Rotterdam Lab
Besides the presentation of projects at its co-production market, CineMart organises Rotterdam Lab, a training workshop for promising emerging producers from all over the world. The aim of Rotterdam Lab is to provide emerging professionals with the means to build and develop an international network. Providing confidence and skills to navigate the world of international film financing, sales and distribution, Rotterdam Lab offers a place to over 69 producers from over 31 countries.
The 2021 participants will be announced in January 2021
Over the past few years, Rotterdam Lab has expanded steadily, with more producers from more different regions participating each year. The results of the Rotterdam Lab programme have been spectacular: many selected producers have returned to CineMart, and films by former Rotterdam Lab participants have been selected for different sections in the programme of IFFR. Moreover, by bringing together a mix of producers from all around the world, the Rotterdam Lab has also generated many alluring international co-productions.
IFFR Pro shares its extended international network with sales agents, distributors, filmmakers, producers and other film industry professionals with Rotterdam Lab. It has built up many strategic alliances over these past years with training organisations, funding bodies, film agencies, festivals and markets in order to be able to support the Rotterdam Lab participants throughout the year and not just during the programme.
Who can participate?
In order to take part in Rotterdam Lab, it is necessary to be affiliated with one of IFFR Pro's partner organisations. This means that instead of having an open selection participants are nominated through these partners. The participants for Rotterdam Lab are emerging producers, who should have produced at least one or two short films, and not more than two feature films. These conditions are set to make sure that the level of the group is balanced and that the producers are more or less in the same stage of building their career. An overview of the partners can be found below.
We would like to emphasise that IFFR Pro does not nominate participants; only the Rotterdam Lab partners do.
Rotterdam Lab programme
The five-day programme consists of expert individual advice, a lot of (informal) networking opportunities, panels and presentations moderated and held by our experienced Industry delegates. David Pope is the advisor of the Rotterdam Lab programme and moderates all activities during the training workshop.
Rotterdam Lab archives:
- Participants in 2020
- Participants in 2019
- Participants in 2018
- Participants in 2017
- Participants in 2016
- Participants in 2014 (PDF 94 KB)
- Participants in 2013 (PDF 102 KB)
- Participants in 2012 (PDF 44 KB)
- Participants in 2011 (PDF 31 KB)
- Participants in 2010 (PDF 16 KB)
- Participants in 2009 (PDF 57 KB)
- Participants in 2008 (PDF 100 KB)
- Participants in 2007 (PDF 94 KB)
- Participants in 2006 (PDF 24 KB)
- Participants in 2005 (PDF 27 KB)
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Other blog posts on Rotterdam Lab
One of the things during IFFR that I am personally very excited to see is when projects of former Lab participants are selected for the festival.
For over a decade David Pope has been synonymous with IFFR’s Rotterdam Lab, the intensive IFFR programme that shines the spotlight on highly talented emerging producers from all corners of the globe.

Open call for Rotterdam Lab 2021
27 October 2020
The Netherlands Film Fund, in collaboration with IFFR, offers 3 Dutch producers the opportunity to participate in Rotterdam Lab 2021, the IFFR Pro training programme.

Uncertainty is the core of our job
We spoke to Lara Costa-Calzado, the Barcelona-born producer of former CineMart project and Berlinale Silver Bear winning film Never Rarely Sometimes Always by Eliza Hittman.
New Brazilian partner for HBF
19 January 2021
IFFR is proud to announce a new partnership with the Brazilian organisation Projeto Paradiso