IDFA Bertha Fund selects six projects for IBF Europe

This selection reflects the Fund’s ongoing commitment to fostering equitable co-production partnerships between European producers and filmmakers from across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Oceania.

This year’s selection features both new voices and filmmakers who have previously been supported by the Fund. Bahia Honda by Alejandro Alonso Estrella and Oma by Armin Septiexan Radja Djawa were both previously supported through IBF Classic. Also returning to IDFA is Marina Luiza, whose project Freedom is no fear followers her 2023 immersive work Redemption, selected for the IDFA DocLab Competition for Immersive Non-Fiction.

The selection also places a strong emphasis on emerging talent: five of the six projects directed by first- or second-time feature documentary makers—including You Don’t Die Two Times by Ager Oueslati. One of the selected projects remains anonymous, underlining the urgency of the stories being told and the risks faced by filmmakers in politically sensitive contexts.

“This round, the IBF Europe call saw an increase of nearly 50%. It was inspiring to see so many more meaningful, equitable, and director-centred collaborations being created worldwide, and it definitely made our selection work both difficult and rewarding. At the same time, too many international collaborations continue to be imbalanced in terms of commitment, access to finance, and risk-taking. The international community is calling for transparent practices, globally applicable standards, and—most importantly—that teams get compensated and recognized fairly for the work they do, rather than whether their production company is based in a territory with access to more financial means,” Selin Murat, Executive Director of IDFA Bertha Fund.

• Anonymous project

• Jorge Caballero - Director and Producer at Gusano Films
• Tiny Mungwe - Producer at Ctrl Alt Shift
• Selin Murat - Executive Director IDFA Bertha Fund
• Bianca Oana - Producer at Monogram Film
• Rosa Spaliveiro - Producer at Twenty Nine Studio & Production

The next IBF Europe deadline will be April 1, 2026, for films to be finished by December 2027. The next IBF Classic deadline is December 10, 2025. Find a complete overview of the Fund’s activities and deadlines on our IDFA Bertha Fund page.

Curious to learn more? The IDFA Bertha Fund Activity Report 2024 offers an in-depth look at the year’s impact, with facts, figures, and the impressive trajectories of several supported projects.

IBF Europe is supported by the Creative Europe – MEDIA programme of the European Union.