IDFA DocLab Forum

• 8-minute classic pitch format including visual materials, moderated introduction
• The presentations are flexible and can be adapted to reflect the needs and strengths of each team and project
• A moderator is present to coordinate post-presentation discussion and stimulate connections

• Pre-arranged meetings with interested industry professionals

• The project team consist of the two main creators, usually the producer and creative artist or the producer and director

• Presentations: Monday, 17 November
  Venue: @Droog
• One-on-one meetings: Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 November 2025
  Venue: @Droog

Note: All activities take place in person. Online participation is not facilitated—project teams present onsite in Amsterdam. Open to all Forum pass holders.

• Festival dates: November 13–23
• IDFA Forum entry period: June 2 –July 25
• Observer accreditation period: June 1 – October 1
• IDFA Forum dates: November 16 – 19
• Industry program dates: November 15 – 19

• Immersive/interactive projects in all stages of production and financing
• IDFA DocLab Forum is open to all sorts of formats that tell a documentary story or explore unknown realities, including web docs, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, physical installations, multimedia journalism, and live performances
• Artists with a project in progress looking for co-producers, creative input, and financing possibilities are invited to submit
• Unless is a linear VR film, other linear non-interactive projects intended for conventional cinematic or broadcast platforms are not eligible

• It is only possible to apply for one Forum category with the same project. If you are uncertain which category to apply in, please get in touch with the Forum team.
• IDFA Forum is open to independent production companies and producers from all over the world.
• Providing visual materials (trailer or other examples of your project) is highly recommended. Depending on the category, this can be a trailer, mood board, or other visual examples of the project. Incomplete applications without sufficient documentation will not be considered for selection.
• By entering a project to IDFA Forum 2025, you agree that the project will not be withdrawn after selection.
• Please make sure to complete the IDFA accreditation form as well. The accreditation form offers producers the opportunity to indicate if they would like to attend the IDFA Forum even if their project is not selected. You can find the accreditation form in your MyIDFA account starting June 2.
• Unfortunately, due to the high number of entries we cannot give feedback to projects that are not selected.
• To make a balanced selection regarding geography, gender and point of view, the selection committee takes into consideration: the artistic quality, uniqueness of the content, diversity of formats, 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.
• The applicant will guarantee to have secured clearance from the copyright holders of any copyrighted materials included within the submitted film/project and any photographs submitted relating to the film/project for all purposes for which the material will be used by IDFA. The applicant will guarantee to hold IDFA harmless from any claims from copyright holders in relation to use of the submitted film by IDFA for the agreed purposes. IDFA reserves the right to disqualify any film with unauthorized inclusion of copyrighted materials.

• All Forum entries for IDFA 2025 will be charged an administration fee of €30 (excl. VAT) per entry. Fee exemptions or discounts for teams where the main producer is from and living in a country on this list are available. Please inquire with the Forum team for more details.
• In case you fill in a company that is based outside the Netherlands in the billing address, you will not be charged additional VAT by IDFA, but you will have to pay your VAT duties in your own country.
• If this country is a member of the European Union, you need to fill in your VAT details in the billing address field. For general VAT rules within the EU, please go to EU Tax and Customs info.
• If you have a company based outside the EU, IDFA will not charge VAT but you will need to check the tax regulations in your own country and act accordingly.
• All Dutch entries and all entries done by private persons only (with no company attached) will need to pay VAT and will be charged in the IDFA invoice.

Disclaimers:

• Your entry or accreditation will not be taken into consideration until we receive your payment.
• We apply a no-refund policy to which we can make no exceptions.
• Your payment will be handled by Adyen. This name may appear on your bank statement.

Selecting projects for IDFA Forum is a collaborative process that involves a dedicated team of experienced industry professionals. Assessing each and every project thoroughly, these experts from around the world join in the discussion that leads up to the Forum’s final project selection.

• Projects entered to the Forum are subjected to a two-fold selection process. First, projects are sent to teams of two readers who assess the projects solely based on artistic and innovative merits and international potential. All preselected projects are then discussed in a dedicated final selection committees that examine artistic merit as well as financial and distribution strategy documents.
• Preselection and selection committees are changed every year and consist of new and returning industry professionals and leading experts. The names of the 2025 committee members will be announced later in the year.
• All projects must be submitted through an entry form in MyIDFA. All submissions are reviewed thoroughly and carefully by our selection committee members.

• A maximum of two projects can be selected per company. For each selected project, two participants (the team presenting the project) are allowed to attend the Forum, as included in the project fee.
• The project team (producer and director) must be present for the full Forum activities, including their presentation and meetings. The exact days of participation depend on the presentation format. The Forum will run from November 16 to 19.
• If your project is selected, you must include contracts or letters that prove any financial investment listed in your entry form. These contracts or letters of commitment from broadcasters and financiers must state the amount of the investment and must be written in English. The letters must be dated and signed.
• After the selection of the project, the participation fee must be completed online by September 29, so within two weeks of the selection results.
• The Forum staff strongly advise first-time project presenters at IDFA to register for the pitch training (for selected projects only).
• After IDFA Forum, all participants are asked to participate in a guest survey and a questionnaire of the financial impact of the Forum to help us evaluate the year’s edition.
• By providing your trailer or other visual material and stills, you give IDFA permission to publish the material on www.idfa.nl and use the material for promotional purposes for IDFA Forum 2025. If, for safety reasons, the material cannot be published, let us know immediately after selection.
• If the selected project is completed in due time, IDFA Forum will be referred to in the credits as 'This film was presented at IDFA Forum 2025”. The Forum logo can be provided by the Forum staff.
• All participating projects are offered a fee waiver code to submit to the IDFA festival (upon completion). Please contact the Forum staff on forum@idfa.nl.
• All projects are featured through the IDFA Forum online project collection (with a trailer or other sample material, project information, and a still), where they can be securely viewed by industry representatives/financiers who have a password.
• All projects are also featured in IDFA Forum's printed publication which is distributed to IDFA Forum pass holders.

All selected projects are charged a presentation fee for their participation in the Forum. Below is an overview of what the fee covers.

Presentation fee per project for IDFA 2025: €475 (€574.75 incl. VAT 21%). This fee includes:

• Presenting your project at the IDFA Forum event, taking place November 16 to 19, 2025.
• Featuring your project in the official Forum selection, as published in our online and print catalogue.
• Curated in person one-on-one meetings.
• A maximum of two IDFA Forum accreditations for the project team*.
• Access to social and networking events arranged during the Forum in Amsterdam.
• Access to IDFA's Industry Program of talks, sessions and networking events.
• Online access to company profiles, strand profiles, and contact information of accredited guests.

Fee exemptions or discounts for teams where the main producer is from and living in a country on this list are available. Please inquire with the Forum team for more details.

Are you new to IDFA DocLab Forum and interested in attending the next edition as an industry representative and/or financier? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with the DocLab Forum team at doclabforum@idfa.nl to set up a phone call, where we can give you more detailed information about how the event works.

IDFA Forum offers independent XR studios and production companies the opportunity to attend the Forum to observe the pitches and to coordinate their own meetings with Forum industry professionals. If you are a XR producer who applied for IDFA DocLab Forum but your project was not selected, you can also still apply to attend the event as an Observer. 

By attending the presentations and listening to the responses of the industry representatives and financiers, Observers get unique insight into the new media market and can learn more about the preferences and profiles of individual companies, funders, buyers, and other new media stakeholders. There are also social events targeting Observers, such as the Producers Breakfast and Forum Lunch as well as access to the Felix Meritis Industry Lounge.

Funders, buyers, and other new media stakeholders are also invited to attend IDFA DocLab Forum as industry representatives, whether you are working at a new media fund, institute, broadcaster, museum, gallery, distribution platform, festival, tech company, or other new media organization looking for content and collaboration.

Industry representatives and financiers are requested to be present and actively participate in the DocLab Forum pitches in addition to signing up for one-on-one meetings with the project teams. These follow-up meetings between the industry representatives and creators provide an opportunity to discuss potential collaboration in a more intimate setting. Industry representatives and financiers who are already on board with a project are invited to endorse the project team during their presentation.