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30 Jan – 9 Feb 2025

Audience Award

The IFFR Audience Award is given to the filmmaker of the film in the official selection with the highest average vote in the audience poll.

How does it work?

It’s one of those things that contribute to the ultimate festival feeling: the audience poll. As soon as the film screening starts, all members of the audience will receive a voting card in their inbox via email. After the screening you can judge the film by clicking on “Vote” in the email. You will be sent to a page where you can select your rating. Don’t forget: you can only vote once! 

Voting cards are not sent out at all screenings. Precisely because it has a big impact and it is difficult to compare apples and oranges, there are as many common dividers as possible. For example, they will only be sent out at screenings of feature films (movies longer than 60 minutes), and not at the first screening of a Dutch premiere or film where a large delegation is present. The scores of personal relatives are not comparable to those of the objective visitor.

The film must be new (recently produced), and there need to be more than 35 respondents prior for a film to be included in the list. Movies that do not meet these criteria are no less important. In fact, they are unique. It’s what makes IFFR fun: there are movies of all kinds and sizes and an audience with an opinion. And don’t forget: you are always allowed to give your opinion, maybe not through the voting system, but in the pub, on Facebook or Twitter.

Past winners

2024

Green Border by Agnieszka Holland

2023

Dalva by Emmanuelle Nicot

2022

Freaks Out by Gabriele Mainetti

2021

February
Quo vadis, Aida?
 by Jasmila Žbanić

June
Mi chiamo Francesco Totti by Alex Infascelli

2020

Parasite (B&W Version) by Bong Joon Ho

2019

Capharnaüm by Nadine Labaki

2018

The Guilty by Gustav Möller

2017

Moonlight by Barry Jenkins

2016

Land of Mine by Martin Zandvliet 

2015

The Dark Horse by James Napier (New Zealand)

2014

Nebraska by Alexander Payne (USA)

2013

Matterhorn by Diederik Ebbinge (The Netherlands)

2012

Monsieur Lazhar by Philippe Falardeau (Canada)

2011

Incendies by Denis Villeneuve (Canada)

2010

Yo, también by Álvaro Pastor & Antonio Naharro (Spain)

2009

Slumdog Millionaire by Danny Boyle (UK)

2008

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud (France)

2007

Das Leben der Anderen by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (Germany)

2006

Eden by Michael Hofmann, (Germany/Switzerland) 

2005

Turtles Can Fly by Bahman Ghobadi (Iraq/Iran)

2004

La Meglio Gioventu by Marco Tullio Giordana (Italy)

2003

Whale Rider by Niki Caro (New-Zealand)

2002

No Man’s Land by Danis Tanovic (Bosnia/France/Belgium)

2001

Promises by Carlos Bolado, B.Z. Goldberg and Justine Shapiro (USA)

2000

Shower by Zhang Yang (China)

1999

Festen by Thomas Vinterberg (Denmark)

1998

De Poolse Bruid (The Polish Bride) by Karim Traïdia (The Netherlands)

1997

Shine by Scott Hicks (Australia)

1996

Angel Baby by Michael Rymer (Australia)

1995

Once Were Warriors by Lee Tamahori (New Zealand)

1994

Ein Ganz Gewohnliches Leben by Imre Gyöngyössy and Barna Kabay (Hungary)