Meet the IFFR 2026 ambassadors

Hailing from diverse backgrounds, our four ambassadors for the 2026 edition bring a unique passion for cinema and an unwavering dedication to the festival. Throughout the festival, they’re invited to document their experiences with full access to the programme. Together, they are poised to elevate the festival experience, championing the diverse and captivating narratives that define the world of cinema.

Zeynep (she/her)

Creating content for more than a decade, Zeynep’s YouTube channel ranges from weekly vlogs to cultural commentary. Built around her ever-evolving personality, the channel speaks directly to young people navigating adulthood, creativity, and identity. With Turkish roots and a life shaped in the Netherlands, she moves through the world with intention: studying media, analyzing culture, travelling across Europe, and documenting her experiences with honesty and vulnerability.

Sethi (he/him)

Sethi Djegane Gueye (27) is a self-taught Dutch-Senegalese photographer capturing the soul of contemporary African culture through analog photography. In his work, he brings stories to light that are often told about Africa, but rarely from within. Through his personal connection to Senegal, he highlights what is frequently overlooked. He aims to challenge dominant visual narratives and make space for new perspectives. In addition to photography, he has expanded his practice into film. Through moving images, he explores the same themes from a new medium and brings contemporary African stories to life in a more immersive way.

Octavie (she/they)

Though grounded in an analysis-heavy background — including research into lesbian authorship and representation in film — Octavie believes that today films best reach their audiences through accessible community-driven approaches, led by curiosity and aesthetics often found in online (pop) culture. A world she explores daily as a content creator and amplifies as the founder of bonom studio.

Allula (she/her)

Lala Karin, or simply Lala, is a creative spirit with roots in dance and performing arts and a growing love for digital content creation. She enjoys being where culture, movement, and storytelling meet, whether on stage or behind the camera. This year, she’s on a mission to bring one of Rotterdam’s biggest cultural events, IFFR, further into the spotlight.