Annual report 2021–2022

The 51st edition programme was moved online in response to lockdown measures introduced in the Netherlands in December 2021. The Press & Industry Selection was made available on Festival Scope Pro and succeeded in providing a platform for the 221 festival selections, including our flagship competitions, that could not screen to audiences online. Instead, competition selections would be made available to audiences in screening rooms later in 2022. Films that did screen in the IFFR 2022 online audience selection were eligible for the VriendenLoterij Audience Award.

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IFFR’s trademark Tiger Competition celebrates the innovative and adventurous spirit of up-and-coming filmmakers from all over the world. From 14 selected titles in 2022, EAMI by Paz Encina received the Tiger Award during the online ceremony on 2 February 2022. Excess Will Save Us by Morgane Dziurla-Petit and To Love Again by Gao Linyang both won Special Jury Awards.

Furthermore, during the Awards Ceremony, Kung Fu Zohra by Mabrouk El Mechri was awarded the VPRO Big Screen Award by an audience jury. The Ammodo Tiger Short Awards were given to Becoming Male in the Middle Ages by Pedro Neves Marques, Nazarbazi by Maryam Tafakory, and Nosferasta: First Bite by Bayley Sweitzer and Adam Khalil. Acclaimed cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom was selected as the winner of this year’s Robby Müller Award.

During the IFFR 2022 Closing Night, Freaks Out by Gabriele Mainetti was announced as the winner of the VriendenLoterij Audience Award 2022.

The IFFR 2022 Official Selection encompassed 221 films. IFFR 2022 presented 54 films to audiences on IFFR.com, the world premiere of Along the Way in cinemas and 5 Big Talks available worldwide from 26 January to 6 February. IFFR also presented a selection of films to press and industry guests on Festival Scope Pro, which included the Tiger Competition, Big Screen Competition and Ammodo Tiger Short Competition lineups.

“Adaptations aside, this festival has made no compromise in its dedication to cinema that thrives in the most risk-taking outer reaches of storytelling. Personal vision in its purest form is conspicuously a hallmark of IFFR selections, whether for the Big Screen Competition, or for the festival’s influential Tiger Competition, which annually puts a spotlight on an international array of new and emerging filmmakers.” – Barbara Scharres for Roger Ebert

IFFR 2022 Selection for audiences

The 51st edition programme was moved online in response to lockdown measures introduced in the Netherlands in December 2021. IFFR 2022’s programme presented 54 films to audiences on IFFR.com. The selection presented titles from Harbour, Bright Future, Limelight, Cinema Regained, Focus: Amanda Kramer, Scopitone and RTM.

The selection presented 11 world premieres and 5 international premieres.

The world premiere of Amanda Kramer’s feature film Please Baby Please, accompanied by Lewie and Noah Kloster’s short film Stranger Than Rotterdam with Sara Driver, opened the edition on 26 January. The world premiere of Along the Way in cinemas added an on-site dimension to IFFR during the festival’s closing weekend. The edition’s closing film was King Hu’s Dragon Inn, which simultaneously marked the launch of the 25 Encounters film programme on IFFR Unleashed.

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[Please note that IFFR 2022 selection numbers cannot be directly compared with IFFR 2021 as last year’s hybrid festival consisted of two separate chapters in February and June. IFFR 2022 took place online with separate audience and press & industry selections from 26 January to 6 February, with the exception of the Along the Way on-site world premiere.]​

Press & Industry Selection 2022

IFFR 2022 also presented a selection of films to 2,112 press and industry guests on Festival Scope Pro. The Press & Industry Selection 2022 included the Tiger Competition, Big Screen Competition and Ammodo Tiger Short Competitionlineups. The competition selections will screen in cinemas for audiences later in 2022. The over 200 films available to accredited guests globally additionally included titles from Harbour, Bright Future, Limelight, Cinema Regained, Focus: Qiu Jiongjiong, Focus: Amanda Kramer, Short & Mid-length, Scopitone and RTM.

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[Please note that IFFR 2022 selection numbers cannot be directly compared with IFFR 2021 as last year’s hybrid festival consisted of two separate chapters in February and June. IFFR 2022 took place online with separate audience and press & industry selections from 26 January to 6 February, with the exception of the Along the Way on-site world premiere.]

Conversations on film

IFFR 2022 featured five Big Talks which brought in-depth conversations with filmmakers and actors to audiences worldwide on IFFR.com. Filmmaker in focus Amanda Kramer kicked off the programme, discussing her oeuvre and IFFR 2022 opening film Please Baby Please. Director Mathieu Amalric, also an acclaimed actor, divulged details about his rich career on either side of the camera. Director and writer Rachel Lang provided context to her latest film Mon Légionnaire.

Thai cinematographer and this edition’s Robby Müller Award winner Sayombhu Mukdeeprom elaborated on his cinematic language, experiences working with directors like Luca Guadagnino and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and Robby Müller as an inspiration. Accompanying IFFR 2022’s surprise film, the fifth Big Talk featured writer and director Joachim Trier and actress Renate Reinsve, discussing their hit film The Worst Person in the World.​

Throughout the year, IFFR engages its audiences with film by organising special screenings and events outside of the festival days, and by hosting its online streaming service IFFR Unleashed. The festival also presents a varied educational programme to engage younger audiences.

Screenings and talks

In collaboration with KINO cinema in Rotterdam, IFFR organises a year-round curated programme with a variety of festival films from previous editions: IFFR KINO. From October to December 2021, Stroszek, Mi chiamo Francesco Totti and The Spooky Bunch returned for one-off screenings. Following their premieres at IFFR, the festival also supports the cinematic releases of titles through our communications channels, such as social media and newsletters.

The Talks & Masterclasses 2022 presented during the festival programme are available year-round on our website. Due to the global pandemic, IFFR’s sister festival in Curaçao, CIFFR, could unfortunately not take place in 2022.

25 Encounters

The screening of this year’s closing film, Dragon Inn, also marked the launch of 25 Encounters. The programme comprised 25 conversations between filmmakers and film enthusiasts, among them Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Christine Vachon, Olivier Assayas, Ayoka Chenzira, Ester Martin Bergsmark, Costa-Gavras and Yuasa Masaaki. All encounters have been captured in a limited edition print publication, released with an accompanying film programme of 24 titles curated by the participants. The film programme was made available on IFFR Unleashed in three scheduled releases.

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Support Filmmakers at Risk

IFFR is strongly invested in supporting filmmakers – whether through structural funding opportunities or advocating for filmmakers at risk. Together with International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and the European Film Academy (EFA), IFFR founded the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR) in 2020. The organisation’s mission is to advocate for and to act in solidarity with filmmakers facing political persecution for their work.

In response to the war in Ukraine, ICFR and its partners urgently set up an Emergency Fund to help filmmakers with small financial grants. As soon as the war broke out, the Coalition and the Fund started raising funds and donations. The Emergency Fund provides filmmakers with small funds of €500, €1,000 or €1,500 to be able to assist in covering temporary relocation expenses, legal and administrative fees, to cover initial minor but necessary expenses required during the current situation. Within the first three weeks over 150 filmmakers who were in direct danger were supported.

Videoland Academy

IFFR collaborates year round with the Netherlands Film Festival, IDFA and the Dutch streaming service Videoland on a talent development trajectory for up-and-coming genre filmmakers. 2021 saw the first premieres for work produced on the programme. Three sci-fi mid-lengths premiered at the Netherlands Film Festival in September, before a documentary series made its debut on the Videoland platform in February 2022. The third edition of the programme was announced based on Dutch horror, and a masterclass took place with director Fabrice du Welz presented together with Imagine Film Festival.

Guided by the belief that cinema can be a tool for acquiring knowledge and developing personal skills, this edition’s education programme presented special events, workshops, screenings, talks and masterclasses, and made further steps to provide year-round programmes across the spectrum of educational stages.

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[Please note that IFFR 2022 attendance and engagement cannot be directly compared with IFFR 2021; last year’s hybrid festival consisted of two separate chapters in February and June.]

Activities for students of all ages, levels and disciplines

Between 1 March 2021 and 28 February 2022, IFFR received 81,354 visits (both online and physical, excluding the June 2021 festival days) from school children, students and teachers.

The festival took further steps towards developing year-round education programmes for various secondary education schools and systems – including vocational education systems (PO, VO, MBO, HBO) and universities (WO). To further incorporate film education in school curriculums, IFFR has been collaborating with schools such as primary school Gouden Griffel in Rotterdam to set up the Cultuurcoach programme, and Rotterdam-based college Zadkine to offer film classes and career guidance. Workshops were offered covering a wide array of topics in film, including film analysis, soundtracks (with Watch That Sound), filmmaking skills (with Digital Playground), and documentary.

Special events

On September 26, IFFR collaborated with Theatre Islemunda to host its Kids Only special event for children aged between nine and twelve, this edition based on Het Andere Koekboek by Mirjam Marks and Rianne van Duin. The book’s creators offered an animation workshop following a short film programme related to the book’s meeting of cuisine with stories of displacement.

The IFFR Young Selectors, continuing their assignment from IFFR 2021, collaborated with Rotterdam Open Doek at LantarenVenster in November to programme an event celebrating the anniversary of Surinamese independence.

Film and media art heritage project continues

Together with arts-focused primary school Het Landje and design and architecture museum Het Nieuwe Instituut, IFFR continues with the three-year primary school education programme focused on film and media art heritage titled the Archive of Imagination.

“What we really need to archive is a reminder for people to take good care of the earth and to be kind to each other.” — Fourth grade primary school pupil during Archive of Imagination

IFFR and LantarenVenster

Taking further steps in their joint efforts, IFFR and Rotterdam cinema LantarenVenster continued to lay the foundations for incorporating film education as an integral part of school curriculums. They strengthened their connection to schools in Rotterdam by organising school screenings in cinemas, offering film classes and developing teaching materials.

A streamlined professional’s programme was delivered online during IFFR 2022, including IFFR Pro’s main elements: CineMart, Rotterdam Lab and the Pro Hub, as well as an IFFR Pro Dialogues discussion series. Together with the Press & Industry Selection of more than 200 films, the programme focused on supporting filmmaking talent by providing a launchpad for their work, their projects, and meaningful connections in process.

“It made me feel seen and heard. I think under the circumstances the event was well organised and operated, and honestly commend all of you for your commitment to us filmmakers, during a time where we all are trying to find some kind of peace of mind.” – Participating filmmaker

Learning, meeting and debate

As in regular editions, the Pro Hub worked to enhance the festival experience for selected filmmakers, connecting them with attending professionals and facilitating exchange and networking. A select programme of expert panels and Pro networking round tables was organised for attending filmmakers, with specially invited guests from diverse backgrounds within the film community.

Five panel discussions were presented as part of IFFR Pro Dialogues. Starting with a keynote from Erasmus University Rotterdam’s Professor Jan Rotmans, a socially engaged scientist and expert in theories of transitions, the programme sought to “dream the new possible” by looking at ambitions for progressive change in the film industry.

The Young Film Critics programme was paused for this edition, due to the quick turnaround to an online format.

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Co-production market – CineMart

IFFR’s international co-production market is a platform for filmmakers to find the best creative, strategic and financial partners for the development, production and distribution of their projects. In total, 28 projects were presented: 17 CineMart projects, 7 BoostNL projects and 5 IFFR Pro Immersive projects. Overall, 656 one-on-one meetings took place and seven projects received awards.

The fifth Immersive project, one more than the previous year, represented an expansion of IFFR Pro’s commitment to XR, which was further strengthened with two new partnerships. Alongside the Immersive Funding Market (IFM), a collaboration between IFFR Pro and VRDays Europe, an extra project was selected from those attending October’s Nouveau marché at the Festival du nouveau cinéma Montréal. Volumetric video capture service 4DR Studios, based in Eindhoven, also sponsored a new award for Immersive projects.

Training workshop for producers – Rotterdam Lab

This year, the second online edition of Rotterdam Lab welcomed 73 up-and-coming producers, nominated from 46 IFFR Pro partners who sought to broaden their networks and learn vital skills and practices. The lineup included participants from 37 countries and featured a strong female presence, with 46 women out of the total of 73. Programme highlights included a co-production case study with the director and producer of IFFR 2022 selection Clara Sola, and a closing plenary on the topic of preserving mental health in the film industry.

“I really loved being part of the lab! I met some very interesting people from all over the world and hopefully this will lead to some collaborations.” – Rotterdam Lab participant

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The Hubert Bals Fund (HBF) supports filmmakers from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and parts of Eastern Europe at different stages of the production of narrative feature films. Since its inception in 1989, the fund has gained a reputation for recognising outstanding film talent from across the globe, often in places where freedom of expression and adequate film infrastructure are lacking.​

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* Categorisation of regions according to the World Bank’s analytical groupings

This year, four different funding schemes awarded support to films in every stage of the production process. The spring and autumn rounds of the Script and Project Development Support each awarded development grants to 10 projects, with five projects simultaneously awarded via the NFF+HBF Co-production Scheme. HBF+Europe: Minority Co-production Support supported six further projects, whilst 2022 also marked the final Dutch Post-production Award which was discontinued, after having supported seven titles since 2019.

For an overview of selections, consult the Complete Results document.

The HBF’s collaboration with Brazilian partner Projeto Paradiso came to fruition. The non-profit organisation supports local filmmaking talent and works to bring greater visibility to their films, and in 2021 began awarding increased support to Brazilian projects supported by the HBF for development. In July, HBF gave a presentation on the fund to over 70 online attendees, and was joined by Maya Da-Rin, director of HBF-supported The Fever, which was supported by the HBF for development in 2015 and screened at IFFR 2020.

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Four HBF titles participated in the bespoke development programme BoostNL, in collaboration with the Netherlands Film Festival. Bolivian filmmaker Kiro Russo won the NFF Script Development Award during NFF’s Holland Film Meeting for Lost Songs From Distant Realms and Flat Girls by Thai director Jirassaya Wongsutin won two awards: the Cam-a-Lot & Filmmore Emerging Cinema Award and the HFM Market Potential Award. The projects were then presented at CineMart 2022.

“The Hubert Bals Fund was really essential. We don’t have any kind of support in my country, but with this I’m able to write, and to have time to do it – because time is the most difficult resource to find” – Bolivian director Kiro Russo

International success

The 2021-2022 period saw a total of 11 HBF-backed premieres take place, more than double compared to the previous year. Six premiered at Cannes, including several highly-regarded titles which would take up prominent places on the yearly film circuit. Two projects premiered at Venice, whilst Qiu Jiongjiong’s A New Old Play won the Special Jury Prize at Locarno. Several HBF titles were also nominated as their countries’ Oscar submissions. Clara Sola by Nathalie Álvarez Mesén picked up five Swedish academy awards in 2022.

IFFR 2022

Four HBF-supported features screened online to audiences in the Netherlands during IFFR 2022. Audiences were invited to watch all the titles together as part of an HBF ticket bundle. Competitions and an expanded programme lineup were available to press and industry guests on Festival Scope Pro. Two HBF-titles screened in the Tiger Competition: Ningdu by Chinese director Lei Lei and EAMI by Paraguayan director Paz Encina. The latter, which had been supported in development and via the HBF+NFF collaboration with the Netherlands Film Fund, was the winner of the Tiger Award 2022.

Meanwhile, during a plenary session at IFFR’s producer training workingshop Rotterdam Lab, director Nathalie Álvarez Mesén and producer Nima Yousefi spoke to David Pope about the development process behind Clara Sola.

With a sudden switch to an online format in December 2021, IFFR brought its 51st edition to audiences with a streamlined lineup of titles available nationwide, a distinct and colourful campaign, partnerships and extensive efforts via social media and online services on IFFR.com.

IFFR 2022 presented 54 films to national audiences on IFFR.com – after moving online in response to lockdown measures introduced on 19 December in the Netherlands. The world premiere of Along the Way in cinemas added an on-site dimension during the festival’s closing weekend, following the lifting of Covid-19 measures and the opening of cinemas on 26 January.

Online reach in the Netherlands and globally

The festival registered 177,267 online audience visits from 26 January to 6 February 2022. This figure was generated by multiplying the number of tickets by a factor of 1.7 per household. This multiplication factor is based on a survey among nearly 3,500 ticket holders done in 2021. An additional 3,370 tickets were sold for the physical screenings of Along the Way.

Due to the distinct festival format the attendance and engagement during IFFR 2022 cannot be directly compared to previous editions.

Online screenings were made available to audiences in the Netherlands on IFFR.com. 40% of audience members were based in South Holland, of which Rotterdam is the largest city, while representation in North Holland (which includes Amsterdam, Haarlem and Alkmaar) increased by 8 percentage points to 32%. Viewers from other provinces made up 28% of the audience. Big Talks were available globally for free.

“Happy thoughts – IFFR has been a personal highlight for years, helping me to give meaning to the beginning of the year. When the holiday season is over and spring still feels far away, IFFR brings light to short days!” – IFFR audience member

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* Based on the question “How likely are you to recommend IFFR to friends, family or colleagues”, our customer loyalty has been measured and rated 41 in 2022, compared to 43 in 2021 and 65 in 2020. 

[Please note that IFFR 2022 attendance and engagement cannot be directly compared with IFFR 2021; last year’s hybrid festival consisted of two separate chapters in February and June. IFFR 2022 took place online from 26 January to 6 February, with the exception of the Along the Way on-site world premiere.]

Enhancing our online services

After developing the innovative online platform in 2021, IFFR continued to enhance its online presence and services. The online platform enabled IFFR 2022 to offer films both on demand and as timed screenings. The edition additionally hosted Big Talks and IFFR Pro Days events online.

Revamped press conferences and events including the Opening Night, Closing Night and IFFR Awards Ceremony were streamed live from studios in ‘de Doelen’ in Rotterdam. The recordings were also made available on IFFR.com afterwards on-demand. In order to connect with our audiences and industry guests, IFFR 2022 made use of online communications tools such as video conferencing software Zoom and integrated a live chat to accompany online screenings.

The screening of the edition’s closing film King Hu’s Dragon Inn marked the close of IFFR 2022 and the launch of film programme and print publication 25 Encounters.

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[Please note that IFFR 2022 attendance and engagement cannot be directly compared with IFFR 2021; last year’s hybrid festival consisted of two separate chapters in February and June. IFFR 2022 took place online from 26 January to 6 February, with the exception of the Along the Way on-site world premiere.]

Read more about the film programme here

Audience Award

The VriendenLoterij Audience Award, worth €10,000, was granted to the film which received the highest average rating in the audience poll following online screenings on IFFR.com. Freaks Out by Italian director Gabriele Mainetti won the VriendenLoterij Audience Award 2022.

Vibrant campaign and collaborations

A distinct and colourful 51st edition campaign was designed by Rotterdam-based agency 75B to highlight the multifaceted aspects of IFFR – from its extensively varied programme to its mosaic of audiences.

In order to reach new audiences, IFFR offered tailor-made film programmes to partners. VPRO and De Volkskrant were offered curated collections of films for the VPRO Preview Dag, VPRO Review Dag and De Volkskrantdag. The line-up presented eight titles, including Hit the Road by Panah Panahi and Noche de fuego by Tatiana Huezo.

Collaborations with Rotterdampas, CJP, Cineville, We Are Public and HipHopHuis enabled the festival to reach new target communities and successfully promote the Rotterdam-focused programme RTM. The consolidation of our social media campaigns featuring customised content, festival ambassadors and influencers complemented our online strategy towards new and diverse target communities.

The 51st edition used communications and publicity to reach local and national audiences and industry professionals.

Press

During IFFR 2022, the festival made a customised film selection available for press and industry members on our partner platform Festival Scope Pro. IFFR recorded an unprecedented number of 550 accredited press who attended the festival online, from 65 countries. Press produced a large amount of quality coverage, including interviews, previews, reviews, and festival reports.

Film reviews

In line with the festival’s commitment to critical engagement with cinema, IFFR generated 343 film reviews across 53 days (starting from the programme announcement on 7 January, until the end of the festival period on 28 February) relayed through IFFR Pro daily newsletters. Film journalists from around the world produced critical festival coverage highlighting the eclectic programme and revamped competitions.

“IFFR’s breadth, as well as its timing squeezed between Sundance and Berlinale, makes for the chance to see a lot of weird and wonderful and destined-to-be-underseen stuff for the first time.” – Dom Sinacola for Paste Magazine

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[Please note that IFFR 2022 engagement cannot be directly compared with IFFR 2021; last year’s hybrid festival consisted of two separate chapters in February and June.]

Press conferences

The festival hosted a programme-focused press conference on 7 January, announcing the 51st edition film programme – made available from 26 January to 6 February (Festival Scope Pro remained accessible until 14 February). In addition, the festival hosted four Tiger Competition press conferences during the festival period. These press conferences offered competing filmmakers an opportunity to speak with festival director Vanja Kaludjercic and to answer questions from the press about their films.

Media partners and editorial content

The 51st festival edition relied on the continued support of its media partners Screen International, Variety, de Volkskrant and VPRO. IFFR additionally forged a new partnership with the all-review film outlet The Film Verdict. In January, the festival published a revamped edition of its flagship print publication, the IFFR Programmabijlage, for Dutch audiences. The programme guide was inserted in the daily national newspaper de Volkskrant, distributed by IFFR and published online.

IFFR aims to offer a platform for the worldwide community of independent filmmakers and to reach a broad and diverse audience. IFFR strives to make a difference in cultural and social life in Rotterdam and the Netherlands.

During the festival and with year-round activities, IFFR offers a strong and diverse range of screenings, talks, exhibitions and networking opportunities. This is made possible by the efforts of a team of professionals, experts, programmers and scouts, who contribute through research, development and curation.

IFFR is led by a directorial board duo made up of festival director Vanja Kaludjercic (since February 2020) and managing director Marjan van der Haar (since October 2018). Both directors receive a salary that aligns with the WNT standard. IFFR also has a supervisory board made up of six voluntary members with complementary expertise, who convene at least six times a year.

The festival employs a core team of 44 people (40.5 FTE). Closer to the festival, IFFR becomes a project organisation in which temporary employees, freelancers and volunteers work together. The number of people involved in the past year was different to previous years, due to the implications of Covid-19. Ultimately, there were 134 people working for the festival, including 9 trainees, 89 contractors and 54 volunteers. The festival also actively invites students to take up internships and gain experience in the cultural sector.

Governance

IFFR follows the Fair Practice Code, with particular consideration for the Diversity and Inclusiveness Code and the Culture Governance Code.

The Fair Practice Code is applied to the salaries of the IFFR team and freelancers, because IFFR believes a healthy labour market is important to the cultural sector. IFFR has its own employment conditions package, to be updated annually, and follows the municipal CAO (Collective Labour Agreement) guidelines on salaries, to ensure competitive offerings in the labour market. Freelance rates are similarly scaled in accordance with the salary system. Furthermore, based on the Fair Practice Code, IFFR has clarified that freelancers are entitled to additional pay when working overtime.

In the spring of 2021, the IFFR code of conduct was updated to ensure that everyone – both visitors and employees – feels safe and respected at IFFR. The code of conduct provides a clear outline of rules regarding desirable behaviour, undesirable behaviour and conflicts of interest. The code also delineates the procedure for reporting misconduct and violations. IFFR works with internal confidential advisers, as well as external advisers available through Mores.online.

By signing the Diversity and Inclusiveness Code, IFFR commits to the importance of representation and including a diverse set of voices within the organisation.

Finances

IFFR 2022 was realised with a total budget of 8.4 million euros. The government Covid-19 support from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science was again a vital component in the organisation of the festival. Nevertheless, the pandemic has presented significant challenges to the financial stability of IFFR these past two years, meaning the sustainable and resilient future strategy – which was temporarily put on hold to be able to organise the 51st edition – will be actively pursued this upcoming year. The IFFR Foundation has an ANBI status, meaning it is designated a non-profit by the Netherlands tax authorities, thereby also increasing the funding possibilities of the festival.

IFFR’s financing comes from a variety of sources, both private and public. Collaborations and partnerships are formed based on shared goals, that way ensuring they are long-term and sustainable.

The festival has five main partners: VriendenLoterij, Fonds 21, Stichting Droom en Daad, vfonds and de Volkskrant.Multiple year subsidy is given by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and Municipality of Rotterdam. Thanks to the generosity of its educational partners, IFFR can explore new ways of engaging younger audiences.

“As a trailblazer of online and hybrid initiatives for the film festival experience IFFR has shown great resilience while facing the challenges of the pandemic. IFFR reflects the core values of Fonds 21. The film festival proves year after year that artistic quality, relevancy of its programme and innovative films can go hand in hand with reaching a large, young and diverse audience. IFFR makes art and culture easily accessible for young people through their multifaceted education programmes and communication channels. Fonds 21 is proud to be the main partner of this internationally leading festival.” – Henk Christophersen, General Director, Fonds 21

Friends of IFFR

The ongoing and crucial support from our donors was heartwarming in the past year. The support from our Tiger Film Mecenaat, directly impacts the number of film projects IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund can support, and the quality and reach of our festival programme each year.

Thanks to all our patrons, partners, supporters, corporations and foundations, the 51st edition of the festival was made possible, and we can look forward to the upcoming editions. IFFR expresses its gratitude to everyone who helped create the 51st edition, without all our partners IFFR would not have been able to deliver the festival in this challenging year.

Educational partners

Thanks to the generosity of its educational partners, IFFR can explore new ways of engaging younger audiences.

IFFR’s education department collaborates with institutions both in Rotterdam and throughout the Netherlands. Rotterdam-based collaborations include those with LantarenVenster, Het Nieuwe Instituut, cultural education consultants KCR, arts centre SKVR, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the educational project Watch That Sound, cultural institute Digital Playground Rotterdam, education platform Meetup010, network for film and media Netwerk Film en Media Educatie Rotterdam, and social impact tool Cigarbox.

Beyond the city of Rotterdam, IFFR collaborates with institutions such as arts foundation Cultuurpalet, cultural centre Stichting Trias, library DOK Delft, arts organisation Kunstgebouw, film education organisation Filmhub Zuid-Holland, cultural centre Westland Cultuurweb, national network Landelijk Netwerk Filmeducatie, and Eye Filmmuseum’s short film collection for education purposes Korte Film Poule.

Find all facts and figures of the Annual Report 2021-2022 below.

Please note that IFFR 2022 (selection) numbers cannot be directly compared with IFFR 2021 as last year’s hybrid festival consisted of two separate chapters in February and June. IFFR 2022 took place online with separate audience and press & industry selections from 26 January to 6 February, with the exception of the Along the Way on-site world premiere.

Awards & Competitions

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Festival programme IFFR 2022

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IFFR Unleashed

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IFFR Pro

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Education

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The Hubert Bals Fund

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* Categorisation of regions according to the World Bank’s analytical groupings

Engaging audiences

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* Based on the question “How likely are you to recommend IFFR to friends, family or colleagues”, our customer loyalty has been measured and rated 41 in 2022, compared to 43 in 2021 and 65 in 2020. 

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Communications reach

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