RTM Day programme of films and documentaries from Rotterdam and surroundings announced

The 55th edition of International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) champions the diversity of film from Rotterdam and South Holland. On Friday 30 January, the city of Rotterdam takes centre stage during IFFR’s RTM Day at LantarenVenster, providing local filmmakers with a platform for their stories in the RTM programme. The RTM Pitch 2025 winning film Rain in August by Ashley Röttjers will have its world premiere too. This edition expands the programme’s scope beyond the city to include two films by filmmakers from the surrounding province of South Holland.

Across IFFR 2026, local and Dutch creativity connect with the international festival context in a programme that brings together films, documentaries, music, installations, performances, and talks, with Dutch highlights found across the programme and a dedicated IFFR Pro Dutch industry focus day.

The festival will also premiere the work of numerous Dutch filmmakers, including Whitetail by Nanouk Leopold, Treat Her Like a Lady by Paloma Aguilera Valdebenito, and the CineMart-presented The Wolf, the Fox & Tthe Leopard by David Verbeek.

Tickets go on sale on 15 January 2026. For more information, please visit IFFR.com.

RTM: Rotterdam in focus

IFFR partner LantarenVenster is the heart of the RTM Day on Friday 30 January. At LantarenVenster, visitors can find striking works presented by their creators from Rotterdam and South Holland, in a programme shaped by guest curators Hasret Emine (writer and researcher), Suzanne Koopstra (filmmaker), and Timaeus (Tim) van Hooft (visual artist and filmmaker), who will also share curatorial insights and host discussions after the screenings. 

A selection of the RTM Programme:

• bubble bubble – Vincent Boy Kars, Rutger Nijkamp (World Premiere) is a film about three pairs of artists who are left in the same room for a couple of hours.
• Hennie’s Theme Park – Max Ploeg (World Premiere)
• In This Together – Lisette Olsthoorn (World Premiere) is an experimental documentary about disgruntled Uber drivers in Amsterdam who confront the unfair global corporation in this probing. 
• Inn a State of Siege – Qali Nur (World Premiere) is an intimate documentary gathering heartbreaking testimonies of the Siege of Sarajevo from former hotel workers
• Jackpot – Abid Chand (World Premiere) is a short film. A winning lottery ticket is worthless without valid identification to claim the prize, as this poignant fable about the misfortune of undocumented people shows.
• The Liminal Zone – Rutger Wolfson (World Premiere), former IFFR festival director, made this short film about an existential journey into the subconscious, presenting as a kind of psychedelic agony, with tremendous visuals and haunting sound design. 
• Movement Song – Mayis Rukel (World Premiere) is an experimental fictional documentary about queer relationships, the healing power of literature and archiving as a labour of love.
• Oxygen – Vanessa (World Premiere) is a short film about a day in the life of a stylist who is searching for an important piece of clothing.
• Sovereign Son – Cindy Jansen (Dutch Premiere) is an intimate documentary following a man searching for traces of his father – and his own identity.
• This Is Your Captain Speaking  – Nienke Deutz, Digna van der Put (World Premiere) is a short film, asking: if you were granted the superpower of flying, what would you do with it? 
• Welcome to Set – Cyan Bae (World Premiere), is a short film asking: have you ever wondered how and to what purpose AI is trained to recognise emotions?

The films in RTM show a city in motion and depict themes such as work, loneliness, community, and imagination, always from a distinctly personal perspective.

The RTM Day programme also features filmmaker Joysi Olijhoek’s special audiovisual project Jazz Impressions of Rotterdam, a collaboration with the Dutch Institute for Sound and Vision. Based on archive footage, a new perspective arises on the city, with Olijhoek’s signature rhythmic, playful, and visual style. The short film features music accompaniment by five music students from Codarts. Tickets for Jazz Impressions of Rotterdam go on sale today via IFFR.com. 

Introducing Talenthub South Holland

RTM is expanding this year with two films by filmmakers from South Holland. This expansion is made possible by the new platform Talenthub South Holland, established to provide filmmakers with the space, guidance, and connections to grow and bring new stories to life. Together with partners such as IFFR, Filmhuis Den Haag, Qissa, Buddy Film Foundation, Rotterdam Writers’ Rooms, LantarenVenster, and the New Producers Academy, the hub is creating a unified platform equipped with opportunities, development programmes, funding and the best screening venues to strengthen regional filmmaking practices.

The selected films from South Holland having their World Premiere at IFFR 2026 are:

• Dear Orchid – Hana Selena. This short film is a lyrical evocation, through children’s writing, of a 1992 journey away from war-torn Sarajevo.
• Insomnia – Vita Soul Wilmering, Luuk Wilmering. In this feature film, a terminally ill father and filmmaker daughter embark on a space adventure in this poignant docufiction hybrid.

Dutch films at IFFR 2026

Besides local and regional films in the RTM programme, Dutch films feature in the Limelight, Art Directions, Short & Mid-length programmes, as well as the Tiger and Tiger Short Competitions. A few titles from the film selection are:

• The Cloud Factory – Digna Sinke (World Premiere Short & Mid-length) is a poignant documentary about the closure and dismantling of the coal-fired power station in the Amsterdam harbour.
• Horsepower – Tittel Del Mar (World Premiere Short & Mid-length) is a short film painting a portrait of influencer Alexander Hanst, alias iamdeathrow: stunt man by night, sensitive soul by day. 
• Imagine Me Like a Country of Love – Thana Faroq (World Premiere Short & Mid-length) is a gentle and personal reflection on grief, absence and memory in the wake of conflict.
• Last Shot – Parham Rahimzadeh (World Premiere Tiger Short Competition) is a short film from Rotterdam. After developing photos taken by his deceased brother, a Palestinian man grapples with grief and censorship.
• Magpie – Sylvia Hoeks (Dutch Premiere Preludes) is about a woman who struggles to accept her friend’s pregnancy in this exploration of grief and female friendship.
• A Messy Tribute to Motherly Love – Dan Geesin (World Premiere Tiger Competition). After his life is surreally and spontaneously exploded, a man’s mother and friend guide him through healing.
• Treat Her Like a Lady – Paloma Aguilera Valdebenito (World Premiere Limelight) is a colourful tale of one woman’s resilience in answering the question: can eviction be revamped as a family holiday?
• Tra Fasi – Charity Sumter (World Premiere Short & Mid-length) is a short film about Shavero, who missed a scene and thus created one. Punk isn’t dead, not even in Paramaribo.
• Tussen broers (Between Brothers) – Tom Fassaert (World Premiere Limelight) is a moving and tragicomic family portrait by the filmmaker about the special bond between his father and uncle.
• Whitetail – Nanouk Leopold (Dutch Premiere Limelight) is a beautifully built-up drama thriller about a forester who is forced to face suppressed traumas.
• The Wolf, the Fox & the Leopard – David Verbeek (Dutch Premiere Limelight) is an unconventional and unpredictable fairytale where a girl raised by wolves gets to know humankind.

Dutch filmmaking talent in focus with IFFR Pro

IFFR Pro once again spotlights Dutch filmmaking talent with the second edition of Pulling Focus: NL 2026 on Sunday 1 February – a day of activity and conversations highlighting Dutch breakthrough success on the international stage. 

As part of NL Wave, media makers can introduce their projects to industry professionals, followed by the launch of the Dutch Talent Market. The day concludes with an IFFR Big Talk following the screening of the recent Dutch co-production Jimpa (Australia, the Netherlands, Finland).

Hannah van Vliet speaks with renowned actor John Lithgow and the Dutch cast (including Hans Kesting and Romana Vrede) about the creative origins of this Dutch co-production, intercultural collaboration, and themes such as identity, legacy, and chosen family. The Big Talk is open to all festival visitors.

Partners and sponsors of RTM 2026

IFFR thanks the grant sponsors, funders, donors and the many local, national and international partners for their long-term commitment and generous support of the festival. RTM 2026 is made possible by:  

• De Gemeente Rotterdam has been a committed partner of RTM since its inception, and has made the RTM pitch and RTM days possible. In doing so, they allow the local film industry and filmmakers to share stories about the city that inspires them with the world.
• De G.Ph. Verhagen – stichting champions the RTM Programme, driven by the vision of a socially diverse and culturally rich Rotterdam. 
• The VEVAM Fonds awards funding to the RTM Pitch 2026 winner.
• QISSA supports the RTM Pitch 2026 runner-up project.