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30 Jan – 9 Feb 2025

IFFR x de Doelen Studios

We celebrate the opening of de Doelen’s vibrant new studios with a collaborative programme recognising the different character of each new space. Check out the Faces of Rotterdam exhibition in Studio 2 (starring some of IFFR’s amazing volunteers!), talks and events in Studio 8, kids’ workshops in Studio 5, Open Rotterdam interviews in Studio 6 and the IFFR merch display in Studio 4.

de Doelen studio programmes 2025

  • de Doelen Studio – Studio 1

    The Doelen Studio is de Doelen’s smallest stage where you can go for a good cup of coffee, a cold lager or a nice cocktail. It is the place for live music, DJ sessions, karaoke, dance battles, radio broadcasts, spoken word and much more! Every day is different, one thing is for sure, it’s always fun!

  • de Doelen Art – Studio 2

    Art Directions: exhibitions
    Faces of Rotterdam: A Glimpse into Our 170+ Nationalities
    Robert Tjalondo

    Faces of Rotterdam brings the city to life with stories and faces of 170+ nationalities in the port city. Through community centres and networks, a spontaneous and warm tribute to inclusion and connection is created.

    With more than 170 nationalities, Rotterdam is one of the most diverse cities in the world. But who are the people behind these figures? Photographer Robert Tjalondo went in search of the stories hidden behind the numbers. Faces of Rotterdam is a portrait series that celebrates the unique faces and personal stories of Rotterdammers.

    To find his participants, Tjalondo turned to community centres, and to a network of friends and acquaintances. In this way, the project grows naturally from the community itself, with each new encounter producing new stories and connections.
    This project focuses on the diverse journeys and experiences that have brought people to this vibrant city. From forgotten stories, to new perspectives, Tjalondo highlights the richness of Rotterdam by carefully combining each portrait with the story of the person portrayed. Faces of Rotterdam is not only a visual celebration of inclusion, but also an ode to the power of community and living together.

    Fri 31 Jan to Sat 8 Feb, free entrance, Studio 2, de Doelen

     

    Art Directions: installations | AN ANIMATED DOG READS BERGER, HARAWAY, KAFKA
    Matthew Lax | Caleb Craig

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, 23 million American households adopted pets, reflecting the growing urge for animal companions. The evolving, yet complex bond between humans and animals lies at the core of Artist in Focus Matthew Lax’s AN ANIMATED DOG READS JOHN BERGER, HARAWAY, AND KAFKA which explores the complexities of human-dog relationships through cultural and philosophical lenses.

    Lax uses motion capture to transform into Lassie, the iconic Rough Collie, running endlessly in a vast landscape but limited by a cage. The animation embodies the tension between freedom and confinement, prompting reflection on the roles dogs play in human society and the restrictions placed on both animals and humans.

    The animation recites a fragmented script of readings from John Berger, Donna Haraway, and Franz Kafka. These theorists reflect on themes of dog-ness in their work, with Berger critiquing the reduction of animals to objects of human control in About Looking (1980) and Haraway proposing in The Companion Species Manifesto (2003) that animals, like dogs, are active participants in a mutual relationship with humans. While in Investigations of a Dog (1931) Kafka attempts to write from the perspective of the dog itself, delving into the animal’s search for meaning and exploring existential themes of identity and autonomy that resonate across species.

    Through motion capture, philosophy, and animal role-play, the work challenges us to reconsider the boundaries between species and reflect on how power, freedom, and identity shape our relationships with animals.

    Fri 31 Jan to Sat 8 Feb, free entrance, Studio 2, de Doelen

     

    Art Directions: exhibitions | Focus: Timoteus Anggawan Kusno
    In a Landscape

    Timoteus Anggawan Kusno’s charcoal drawings explore memory, power, and history, blending personal and collective narratives. Through obscurity and contrasts, they evoke a sense of familiarity and strangeness, inspiring reflection on the past and its lingering presence.

    Timoteus Anggawan Kusno (1989), one of IFFR’s Artists in Focus, creates work that delves deeply into memory, dreams, and power. His films, often set in the present, explore how colonial oppression, social disruption, and regime change leave profound marks on bodies, minds, and societies. They challenge us to reflect on how the past shapes the present and how we construct collective memories.

    Complementing his films, Kusno’s charcoal drawings in the series In a Landscape serve as meditations on these themes, with the landscape functioning as a metaphorical space that asks: How do you remember, and how do you forget? Shaped by memories gathered from individuals who lived through turbulent times in history, as well as colonial archival materials, these drawings navigate the subconscious, blending personal recollection with broader historical narratives.

    The act of drawing with charcoal, much like filmmaking, plays with light and shadow to reveal what lingers in obscurity. Recurring motifs of animals, human figures, and landscapes connect the drawings to his films, creating a sense of ‘in-betweenness’ where familiarity and strangeness meet. Together, Kusno’s films and drawings invite reflection on the unseen, inspiring us to critically consider the shadows of the past and envision a brighter future.

    Fri 31 Jan to Sat 8 Feb, free entrance, Studio 2, de Doelen

  • de Doelen Studio 3

    Closed events, invites only

    In Studio 3, some of the IFFR Pro events will take place. These are only accessible for Industry guests.  

    Script circle-SOLACE 23 – 1

    Sat 1, Sun 2 & Mon 3 Feb, 09.30, Studio 3, de Doelen

  • de Doelen Shop – Studio 4

    Presentation of some of the IFFR merchandise articles. that can be bought in the IFFR merchandise shops in the festival heart in de Doelen (and in Pathé Schouwburgplein)

    Fri 31 Jan to Sat 8 Feb, Studio 4, de Doelen

  • de Kids Corner – Studio 5

    In the category “you learn young, you do old” children will learn several parts of the film process during the Kids Only workshops. In the meantime, parents and caregivers will have the opportunity to enjoy the city or another IFFR program.

    Kids Only: workshop film- en kinderfilosofie Samen Eigenwijs

    Unfortunately this event is available in Dutch only. 

    Filosoferen is vragen stellen en nieuwsgierig kijken naar de wereld om je heen. Laten dat nou precies de dingen zijn waar kinderen in uitblinken! Tijdens deze workshop gaan we met elkaar filosoferen aan de hand van de korte film Zebra.

    Sat 1 Feb, 14.00, Studio 5, de Doelen


    Kids Only: workshop ‘’Scenarioschrijven’’ met KVR

    Unfortunately this event is available in Dutch only.

    Op zondag 2 februari kunnen jonge filmliefhebbers zelf aan de slag bij de workshop “Scenarioschrijven” in samenwerking met SKVR: een film- en schrijfworkshop voor kinderen van 8 tot en met 12 jaar oud.

    Sun 2 Feb, 13.00, Studio 5, de Doelen


    IFFR Babyfilmclub SKVR

    IFFR joins forces with SKVR, De Doelen and Islemunda to organise two fun ‘baby cinema’ mornings – on Wednesday 5 February (De Doelen) and Saturday 8 February (Islemunda).

    The venue will be transformed into a ‘baby screening room’, especially for IFFR. During this screening you and your baby or toddler can watch a selection of short films specifically selected for children from 0 up to and including 3 years of age.

    The programme will contain a variety of short animations as well as more abstract films, from both the Netherlands and beyond. Stimulate the development of your little one by experiencing a morning of cinematic sound designs and artistic imagery together.

    Of course, it’s not a problem if your child needs to be fed or feels the urge to get up. They’re free to move around the space or dance to the soundtrack of the film. Some lights will stay on during the screening, we’ll turn down the sound a little bit, and (lukewarm) tea and soft biscuits will be provided.

    This screening is the perfect opportunity to introduce the youngest of festival-goers to IFFR, and for their caretakers to experience the festival in a brand new way.

    A ticket will provide access for 1 adult and 1 child.

    Read more about the films in this programme:

    * Becoming
    * Blossom
    * Dandelion
    * Leave a Print
    * The Little Bird and the Squirrel
    * Tides
    * Zebra

    Wed 5 Feb, 10.00 / 11.00 / 12.00, Studio 5, de Doelen

  • de Doelen Media – Studio 6

    Media partner Open Rotterdam, with its new home in Studio 6, will be highlighting various RTM programmes during the festival. Including the Open Rotterdam films Rave Culture, Papa I Am. 

    In addition, IFFR, Film Platform Rotterdam and OPEN Rotterdam present: Filmpodcast Rotterdam. A new podcast with 3 episodes, in which they will talk to Rotterdam filmmakers that will screen a film at IFFR. The presentation is done by Shariff Nasr and recorded in Studio 7: de Doelen Radio. This programme is produced by OPEN Rotterdam and supported by IFFR and Film Platform Rotterdam. With thanks to De Doelen and Grafisch Lyceum Rotterdam. 

  • de Doelen Radio – Studio 7

    GLR x IFFR Radio 

    Grafisch Lyceum students host a live radio show on February 4. They will visit an educational screening that morning, discuss the film and interview fellow students. 

    Tue Feb 4, 13.00

  • de Doelen Stadslab – Studio 8

    Tiger Talks 

    • Tiger Talk: Jessica Sarah Rinland & Sophie Berrebi

    Drawing on her recent works Extramission: The Capture of Glowing Eyes and Monólogo colectivo, Jessica Sarah Rinland comes together with writer and art historian Sophie Berrebi to talk about archives, collections, the reliability of visual documents and the circulation of documentary images in contemporary art.

    Sat 1 Feb, 18.30, Studio 8, de Doelen

    • Tiger Talk: Depicting Nightlife 

    Local Rotterdam nightlife legend Ted Langenbach joins IFFR 2025 filmmakers Patrick Muroni (Rave) and Studio VRij (Show Me the Light) to discuss their experiences of translating nightlife cultures, from raves to silent discos, to the screen and beyond.

    Sat 1 Feb, 20.30, Studio 8, de Doelen

    • Tiger Talk: Sergii Masloboishchykov and the Evolution of Ukraine Through His Cinema

    Thirty years since he was the first Ukrainian director to appear in competition at IFFR Sergii Masloboishchykov returns with a 13-film retrospective, and a talk about his filmmaking career and his unique perspective on the equally complex cultural and political landscape of his country.

    Sun 2 Feb, 13.00, Studio 8, de Doelen

    • Tiger Talk: Futurisms

    On the occasion of the world premiere of his latest feature, multidisciplinary artist Omar Rodríguez-López, also known as co-founder of prog-rock phenomenon The Mars Volta, discusses the art of transcending genres and formats, reflects on the role of music in his creative process, and the influences which have shaped his futuristic vision.

    Sun 2 Feb, 17.00, Studio 8, de Doelen


    Re-born bags workshop

    Every year at IFFR, we dress up the city with colourful and vibrant banners as part of our festival campaigns. For years, when the festival ended, we’d take them down, unable to bring ourselves to simply throw them away. As a result, we’ve stored many beautiful banners that haven’t seen the light of day in years.

    This year, we decided to give them a new life by turning them into bags. Want to know how we did it, and make one of your own? We’ve organised two workshop sessions where you’ll get to use banner material to create your own unique bag.

    In just four hours, Loet Gescher en Juulke Brosky, will guide you step by step through the process of creating your perfect bag. Each bag is one of a kind, made from a distinct piece of banner featuring its own unique colours and designs.

    Spots are limited so hurry up!

    Sat 8 Feb, 10.00 / 16.00, Studio 8, de Doelen

     

    Closed events, invites only

    In Studio 8, some of the IFFR Pro events will take place. These are only accessible for Industry guests.

    • The ethics and aesthetics of AI-Generated film

    Sat 1 Feb, 10.30, Studio 8, de Doelen

    • Pro Dialogues: Festivals as gatekeepers topic

    Sat 1 Feb, 15.00, Studio 8, de Doelen

    • Co-production beyond Western Europe: A deep dive into CNC Aide au Cinéma du Monde and the Hubert Bals Fund

    Sun 2 Feb, 11.00, Studio 8, de Doelen

    • The State of Queer Film: Creating and showcasing works of radical expression, activism and transition

    Sun 2 Feb, 15.00, Studio 8, de Doelen

    • Editing for a Global Audience

    Sun 2 Feb, 18.30, Studio 8, de Doelen

    • Pro Dialogues: Horizon Europe topic

    Wed 3 Feb, 14.30, Studio 8, de Doelen

    • Reimagining Power Structures in Co-Productions

    Wed 3 Feb, 16.00, Studio 8, de Doelen

    • Pro/Art Directions panel talk

    Tue 4 Feb, 11.00, Studio 8, de Doelen

    • IFFR networking session for FR-BL-LX immersive professionals

    Tue 4 Feb, 15.00, Studio 8, de Doelen

    • IFFR Pro Dialogue: Access Is Power – Disability Inclusion Transforms Film Industry Culture

    Wed 5 Feb, 11.00, Studio 8, de Doelen

    • IFFR Pro Dialogue: The Spirit of Bandung – Co-productions and Film Festivals as Catalysts for Collaboration

    Wed 5 Feb, 15.00, Studio 8, de Doelen

    • Sustainability meeting

      Thu 6 Feb, 16.00, Studio 8, de Doelen