Pro Encounters 2025
The Pro Encounters are casual networking round tables designed to help filmmakers in the 2025 selection connect with industry experts and key festival programmers. These constructive sessions offer a great chance to expand your network, share ideas, and discuss any questions or challenges with experienced professionals in a relaxed and supportive setting.
All the Encounters take place in the Pro Hub, 4th floor, ‘de Doelen’. If you haven’t already booked in advance, you are still welcome to attend the session.
Pro Encounter with the Hubert Bals Fund
These special sessions will be hosted by the Hubert Bals Fund (HBF), the industry fund of IFFR dedicated to the support of groundbreaking filmmakers and projects from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and parts of Eastern Europe. Come and meet the HBF representatives in person to ask and exchange on the current opportunities to be supported! Open to all industry guests.
- Friday 31 Jan, 14.00 – 15.00
- Sunday 2 Feb, 14.00 – 15.00
- Wednesday 5 Feb, 12.00 – 13.00
Pro Encounter for Short & Mid-length Filmmakers
- Saturday 1 Feb, 10.30 – 12.00
Filmmakers in the 2025 selection are invited to join this session with film programmers from the short film community:
- Carlos Ramos (Indie Lisboa)
- Silvia Carobbio (Lago Film Festival)
- Federica Pugliese (Lago Film Festival)
- Christoffer Ode (Uppsala International Short Film Festival)
- Miguel Dias (Curtas Vila do Conde – Festival Internacional de Cinema)
- Émilie Poirier (Festival du Nouveau Cinéma Montréal)
- Loes van Keulen (International Film Festival Rotterdam)
Pro Encounter for Feature Filmmakers
- Saturday 1 Feb, 16.30 – 18.00
Filmmakers in the 2025 selection are invited to connect with film programmers from around the world:
- Mimi Plauché (Chicago International Film Festival)
- Bernhard Karl (Filmfest München)
- Elad Samorzik (Berlin International Film Festival)
- Sona Karapoghosyan (Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival)
- Sung Moon (Jeonju International Film Festival)
- Zoé Protat (Festival du Nouveau Cinéma Montréal)
Pro Encounter with ACE Producers
- Monday 3 Feb, 15.00 – 16.00
An informative session with a representative from ACE Producers
Strengthening independent producers, ACE Producers uses the power of the ACE Network’s collective knowledge to tackle the challenges and seize the opportunities in an ever-changing industry. ACE Producers enables profound collaborations through honest dialogue in the safe trusted space of the ACE Network and fosters valuable exchange of high-level knowledge about the independent audio-visual industry in Europe and beyond. It provides a top-quality executive education in European creative producing and entrepreneurialism.
Pro Encounter: Panorama of the XR scene in the Netherlands
On February 4, IFFR hosts an XR networking event at ‘de Doelen’, connecting immersive media creators and producers from France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Featuring pitches from Dutch cultural organisations and a focused roundtable, the session explores collaborative opportunities and challenges in presenting immersive VR works across Benelux.
- Tuesday 4 Feb, 15.00 – 16.30
- ‘de Doelen’, Studio 8
Pro Encounter with Volumetric Video Capture – ‘the next big thing’ in media
During this session, 4DR Studios will discuss with film professionals how volumetric video can add value to the film industry, through a variety of examples! Come and find out!
- Wednesday 5 Feb, 14.30 – 15.15