55th International Film Festival Rotterdam
Promotional poster | |
| Opening film | Providence and the Guitar by João Nicolau |
|---|---|
| Closing film | Bazaar by Rémi Bezançon |
| Location | Rotterdam, Netherlands |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Awards |
|
| Artistic director | Vanja Kaludjercic |
| Festival date | Opening: 29 January 2026 Closing: 8 February 2026 |
| Website | IFFR |
The 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam, is the 2026 edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, which was held from 29 January to 8 February 2026.[1] In this edition a retrospective for Egyptian film director Marwan Hamed, as one of its Focus strands in celebration of his prolific career was featured along with European premiere of his 2025 film El Sett, a biopic of Egyptian singer and actress Umm Kulthum.[2] In its second focus strand the festival will present films from the Japanese V-Cinema.[3]
The festival closed with the premiere of French film Bazaar, a comedy-thriller about a crime writer and a film professor caught up in a mystery by Rémi Bezançon. Tiger Award was won by Variations on a Theme!, by Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar, whereas Audience Award was won by British biographical drama film I Swear by Kirk Jones.[4]
Jury
The jury for its three competition sections was announced on 2 December 2025.[5]
Tiger Competition
- Soheila Golestani, Iranian actress and film director
- Marcelo Gomes, Brazilian film director, screenwriter and visual artist.
- Ariane Labed, Greek-French actress and film director.
- Kristy Matheson, BFI London Film Festival Director since 2023, and formerly the Creative Director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival and Director of Film at Australia’s national museum of screen culture ACMI.
- Jurica Pavičić, Croatian writer, columnist and film critic
Tiger Short Competition
- Sammy Baloji: photographer from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Anka Gujabidze: visual artist from Tbilisi
- Jukka-Pekka Laakso: Festival director of Tampere Film Festival since 2002
Big Screen Competition
- Jan-Willem van Ewijk: Dutch film director, actor and screenwriter
- Sara Ishaq: Yemeni-Scottish film director, screenwriter, and trainer
- Loes Luca: Dutch actress, singer and comedian
- Chris Oosterom: Director of Imagine Film Festival
- Mila Schlingemann: Senior Programmer & Acquisitions at EYE, the national museum for film and the art of moving image in the Netherlands.
Official selection
The titles were revealed on 16 December 2025.[6][7]
Opening and closing films
The opening and closing films of the festival are:[8]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening film | ||||
| Providence and the Guitar | A Providência e a Guitarra | João Nicolau | Portugal | |
| Closing film | ||||
| Bazaar | Le crime du 3e étage | Rémi Bezançon | France | |
Tiger Competition
The competition titles are as follows:[9]
- La belle année, Angelica Ruffier (Sweden, Norway)
- A Fading Man, Welf Reinhart (Germany)
- The Gymnast, Charlotte Glynn (United States)
- A Messy Tribute to Motherly Love, Dan Geesin (Netherlands, Germany, Belgium)
- My Semba, Hugo Salvaterra (Angola)
- Nangong Cheng, Shao Pan (China)
- O profeta, Ique Langa (Mozambique, South Africa, Qatar)
- Roid, Mejbaur Rahman Sumon, (Bangladesh)
- Supporting Role, Ana Urushadze (Georgia, Estonia, Turkey, Switzerland, United States)
- Unerasable!, Socrates Saint-Wulfstan Drakos (Belgium, Thailand, Sweden)
- Variations on a Theme, Jason Jacobs, Devon Delmar (South Africa, Netherlands, Qatar)
- Yellow Cake, Tiago Melo (Brazil)
Big Screen Competition
- 2m², Volkan Üce, Belgium, Germany, Turkey
- The Arab, Malek Bensmaïl, Algeria, France, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Belgium
- Butterfly, Itonje Søimer Guttormsen, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, Germany
- Cyclone, Philip Yung, Hong Kong
- The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford, Sean Dunn, United Kingdom
- Home, Marijana Janković, Denmark, Serbia
- Master, Rezwan Shahriar Sumit, Bangladeshis
- Moonglow, Isabel Sandoval, Philippines
- Now I Met Her, Xiao Luxi, China
- Projecto Global, Ivo M. Ferreira, Portugal, Luxembourg
- Talking to a Stranger (Hablando con extraños), Adrian Garcia Bogliano, Mexico
- Tell Me What You Feel, Łukasz Ronduda, Poland
Tiger Short Competition
- A donde nos lleva la fe de José Gerónimo, director Juliano Kunert (Dominican Republic)
- Acid City, dir. Jack Wedge, Will Freudenheim (United States)
- The Apple Doesn’t Fall…, dir. Dean Wei (China)
- Body, remember…, dir. Matthew Berka (United Kingdom)
- CUL-DE-SAC !, dir. Clyde Gates, Gabriel Sanson (Belgium, France)
- Deep Cobalt, dir. Petna Ndaliko Katondolo (Congo, Democratic Republic, United States)
- DISSONANCE, dir. Jordan Strafer (Germany)
- Domestic Demon, dir. Anahid Yahjian (United States, Portugal)
- Futuros luminosos, dir. Ismael García Ramírez (Colombia)
- Golden Island, dir. Arief Budiman (Indonesia, Singapore)
- Home Is where the heart Is, dir. Timothée Engasser (France)
- I am a River, dir. Heidi Piiroinen (Finland, France)
- Last Shot, dir. Parham Rahimzadeh (Netherlands)
- like moths to light, dir. Gala Hernández López (Spain, Italy, France)
- Mirror Martyr Mirror Moon, dir. Jesse Jones (Ireland)
- The Next World, dir. Grau Del Grau (United States)
- Objet d’énigme, dir. Chiara Caterina (Italy, Belgium)
- Orla, dir. Marie Lukáčová (Czech Republic, Slovakia)
- RELUCESCO, dir. Shannon Lynn Harris (Canada)
- The Second Skin, dir. Mariia Lapidus (United States, Mexico)
- Smriti~, dir. Shahi A J (India)
- The Tragic Movement of the Spheres, dir. Simon Rieth (France)
Limelight
A programme showcasing cinematic highlights of film festival favourites and international award-winners.[10][11]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 Nights of Hero | Julia Jackman | United Kingdom, United States | |
| 3 Days in September | 3 zile în septembrie | Tudor Giurgiu | Romania |
| Badak | M. Raihan Halim | Singapore, Malaysia | |
| Bazaar (Murder in the Building) | Le crime du 3e étage | Rémi Bezançon | France |
| Between Brothers | Tussen broers | Tom Fassaert | Netherlands, Belgium |
| ChaO | チャオ | Yasuhiro Aoki | Japan |
| Dead Man's Wire | Gus Van Sant | United States | |
| Deadline | 自殺通告 | Kiwi Chow | Taiwan, Hong Kong, United Kingdom |
| El Sett | Marwan Hamed | Egypt | |
| Exit 8 | 8番出口 | Genki Kawamura | Japan |
| Fackham Hall | Jim O'Hanlon | United Kingdom, United States | |
| Father Mother Sister Brother | Jim Jarmusch | United States, Ireland, France | |
| Fuori | Mario Martone | Italy, France | |
| Gavagai | Ulrich Köhler | Germany, France | |
| The History of Sound | Oliver Hermanus | United Kingdom, United States | |
| Hi-Five | 하이파이브 | Kang Hyeong-cheol | South Korea |
| I Swear | Kirk Jones | United Kingdom | |
| The Kidnapping of a President | Kyyditys | Samuli Valkama | Finland, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Estonia |
| Late Fame | Kent Jones | United States | |
| Life Is Life | La vita va così | Riccardo Milani | Italy |
| The Little Sister | La Petite Dernière | Hafsia Herzi | France, Germany |
| Mi Amor | Guillaume Nicloux | France | |
| My Daughter Is a Zombie | 좀비딸 | Pil Gam-sung | South Korea |
| My Tennis Maestro | Il Maestro | Andrea Di Stefano | Italy |
| No Hit Wonder | Florian Dietrich | Germany | |
| No Other Choice | 어쩔수가없다 | Park Chan-wook | South Korea |
| Palestine 36 | فلسطين ٣٦ | Annemarie Jacir | Palestine, United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan |
| Parasakthi | பராசக்தி | Sudha Kongara | India |
| Peleliu: Guernica of Paradise | ペリリュー 楽園のゲルニカ | Goro Kuji | Japan |
| Providence and the Guitar | A providência e a guitarra | João Nicolau | Portugal |
| Quezon | Jerrold Tarog | Philippines | |
| Rangga & Cinta | Riri Riza | Indonesia | |
| Return to Silent Hill | Christophe Gans | France, United States | |
| Romería | Carla Simón | Spain, Germany | |
| Scarlet | 果てしなきスカーレット | Mamoru Hosoda | Japan |
| The Secret Agent | O Agente Secreto | Kleber Mendonça Filho | Brazil, France, Germany, Netherlands |
| The Shadow's Edge | 捕风追影 | Larry Yang | China, Hong Kong |
| Siapa Dia | Garin Nugroho | Indonesia | |
| Silent Friend | Stille Freundin | Ildikó Enyedi | Germany, France, Hungary |
| Sore: Wife from the Future | Sore: Istri dari Masa Depan | Yandy Laurens | Indonesia |
| Sound of Falling | In die Sonne schauen | Mascha Schilinski | Germany |
| Special Unit – The First Murder | Rejseholdet – Det første mord | Christoffer Boe | Denmark, Poland |
| The Stranger | L'Étranger | François Ozon | France |
| The Testament of Ann Lee | Mona Fastvold | United Kingdom, United States | |
| Tokyo Taxi | TOKYOタクシー | Yoji Yamada | Japan |
| Treat Her Like a Lady | Paloma Aguilera Valdebenito | Netherlands | |
| Tunnels: Sun In The Dark | Địa đạo: Mặt trời trong bóng tối | Bui Thac Chuyen | Vietnam |
| Two Prosecutors | Два прокурора | Sergei Loznitsa | Latvia, France, Germany, Netherlands, Romania, Lithuania |
| Whitetail | Nanouk Leopold | Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland | |
| The Wizard of the Kremlin | Le mage du Kremlin | Olivier Assayas | France, United Kingdom, United States |
| The Wolf, the Fox & the Leopard | David Verbeek | Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland, Taiwan, Croatia, Belgium, Finland | |
Bright Future
The programme highlights first-feature films from promising filmmakers.[12]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ah Girl | 阿 Girl | Ang Geck Geck Priscilla | Singapore |
| Chronovisor | Jack Auen & Kevin Walker | United States | |
| Dead Dogs Don't Bite | Ölü Köpekler Isırmaz | Nuri Cihan Özdoğan | Turkiye |
| I Grew an Inch When My Father Died | P. R. Monencillo Patindol | Philippines | |
| Let Them Be Seen | Nolitha Refilwe Mkulisi | South Africa, Germany | |
| Mayilaa | Semmalar Annam | India | |
Harbour
The programme showcases contemporary cinema.[13]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 58th | Carl Joseph Papa | Philippines | |
| Accept Our Sincere Apologies | Juja Dobrachkous | United Kingdom, Italy | |
| Art Is Dark and Full of Horrors | El arte es oscuro y está lleno de horrores | Artemio Narro | Mexico |
| Earth Song | Erol Mintaş | Finland, Germany | |
| The Hole, 309 Days to the Bloodiest Tragedy | Bolong, 309 hari sebelum tragedi berdarah | Hanung Bramantyo | Indonesia |
| Gaua | Paul Urkijo | Spain | |
| Krakatoa | Carlos Casas | United Kingdom, Poland, France | |
| The Misconceived | James N. Kienitz Wilkins | United States | |
| Motherwitch | Δωδεκάμερον | Minos Papas | Cyprus, North Macedonia, United States |
| The Passion According to GHB | A Paixão Segundo GHB | Gustavo Vinagre, Vinicius Couto | Brazil |
| A Useful Ghost | ผีใช้ได้ค่ะ | Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke | Thailand, France, Singapore, Germany |
Focus: Marwan Hamed
This will feature Marwan Hamed's work from the past twenty years.[14]
| Year | English title | Original title | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | The Blue Elephant | الفيل الأزرق | Egypt |
| 2019 | The Blue Elephant 2 | 2 الفيل الأزرق | |
| 2018 | Diamond Dust | تُراب الماس | |
| 2009 | Ibrahim Labyad | إبراهيم الأبيض | |
| 2022 | Kira & El Gin | الجن و كيرة | |
| 2017 | The Originals | الأصليي | |
| 2006 | The Yacoubian Building | يعقوبيان عمارة |
Focus: V-cinema
Japan’s V-Cinema Focus will showcase a range of Toei titles:[15]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Hunter | クライムハンター 怒りの銃弾 | Okawa Toshimichi | Japan |
Awards
The following awards were given in the festival:[16][17]
Tiger Award
- Variations on a Theme!, Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar, South Africa, Netherlands, Qatar
Special Jury Awards
- La belle année, Angelica Ruffier, Sweden, Norway
- Supporting Role Ana Urushadze, Georgia, Estonia, Turkey, Switzerland, United States
Big Screen award
- Master, Rezwan Shahriar Sumit, Bangladesh
Audience Award
- I Swear by Kirk Jones, United Kingdom
Ammodo Tiger short awards
- The Second Skin, Mariia Lapidus, USA, Mexico
- The Apple Doesn’t Fall… Dean Wei, China
- Ndjimu (Deep Cobalt), Petna Ndaliko Katondolo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, USA
FIPRESCI Award
- Supporting Role Ana Urushadze, Georgia, Estonia, Turkey, Switzerland, United States
KNF Award 2026
- The Apple Doesn’t Fall… Dean Wei, China
NETPAC Award
- i grew an inch when my father died P. R. Monencillo Patindol, Philippines
Special mention
- The Seoul Guardians, Kim Jong-Woo, Kim Shin-Wan and Cho Chul-Young, South Korea
Youth Jury Award
- Ah Girl, Ang Geck Geck Priscilla, Singapore
European Short Film Award Nomination
- CUL-DE-SAC !, Clyde Gates, Gabriel Sanson, Belgium, France
Robby Müller Award
- Yorick Le Saux, French cinematographer[18]
References
- ^ Leo Barraclough (23 October 2025). "Rotterdam Festival Unveils Nine World Premieres Across Bright Future, Harbour Strands". Variety. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ Georg Szalai (16 October 2025). "Rotterdam Fest Sets Marwan Hamed Retrospective, Biopic of Arab Music Icon Umm Kulthum". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ Georg Szalai (6 November 2025). "Rotterdam Film Fest Unveils Focus Program on Japanese V-Cinema Phenomenon". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ Gray, Carmen (7 February 2026). "South African and Bangladeshi films won big at a 55th edition of the Rotterdam International Film Festival embracing global chills and genre thrills". The Film Verdict. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ Leo Barraclough (2 December 2025). "'Father Mother Sister Brother' Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux to Receive Robby Müller Award". Variety. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ Goerg Szalai (16 December 2025). "Rotterdam Film Fest IFFR Sets Competition Lineup, Opening and Closing Films". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
- ^ Tim Dams (16 December 2025). "Rotterdam unveils 2026 Tiger and Big Screen competition lineups". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
- ^ Leo Barraclough (16 December 2025). "'Providence and the Guitar' to Open International Film Festival Rotterdam With 'Bazaar (Murder in the Building)' Closing Dutch Event". Variety. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
- ^ Katz, David (16 December 2025). "IFFR unveils its eclectic 2026 competition line-ups". Cineuropa. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
- ^ Georg Szalai (13 November 2025). "Rotterdam Film Fest Adds 'The Misconceived' and Absurdist Musical Road Movie Whose Title Is Way Too Long for This Headline". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
- ^ "Limelight Programme IFFR 2026". IFFR official site. Archived from the original on 29 November 2025. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ "First wave of world premieres announced for IFFR 2026". International Film Festival Rotterdam. 23 October 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^ "In Harbour". International Film Festival Rotterdam. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (16 October 2025). "Umm Kulthum Biopic 'El Sett' To Make European Premiere At Rotterdam As Part Of Marwan Hamed Retrospective". Deadline. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^ Naman Ramachandran (6 November 2025). "'Female Teacher: Forbidden Sex' Among Selections as Rotterdam Spotlights Japan's V-Cinema Movement". Variety. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "Awards & Competitions". International Film Festival Rotterdam. 8 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ Abbatescianni, Davide (9 February 2026). "Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar's Variations on a Theme and Rezwan Shahriar Sumit's Master take the top honours at IFFR". Cineuropa. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ Georg Szalai (2 December 2025). "Rotterdam Fest to Honor 'The Wizard of the Kremlin' Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux, Sets Juries". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 5 December 2025.