Rotterdam Lab announces open call producers for 2026, along with new Creators Lab for writers and directors

The first details of our emerging producers’ workshop Rotterdam Lab have been announced for 2026, with five producers announced after an open call. The Lab is also expanding with a parallel Creators Lab for writers and directors seeking to deepen their understanding of the production process.

Rotterdam Lab is an annual training workshop for international film producers, embedded within the IFFR Pro Days of the festival alongside the world-renowned CineMart project market, the Darkroom works-in-progress programme, Lightroom and Reality Check activities. 

The purpose is to offer emerging professionals the means to build and develop their network, providing confidence, tools and skills to navigate the world of international film financing, production, sales, marketing, festivals and distribution.

New Rotterdam Lab partners

In its 26th edition, the Rotterdam Lab hosts more than 70 producers and creators nominated by partner organisations from around the world. IFFR is also welcoming three new Lab partners for 2026: Baghdad Film Institute (Iraq), Full Spectrum Features (USA), Indigenous Screen Office – ISO (Canada) and we’re delighted to see the return of the New Zealand Film Commission – NZFC (New Zealand) Film i Väst (Sweden) and CINECITTÀ (Italy) to the family of Rotterdam Lab partners. 

Creators Lab

For 2026, IFFR Pro will also launch Creators Lab – a new and parallel strand of the renowned Rotterdam Lab, the annual training workshop for emerging international film producers. This new track will be tailored for writers and directors to deepen their understanding of production and the business of film and TV. This initiative builds on the success of the Rotterdam Producers’ Lab and follows its 25th anniversary with an expanded reach.

For the writers and directors in the Creators Lab, dedicated plenary sessions and masterclasses establishing the fundamentals of the film and TV business will run in parallel to the sessions of the traditional Rotterdam Lab. The two groups – creators and producers – will then reconverge for roundtables, workshops and group sessions with high level industry guests and veterans which form the backbone of the Rotterdam Lab. Participants are nominated through IFFR Pro’s partner organisations.

Open call producers selection

The Lab also announces five further producers selected for Rotterdam Lab through a Creative Europe-supported open call. The call has been used to maximise the plurality of voices, backgrounds and experiences in the Rotterdam Lab cohort, giving particular attention to countries and regions not yet served by existing partner organisations.

May Jabareen (Palestine)

May Jabareen is a Palestinian cultural activist, arts manager, and producer at Philistine Films. Active in the film industry since 2011, she has collaborated on acclaimed Palestinian and international productions, including Omar (2013), Huda’s Salon (2021), The Inheritance (2012), A Gaza Weekend (2022), The Teacher (2023), Bye Bye Tiberias (2023), I Was A Stranger (2024) and Cotton Queen (2025) Jabareen’s wide-ranging experience spans roles as assistant director, production coordinator, manager, and producer. Most recently, she acted as associate producer on Annemarie Jacir’s latest feature Palestine 36 (2025) and as co-producer on Nicolas Wadimoff’s Qui Vit Encore (Who Is Still Alive) (2025) and Marjolein Busstra’s documentary set in Palestine, House of Hope (2025). She is currently developing original Palestinian series and feature films.  A graduate of the University of Potsdam in Cultural Work and Arts Management (2019), she has worked across independent, experimental, and mainstream projects, committed to strengthening the Palestinian arts and film industry.

Hiba Louis (Lebanon)

Hiba Louis is a Lebanese producer, co-founder of Cyprus-based Quo Films, currently co- producing her first TV thriller, Status Quo (2022), supported by Doha Film Institute, winner of VIS Paramount Storytellers Award and Red Sea Production Fund. She participated in DFI’s Series Lab, Qumra, and in 2023 was selected for MEMI x USC program in Saudi Arabia. Her second series, Saria Othman Needs No Man, was selected for Film Independent x Red Sea Labs, developed in Los Angeles, and won the Best Series Award at Red Sea Souk 2024. Hiba is also producing Sama Yasmine, a short film, selected as Cyprus’ official nomination for Clermont- Ferrand’s Euro Connection 2026, and took part in TGF’s What’s the Story? ISFFC. She is finalizing another short film and developing two feature documentaries, one in early development and one in post-production. She’s also busy raising her two best productions yet: Maria and Yasmine.

Iván Moscovich (Argentina)

Iván Moscovich (1992, Buenos Aires) is a film producer, director, and educator based between Mexico City and Buenos Aires. He is the co-founder of 36 Caballos, an independent production company dedicated to contemporary auteur cinema and bold, personal filmmaking. Its films have premiered at leading festivals, including Cannes (Directors’ Fortnight), Berlinale (Golden Bear for Best Short Film), Rotterdam, Jeonju, Málaga, Mar del Plata, Visions du Réel, Viennale, IndieLisboa, New York Film Festival, and Torino. As a director, he has made the short films The Drift (2019) and The Pause (2021) and is currently developing his debut feature film. In 2025, he was selected for Berlinale Talents for his combined work as producer and director.

Natália Pavlove (Czech Republic)

Natália Pavlove is a Prague-based producer and the founder of Other Stories, a company focused on socially driven, internationally minded auteur films, especially by debut and female directors. Her short film Dog and Wolf (2025) premiered at Karlovy Vary IFF in the summer of 2025 and has been touring festivals since. The Czech–Lebanese co-production Sea Salt (2023) premiered at the 2023 Venice Biennale and went on to screen at more than 60 international festivals. An alumna of IDFAcademy, EAVE Puentes, and EURODOC, Natália fosters long-term creative collaborations with a global and inclusive vision. She is currently developing a slate of international projects in collaboration with emerging directors and partners across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Audrey Restetuta Tanya (Kenya)

Audrey Restetuta Tanya is a Kenyan Creative Producer and Co-Founder of Jenga Visuals Ltd, based in Nairobi. She is committed to crafting authentic African stories that explore identity, resilience, and human transformation, with a strong focus on women’s experiences and underrepresented perspectives. Audrey’s work reflects a deep belief in the power of cinema to heal, challenge, and illuminate truth. Her producing credits include Visasi (2023), winner of Best Lead Actor at the Mombasa International Film Festival, My Little Warrior (2023), a multi-award-nominated short documentary,  Stinger (2022), East Africa’s first female-led boxing film, and PAA Season 4, an eight-episode TV series that recently premiered on one of Kenya’s biggest broadcasters. She is currently developing Nkanai, a powerful feature exploring courage, identity, resilience, and the unbreakable spirit of a woman warrior. Audrey’s vision is to build globally resonant stories that elevate and strengthen Africa’s cinematic legacy.

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