News

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. …

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.…

To our excitement, we got to partner with Mediamorfosis for their first Mexican edition on June 27th. From a wide range of submissions, five teams were chosen to pitch their projects. Together with an international jury, New Media Program Manager Wotienke Vermeer awarded Hero Kogsni by Alejandra Castilla Madera with the IDFA New Media Talent Award. We will invite the creators to attend IDFA DocLab and offer a tailor-made route through the festival.…

We are thrilled to announce the IF/Then Global Pitch at IDFA 2019, a competitive shorts pitch presented in collaboration with Tribeca Film Institute (TFI) and RYOT Films. On November 26, up to six filmmaking teams from around the world will present their creative short documentary projects before a panel of judges. Learn more about the pitch and how to submit your project below.…

As we warm up for another year of the IDFA DocLab R&D Program, our new media colleagues catch up with some of the artists who participated in the program’s first year. Where are they now? …

The Netherlands Film Fund and IDFA DocLab are delighted to announce the recipients of the Film Fund DocLab Interactive Grant 2019. This year’s three selected projects are: a post-human virtual reality installation by artists Ali Eslami and Mamali Shafahi; an artificial intelligence installation by studios RNDR and Makropol; and a multimedia photography piece by photographer Sanne de Wilde. As recipients of the grant, these talented artists will share a total prize of €20,000 to develop their projects further. The completed works will be presented at IDFA DocLab in November. …

We are now accepting applications for IDFAcademy during IDFA! Are you an emerging documentary filmmaker or producer who has proven your talent on a national scale and would like to expand your career internationally? Then apply to our renowned training program during IDFA 2019. The accreditation deadline is September 1. …