Enter your project

• Creative documentaries intended for theatrical distribution, TV broadcasting, and/or other platforms
• One-off films (feature length or TV), series, and immersive/interactive projects
• Projects in development, production, or post-production
• Applicants must hold rights or have clearance from rights holders
• Short films are not eligible
• Projects are presented live in Amsterdam

• A strong artistic vision and clear creative approach
• A clearly articulated project, with a coherent narrative, visual, or experiential strategy
• Or a distinctive artistic direction that is still in development
• Clear potential for international co-production, financing, and/or circulation
• Teams ready to engage with international partners
• A clear understanding of the project’s next steps

For projects in development or production looking for co-production, financing, or creative partners. Projects are presented to an audience of accredited guests, either in a larger public session or a smaller roundtable discussion, depending on what best supports the project. Both formats welcome Forum guests to attend and engage.

Key requirements:

• A producer attached (experience may vary)
• Visual material is recommended (trailer or equivalent)
• No restriction on financing already in place
• Open to projects seeking co-production, financing, or other forms of collaboration
• Early-stage projects with a strong artistic direction are also considered

You do not need to choose between the pitch or roundtable—this will be determined during the selection process.
 
Enter your project to Forum Presentations (Pitch & Roundtable) from June 1.

For projects in late production or post-production with a substantial rough cut and a planned release or premiere in 2027. Projects are presented through cinema screenings to connect with festivals, distributors, sales agents, and broadcasters.

Key Requirements:

• At least 75% of material shot
• Rough cut file must be available by October 27
• Not yet completed
• Preference is given to projects without a world sales agent
• Projects that previously presented at IDFA Forum are encouraged to apply

Enter your project to Rough Cut Presentations from June 1.

For immersive and interdisciplinary projects exploring new forms of documentary storytelling, including XR, interactive, and performative work. This program is aimed at projects seeking creative collaboration, co-production, and financing across disciplines.

Key requirements:

• Formats may include web docs, VR, AI, installations, multimedia journalism, or live performance
• Focus on new forms of documentary storytelling
• Linear projects intended for cinema or broadcast are not eligible (except linear VR)

Enter your project to DocLab Forum from June 1.

• You can apply to only one Forum program per project. If you are unsure which program is right for your project, please contact the Forum team.

• IDFA Forum is open to independent production companies and producers from around the world.

• Providing visual materials (such as a trailer, mood board, or other relevant material) is strongly recommended. Incomplete applications without sufficient documentation will not be considered.

• By entering a project to IDFA Forum, you agree that it will not be withdrawn after selection.

• Please also complete the IDFA accreditation form in your MyIDFA account (available from June 1). This allows producers to indicate their interest in attending IDFA Forum even if the project is not selected.

• If your project was previously selected for the Forum in an earlier stage, you may apply again for Rough Cut Presentations.

• Due to the high number of entries, we are unable to provide feedback to projects that are not selected.

• To ensure a balanced selection across geography, gender, and point of view, the selection committee considers artistic quality, uniqueness of the content, stage of development, subject, team, extent of exposure at other international markets, country of production, amount of financing in place, and genre, among other criteria.

• If you are entering to IDFA or Docs for Sale 2026, the project is not eligible for IDFA Forum.

• Applicant confirms that all rights for submitted materials are cleared and indemnify IDFA against related claims. IDFA reserves the right to disqualify any project with unauthorized copyrighted material.

All entries are subject to an administration fee of €30 (excl. VAT) per project.

Fee exemptions or discounts may apply for teams where the main producer is from and living in a listed country (see list). Please contact the Forum team for details.

VAT rules apply depending on company location:

• EU companies must provide VAT details. For general VAT rules within the EU, please go to EU Tax and Customs info.
• Non-EU companies are not charged VAT by IDFA and must handle local tax obligations
• Dutch entries and private individuals are charged VAT

Disclaimers

• Payment is required before processing your entry or accreditation.
• Payments are handled by Adyen (may appear on your bank statement.)
• All fees are non-refundable.

IDFA Forum selection is carried out by a team of international industry professionals. Each project is assessed carefully through a two-stage process. First, projects are reviewed by pairs of readers focusing on artistic quality, innovation, and international potential. Selected projects are then discussed in final selection committees, which consider artistic merit as well as financial and distribution strategies. Committees change annually and include both returning and new industry professionals. The committee members will be announced later in the year. All entries must be entered through a MyIDFA account and are reviewed carefully by the selection committee.

• A maximum of two projects per company can be selected. For each selected project, two participants (the presenting team) are invited to attend the Forum, as included in the project fee.
• The project team (producer and director) must be present for the full Forum program, including presentation and meetings. Participation days depend on the presentation format. The Forum will run from Sunday, November 15 to Wednesday, November 18.
• If your project is selected, you must provide contracts or letters confirming any financial investment listed in your entry form. These must state the amount of the investment, be written in English, and dated and signed.
• The participation fee must be paid online within two weeks of the selection results (by September 29).
• First-time project presenters are strongly encouraged to register for pitch training (for selected projects only).
• After the Forum, participants are asked to complete a guest survey and questionnaire of the financial impact of the Forum to help us evaluate the year’s edition.
• By providing trailers, stills, or other visual materials, you grant IDFA permission to publish and use these material for promotional purposes. If the material cannot be published for safety reasons, please inform us immediately after selection.
• If the selected project is completed in time, it should include the credit: “This film was presented at IDFA Forum 2026”. The Forum logo can be provided by the team.
• All participating projects are invited to add their film (upon completion) free of charge to the Docs for Sale catalogue, IDFA’s sales market and distribution incubator for creative documentaries.
• All participating projects are offered a fee waiver code to enter their film to the IDFA festival (upon completion). Please contact the Forum team for details.
• All projects are featured through the IDFA Forum online project collection (including trailer, stills, and project information), accessible to accredited industry professionals.
• Projects are also included in IDFA Forum's printed publication which is distributed to IDFA Forum passholders.

Selected projects pay a presentation fee for their participation in the Forum.

Presentation fee per project (IDFA 2026): €475 (€574.75 incl. VAT 21%).

• Presentation of your project at the IDFA Forum
• Featuring your project in the official Forum selection, published in the online and print catalogue
• Curated one-on-one meetings with industry professionals
• Two IDFA Forum accreditations for the project team
• Access to Forum networking events in Amsterdam
• Access to IDFA's Industry Program of talks, sessions and events
• Online access to accredited guest profiles and contact details
   

Fee exemptions or discounts may be available for teams where the main producer is from and living in a country (see list). Please contact the Forum team for more information.