IDFAcademy

IDFAcademy will take place from November 13 to 16 at De Balie, which will serve as the main venue. The program kicks off with a Talk with celebrated Iranian filmmaker Firouzeh Khosrovani. This opening sets the stage for a program rich in diverse themes and formats, featuring talks, sessions, and round tables, all designed to equip filmmakers with the knowledge, guidance, and networks essential for thriving in the documentary industry.

The program offers a blend of talks that create space for a diverse range of filmmakers and perspectives to engage with one another, from in-depth conversations with directors about their process to discussions on co-producing and the craft of editing. It also boasts a series of interactive sessions and round tables, providing a platform for industry professionals from across the board to exchange their experiences and expertise on financing, (co)-producing, festival strategies, and more. Sessions and talks include the Guest of Honor Talk with Susana de Sousa Dias, speakers such as filmmakers Petra Costa, Gianluca Matarrese, María Silvia Esteve and Lana Daher.

The 100 participants this year are a diverse group representing 55 nationalities. A significant number are from the selection made following an open call. Some of the participants come from our collaboration with various European film institutes and organizations: Norwegian Film Institute, Danish Film Institute, Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Finnish Film Foundation, Lithuanian Film Centre, Slovak Film Institute, Doklab Navarra, Creative Scotland, Film Centre Serbia in collaboration with Dok Serbia, LaScam (Société Civile des Auteurs Multimedia), VAF (Flanders Audiovisual Fund), East Doc Platform, Documentary Association Georgia and the Young Producers program by the Netherlands Film Fund. As part of efforts to increase the presence of African filmmakers in the international documentary industry, select members of the two African delegations attending the festival have been invited IDFAcademy: the Africa Delegation, led by Documentary Africa (DocA), and the Generation Africa 2.0 delegation, spearheaded by STEPS. A number of participants have also been invited to IDFAcademy through the festival’s other training programs and its year-round connections with filmmakers. Six participating directors and producers previously received support for their projects through the IDFA Bertha Fund. Six international participants from the project-driven IDFA Project Space program, along with six from IDFA Project Space NL, will take part in IDFAcademy. The work-in-progress of four international projects from IDFA Project Space and six projects of its Dutch counterpart will be presented in the IDFA Project Space Showcase.

Below, there is a dedicated page for IDFAcademy selected participants with answers to various practical questions.

Given the substantial number of applications, a selection process is undertaken by a committee of industry experts and IDFA staff. Approximately 100 filmmakers from various corners of the world will be chosen to participate in the program in Amsterdam. The results of the selection are communicated at the beginning of October.

In addition to filmmakers who apply to IDFAcademy through the open call, participants from IDFA’s other training programs are also invited to participate in the program. By stimulating participation in various programs, each year IDFA can offer a new group of filmmakers a complete training cycle in which, in addition to working on their projects in IDFA Project Space and IDFA Project Space NL, they gain knowledge and expand their network within the industry through IDFAcademy.

Selection committee 2025

The IDFAcademy 2025 selection committee included external members such as Cecilie Bolvinkel (Film consultant), Dorottya Zurbó (Filmmaker), Gema Juarez Allen (Producer), Hicham Falah (FIDADOC), Rodolfo Castillo Morales (FICG), Renko Douze (Producer), Sarah Ishaq (Filmmaker), Tue Steen Müller (Film Consultant).

It also included internal members such as Meike Statema (Head of Talent Development at IDFA), Melanie de Vocht (Project Manager, IDFA Bertha Fund), Jos Motshagen (IDFA Bertha Fund Producer) and Monica Baptiste Gouffray (Coordinator Filmmaker Support Department).