, master classes, panels and other secondary programming.
IDFA Forum is IDFA’s international co-financing and co-production market for new documentaries and a meeting point for filmmakers, independent documentary makers, broadcasters and others. The Forum pass allows access to the three-day Forum program and IDFA screenings, industry screenings, music documentaries, industry panels and other secondary programming.
Docs for Sale is a global market place for creative documentaries. Every year, more than 250 TV buyers, sales agents, distributors and festival programmers come together in Amsterdam to watch a selection of the very latest and best documentaries on the international market. There are two different passes for Docs for Sale. One is for participants, and one is for acquisition.
For more information on passes, detailed information and pricing, please check
our guidelines about the passes.
3. How long does it take to receive a confirmation regarding my accreditation application?
The Industry Office does its utmost to process the applications as soon as possible. How long the process takes depends on the kind of pass you apply for, how quickly you complete the accreditation form, and if the information you provide is accurate. As soon as the various industry departments process your application, you will receive an e-mail from the Guest Services department.
4. What are the requirements for accreditation?
If you are a documentary professional, you are eligible to buy a pass. You can read the detailed information on our website, and you will find the accreditation form on your
MyIDFA page.
After you have submitted your accreditation form, the Industry Office processes your application and will contact you about whether the pass you applied for will be granted.
Read more.
5. I took part in IDFAcademy before. Can I apply again?
Yes, you can take part in
IDFAcademy twice.
6. Can I get a pass for only specific dates and not for the entire festival?
No. A pass is valid for the entire festival: November 14-25.
7. I have purchased my pass at IDFA, but due to unforeseen circumstances I will not be able to attend. Can I transfer my pass to someone else?
Unfortunately you cannot transfer your pass to someone else. If you need to cancel, please contact the IDFA Guest Services department as soon as possible. It is only possible to cancel in writing:
guestservices@idfa.nl
8. I missed the deadline for accreditation. Can I still apply?
You can still apply after the deadline of October 10, but registration after the deadline means that processing your forms may take longer. There may also be a delay in getting your name on the online Guest List.
9. How long does it take to receive the invoice from IDFA?
You will receive the invoice as soon as your application is approved.
10. What about payment methods? I don’t have a credit card, can I pay by PayPal or can I pay in cash upon arrival?
You can pay your invoice by credit card, iDeal (only in the Netherlads) or PayPal. Contact IDFA Guest Services if these payment methods don’t work for you (
guestservices@idfa.nl).
11. What is the cancellation procedure?
If you need to cancel, please contact the IDFA Guest Services department as soon as possible. It is only possible to cancel in writing:
guestservices@idfa.nl
12. I am an invited guest of IDFA's. Is it possible to bring someone with me?
You can bring a guest, but please be aware that your guest also needs to apply for a pass if he or she wants to attend any festival events. Please note that only film professionals can apply for a guest pass.
13. I am not involved in the film business but I want to see the films. Can I buy regular tickets to the films? Are they sold in advance or can I purchase them on the day of the festival?
Yes, of course you can attend the festival. You can buy tickets at the box office.
14. What is the location of the screenings?
Screenings will take place on and around Rembrandtplein.
See an overview of all locations and a map.
15. Do you offer transportation from Schiphol Airport to my hotel?
No, we don’t offer transportation, but please see the following link for helpful information:
Practical Information.
16. Can you recommend hotels close to the festival area?
All of our preferred hotels are located on or around the Rembrandtplein, which is the IDFA festival area in Amsterdam. If you reserve your room with Booking.com via the IDFA website, a portion of the proceeds will benefit the IDFA Fund. Here is the
list of the hotels we recommend.
17. Is it possible to see an overview of all the guests who will attend IDFA this year?
See our
Guest List for an overview of guests and their details.
18. Can I rent a private room for screenings during the festival?
Yes, you can rent a room for private screenings. Please
contact the Guest Services department for more information
.