CineMart project submission
Submissions are now open for CineMart, IFFR’s co-production market, next taking place from 1 to 4 February during IFFR 2026.

Every year, remarkable independent feature film and immersive projects from every corner of the world are presented to international industry representatives, each given the perfect platform to present themselves to financial and creative partners, before finding wide, popular and critical acclaim – like the three CineMart projects presented at Cannes earlier this year that impressed across the selections.
The upcoming edition will mark the introduction of CineMart x HBF, a new official strand spotlighting Hubert Bals Fund-supported projects, extending the festival’s backing for our supported talents.
Applicants should note that a submission fee will be required. As submission numbers and our programme continue to grow, this administration fee helps cover the increased time and resources needed to review each project with care. Please also check the revised eligibility criteria for 2026 giving priority to projects making their first market presentation.
Submit your project before 7 July to pay the lowest rate, with the submissions open until 27 August 2025.
Revised eligibility criteria
For CineMart 2026, priority will be given to projects making their first market showcase in Rotterdam. This reinforces our commitment to discovering and supporting original work at a key stage in its development, offering our industry delegates attending a fresh and highly curated selection of projects launched onto the market in February.
Introducing CineMart x HBF
The upcoming edition of CineMart will mark the launch of a new strand within the official lineup, spotlighting projects previously supported by the Hubert Bals Fund.
Earlier this year, O ultimo azul (The Blue Trail) by Gabriel Mascaro (CineMart 2017) picked up the Silver Bear in Berlin, shortly after Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light (CineMart 2020) completed its festival run at IFFR 2025, both award-winning titles presented at CineMart after support from the Hubert Bals Fund – a synergy that will be further strengthened in future editions.
As part of our continuous support for the evolution of projects with HBF funding in place, this initiative aims to create stronger synergies between IFFR’s funding and market activities, extending the festival’s backing for our supported talents.
Projects that have previously received support from the Hubert Bals Fund, please reach out to cinemart@IFFR.com for more information on how to apply.
A dedicated call for immersive projects
CineMart offers a unique platform within the market for cutting-edge immersive media storytelling, with a number of projects presented as part of the selection. Recent premieres of CineMart-presented immersive projects include Duchampiana by Lilian Hess at Venice 2024 (winner of the NewImages Festival Innovation Award 2025), and the upcoming The World Came Flooding in by Isobel Knowles and Van Sowerwine at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
For the upcoming edition of CineMart, immersive projects in development looking for funding and co-production are invited to submit directly to CineMart through a dedicated call, which you can find below.
Key deadlines and submission fees
- Early fee: until 7 July 2025, 17.00 CEST – €25 (ex. VAT)
- Standard fee: until 21 August 2025, 17.00 CEST – €35 (ex. VAT)
- Late fee and final submission deadline: until 27 August 2025, 17.00 CEST – €55 (ex. VAT)
- CineMart 2026: 1–4 February 2026
As submission numbers and our programme continue to grow, this administration fee helps cover the increased time and resources needed to review each project with care.
Regulations and selection criteria
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CineMart: General conditions and project requirements
CineMart has no rigid rules and each individual project will be considered on its own merits. There are certain limits to the field in which CineMart operates:
- The main criteria for selection are the viability and quality of the plans, and the demonstrable talent of the directors and/or producers.
- The feature film is intended for theatrical release (minimum length of 60 minutes).
- The project can be from any part of the world.
- The project must have a team of both a director and a producer.
- Each producer or production company may submit up to two projects for consideration.
- The total budget of the film should not exceed 6 million euros.
- The project should have at least national (development) funding or third-party investment secured when submitting the project.
- The project is set up as a co-production, and there should be a potential international market for the project
- Projects submitted must be new to the market. Our industry delegates expect CineMart to deliver a highly curated selection of film projects fresh to the international market. CineMart therefore prioritises works that will have their first market showcase in Rotterdam.
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- Projects that have been previously selected for one national or regional market may still be eligible for CineMart consideration, but world premiere market status is preferred
- In some cases, the previous participation of a project in a national / regional market will be allowed. For examples of this please check our FAQ.
- Projects that have been presented at more than one co-production market will be considered ineligible. In case of doubt, please email us at cinemart@IFFR.com to discuss the possibilities before submitting your project.
- Applications can only be submitted more than once when specifically invited to do so.
- All information provided should be in English, including subtitles.
- A complete screenplay should be available during CineMart.
- The selection committee’s decisions can not be appealed.
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CineMart Immersive: general conditions and project requirements
- The call is open to creators and producers working in the following formats worldwide: virtual, augmented, mixed reality or 360 videos.
- The immersive project is fiction, experimental or animation based and should not promote a service or product.
- Each producer or production company may submit up to two projects for consideration.
- The project should be preferably in the development or pre-production phase.
- The project should provide a financing plan and have secured at least 25% of their budget.
- Creators must have previous artistic or directing experience in the immersive or creative field and provide links to previous work.
- Projects should be new to the market and not have explored all possible avenues of financing yet.
- Completed projects are not eligible.
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Selection process
The selection process for CineMart (features) has two phases.
Phase 1
- Fill in the form through the link in the sidebar of this page. This form will allow you to include detailed project information. Please make sure to check the Selection Criteria & General Rules first. The deadline is August 27.
- 4 – 6 weeks after the deadline, the CineMart selection committee will reach a decision on all submitted forms. The contact person indicated in the submission form will receive the decision by email.
Phase 2
- If your project progresses to the phase 2, you are given one week to submit your full dossier by email as a PDF, including links to previous work. It is not possible to extend this one week period.
The selection committee will consider and deliberate in three rounds and reach its final decision on all projects by early December 2025.
CineMart Immersive: The selection committee will assess all submissions with the materials submitted in your entry form and reach its final decision on all projects by mid-November 2025.
Read more about submitting a project and what materials to provide here.
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Specific conditions
- Once a project has been selected, both the director and producer(s) must be present during the four days of CineMart.
- CineMart offers one hotel room for the duration of the market.
- Finished film projects realised after CineMart meetings should mention CineMart or display its logo in their credits.
- Preferably, the following sentence should be mentioned in the credit list: “[film title] has been presented at CineMart of International Film Festival Rotterdam”.
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Submission fees
- Early fee: until 7 July 2025, 17.00 CEST – €25 (ex. VAT)
- Standard fee: until 21 August 2025, 17.00 CEST – €35 (ex. VAT)
- Late fee and final submission deadline: until 27 August 2025, 17.00 CEST – €55 (ex. VAT)
If you are submitting from a country with international payment restrictions for both credit card and Paypal payments to and from the Netherlands, please get in touch with cinemart@IFFR.com to discuss a solution, as your submission should not be prevented for this reason. For more information, see the regulations for IFFR festival submissions which CineMart follows, and can be found here.
More information
If you can’t find the information you’re looking for, check our frequently asked questions, or get in touch with the CineMart team.