News

For the third edition of Talent Talks on Wednesday, September 18, rapper Adam Bais (Benjamin Fro) will engage in conversation with IDFA documentary filmmaker Tessa Louise Pope and photographer Eline Benjaminsen, part of the exhibition 'The Image Is Our Voice' in Melkweg Expo. During this special edition – in collaboration with Unseen Foundation – we discuss the relationship between art and social commentary. Talent Talks is a collaboration between Melkweg Amsterdam and IDFA in which we explore the works of young, emerging artists working in film and photography today. Through video clips and images, we get an insight into their creative process, motives, and inspiration. Admission is free.…

IDFA could not exist without the hundreds of volunteers that work for the festival every year. Do you want to help us out during IDFA 2019?…

During IDFA 2019 we are pleased to offer all our accredited guests with free access to personal workspaces across Amsterdam thanks to our new partnership with Spaces. This Amsterdam-born company provides freelancers, entrepreneurs, and companies with an inspirational place to work. In other words, it’s the ideal opportunity for IDFA filmmakers and industry professionals to have the space to connect, work on their ideas, and keep their projects ticking during the festival. …

Today it gives us great pleasure to present the new IDFA award structure and the first jury members for IDFA 2019. With more awards in our Feature-Length and First Appearance competitions, streamlined awards in our other competition programs, and several prestigious collaborations on board, the new award structure promises to increase attention for future award winners, applaud the broad scope of documentary talent working today, and celebrate the best and brightest documentary films of our generation. …

The IDFA Bertha Fund (IBF) is overjoyed to announce that 12 new documentary projects have been selected to receive funding through the IBF Classic scheme. From nearly 300 submissions, six projects have been selected for development support, and six for production or post-production support. A total amount of €129,600 has been granted to the 12 projects, together making up 15 different countries. Operating since 1998, the IBF Classic is the Fund’s largest program for supporting documentary filmmakers in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and parts of Eastern Europe. …

In July, we welcomed 16 international filmmaking teams to IDFAcademy Summer School, our week-long program for emerging film talent to elevate their script or rough cut alongside renowned directors, editors, and other film professionals. Read more about this energizing and inspirational edition of Summer School, and watch our exclusive tutor tips for extra insight. …

Up-and-coming Romanian filmmaker Andrei Dascalescu is the latest winner of the IDFA Award for Most Promising Project, following an outstanding presentation of his documentary project Holy Father at Sarajevo Film Festival’s Docu Rough Cut Boutique last week. The project centers on the ups and downs of coming to terms with parenthood, and the quest for reconciliation with the filmmaker’s own family. …

Last week at DocMontevideo’s documentary pitching market, emerging Argentinean filmmaker María Alvarez took home the IDFA Award for Most Promising Project. Lauded for its intimate, patient, and persistent gaze, Alvarez’s film project The Lost Time (El tiempo perdido) offers a window into the poetics of reading and reflection through an unlikely group of characters.…

For Penny and Chris…

On Thursday, September 12th, IDFA will host an exlusive preview of Midnight Traveler: an urgent and first-hand account of a family of filmmakers, forced to flee their home country. This event is sold out.…