Immersive storytelling at IFFR Pro’s CineMart and Darkroom 2025

In its co-production market CineMart and Darkroom work-in-progress programme, IFFR Pro creates a space for immersive media projects to find the vital industry connections to help them flourish. At IFFR 2025, six immersive media projects can be found across the selections, with four presented by Dutch makers.

From profound explorations into our relationship to war, to fluid distortions of time and shimmering immersions into the world of glitter, the immersive projects across the lineups represent the boldest new forms of storytelling.

The 42nd CineMart featuring the third edition of Darkroom runs from Sunday 2 to Wednesday 5 February 2025. Browse the full CineMart selection here and the Darkroom selection here.

About the CineMart Immersive selection

Dutch artist Floris van Laethem presented the world premiere of the immersive experience Realmbreak Hotel at IFFR 2024. He returns to the festival with Hyperdam, a mixed-reality surreal dark comedy escape drama, told through the eyes of Vinny, who is consumed by delusions of a phantom father.

Following the experimental music-dance film Touch (IFFR 2020) and the immersive opéra Orphée | l’Amour | Eurydice (CineMart 2021), Rotterdam artist Robin Coops returns to CineMart with an Alice in Wonderland-inspired surreal musical experience One Charming Night.

Lilian Hess premiered her CineMart and Darkroom-presented immersive work Duchampiana in Venice Immersive this year, and returns with Strata: an immersive, multisensory journey into the shimmering, fractured world of glitter. 

In The Dreams of Time by Venezuelan artist Jeissy Trompiz, time becomes fluid and shaped by other dimensions as the viewer is invited to places like Pompeii, La Gomera and the dystopian remains of Venezuela, where indigenous communities view dreams as an extension of life. 

About the Darkroom immersive selection

Two Dutch immersive projects are presented in the Darkroom lineup, which offers a platform to present to the international industry recently or nearly completed projects seeking completion or gap funding, sales agents and festivals. 

A marching rhythm performed by water drops, cracking glass, hammers, bells and gongs soundtracks The March by photographer Leo Erken and composer Frieda Gustavs, who bring a VR experience that deals with our relations and responsibilities to war, violence and inequality. The last of six scenes is still to be created, and will be made in cooperation with the artistic children of the Azi Nizi Maza Studio in Kharkiv, Ukraine. 

Daniel Ernst was awarded the Golden Calf for Best Interactive at the Netherlands Film Festival for his VR diorama Diorama No.4: Die Fernweh Oper (IFFR 20219). His latest work The Great Orator presents an AI-driven orator that crafts ever-changing articulations based on current events and visitor interactions, challenging you to question what is real and what is not. 

CineMart 2025

We’ve unveiled our curated selection of 20 urgent and expressive film projects and four immersive projects for the 42nd edition of CineMart.

IFFR Pro Days 2025

IFFR presents a full and revitalised Pro Days programme at IFFR 2025, returning to their familiar place in the festival heart in ‘de Doelen’ between 31 January – 5 February 2025 with a programme of panel discussions on urgent issues facing the industry, specialised events and daily networking receptions. 

Alongside CineMart and Darkroom, the Pro Days will feature the talent development initiatives Rotterdam Lab, which marks its 25th anniversary in 2025, alongside Creative Producer Indaba and an industry day dedicated to the Dutch film ecosystem. 

IFFR Pro and the Hubert Bals Fund acknowledge the support of Creative Europe MEDIA and NL Film Fonds, as well as our many national and industry partners.

CineMart immersive complete selection 2025

The Dreams of Time, Jeissy Trompiz, Venezuela, Spain
Produced by: Alamar Films, Migranta Films

Hyperdam, Floris van Laethem, Netherlands
Produced by: Dutch Digital Collectibles

One Charming Night, Robin Coops, Netherlands
Produced by: Studio Biarritz, Coops & Co

Strata, Lilian Hess, Luxembourg
Produced by: a_BAHN

Darkroom immersive 2025

The Great Orator, Daniel Ernst, Netherlands
Produced by: K.O ProductionsThe March, Leo Erken, Frieda Gustavs, Netherlands, Ukraine
Produced by: nl12

The March, Leo Erken, Frieda Gustavs, Netherlands, Ukraine
Produced by: nl12