Organization

The size of the IDFA team is fluid, consisting in 2025 of 65.8 FTE (68.6 FTE in 2024 and 70.5 FTE in 2023). Alongside a regular complement of (32.2 FTE) employees with contracts for an indefinite period and (16.6 FTE) employees on temporary contracts, during the run-up to the festival the organization expands with the addition of freelancers (17 FTE), interns (4.3 FTE) and 469 volunteers (together 7.5 FTE).

More and more attention is being devoted within IDFA to internationalization and diversification of the workplace. IDFA’s personnel policy focuses on putting together a strong, diverse team and creating a safe working environment within which all are able to excel and contribute on their basis of their differing backgrounds and perspectives.

To further strengthen social safety, the visibility and applicability of the Code of Conduct was actively promoted in 2025. This was not only updated, but also made more accessible to everyone concerned. Instead of just being a permanent fixture on the website, the Code of Conduct is now proactively shared during the sale and sending of tickets and invitations, so that visitors and participants are informed immediately of the standards that apply in all interactions.

Further implementation of the Fair Practice Code was also foregrounded in 2025, a start on which was made, with support from Platform ACCT, in 2024. The practical tools developed by Ketentafel Filmfestivals (the collaborative discussion network of Dutch film festivals) have been actively embedded within IDFA’s organization. This has led to the development of a new salary structure, including a standard package of secondary employment conditions. The personnel manual has been amended accordingly, and all employees now receive a salary in line with the Ketentafel guidelines. This means that the practical instruments published on 30 January 2025 have been adopted as the starting point for the further professionalization of the remuneration policy.

Additionally, in 2025 a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) advisor was appointed to support the further development and implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion policy. How employees are experiencing the state of play within the organization in relation to diversity, equity and inclusion is measured in the employee satisfaction survey (Dutch: MTO) to be carried out in February 2026. These insights are of the greatest importance to IDFA in relation to further strengthening the inclusive culture of our organization.

Also in 2025, cooperation with the works council was evaluated and further optimized. The principal conclusion was that this cooperation is felt to be very positive. The cooperation has resulted in the development and improvement of a number of policy documents, concerning among other things recruitment policy, absenteeism policy, the Code of Conduct and a new assessment system for employees.

The foundations IDFA and IDFA Bertha Fund are brought together in a ‘personal union’ [‘personele unie’: a Dutch legal form whereby people can serve on various boards (of the same company) at the same time] under a single Supervisory Board, chaired by Marry de Gaay Fortman. Cees van 't Hullenaar is IDFA’s Managing Director. During the first half of 2025, Orwa Nyrabia was the Artistic Director of IDFA; he was succeeded as from 1 July by Isabel Arrate Fernandez, who previously worked for IDFA in roles including Executive Director of the IDFA Bertha Fund (IBF) and Deputy Director of IDFA. Jan Sirag is currently the Deputy Director of IDFA, and Selin Murat has headed the IBF since 1 January 2025.

The Supervisory Board has six members and meets with the Board of Directors at least four times a year. The audit committee discusses the budget, the remuneration committee conducts progress evaluations with the Board, and the strategy committee monitors programming and positioning. In 2025, the Supervisory Board (Dutch: Raad van Toezicht [RvT]) was made up of Marry de Gaay Fortman, Michael Kembel, Henk Siebren de Jong, Femke van der Laan, Julia Noordegraaf and Orçun Ersungur. A vacancy for a new member of the Supervisory Board with an artistic background was advertised in 2025. Members of the Supervisory Board do not receive remuneration and may sit on the Board for a maximum of two terms of four years.

The Board meets weekly, as does the management team with the department heads. Each department draws up an annual plan, which is shared and monitored across the organization. Major areas of focus remain the strengthening of artistic quality, diversification of program, partners and audiences, attracting younger audience-members and expanding income from audiences. The Code of Conduct, the emergency plan and the crisis protocol were all strengthened in 2025.

The policy plan 2025-2028 once again sets out IDFA’s social vision, mission and core values. IDFA focuses on stimulating the documentary climate both in the Netherlands and internationally, and evaluates its working methods each year. Although the festival process continues to be at the forefront, the growth of activities throughout the year—such as talent development, education and the programming in Het Documentaire Paviljoen—continues to require alterations to IDFA’s organizational structure and working processes.