IDFAcademy announces participants and program for 2025 edition

Packed with emerging talent and bold new voices, this edition of IDFAcademy promises an exciting journey of creative exchange and discovery. 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. Recognizing that the greatest value of the program often lies in the participants’ interactions with one another, this year’s IDFAcademy provides even more opportunities for filmmakers to connect, share the challenges and joys of their creative journeys, and offer mutual support.

IDFAcademy runs from November 13 to 16 at De Balie. With participants from 55 countries, this year’s international selection reflects IDFAcademy’s enduring commitment to nurturing documentary talent and championing its diversity. The selection features first and second-time directors and producers who responded to an annual open call. Some participants joined the program through partnerships with various European film institutes and organizations. To strengthen the presence of African filmmakers in the international documentary industry, IDFAcademy has invited selected members of the two African delegations attending the festival: the Africa Delegation, fronted by Documentary Africa (DocA), and the Generation Africa 2.0 delegation, led by STEPS.

A number of participants have also been invited to IDFAcademy through the festival’s other training programs and year-round engagement with filmmakers. Six directors and producers taking part in this year’s IDFAcademy have previously received support for their projects from the IDFA Bertha Fund. Six international participants from the project-driven IDFA Project Space program are joining IDFAcademy, alongside another six participants from IDFA Project Space NL. The IDFA Project Space Showcase will feature works-in-progress of four international projects from IDFA Project Space and six projects of its Dutch counterpart. Six participants, selected for the Young Producers program in collaboration with the Netherlands Film Fund—featuring rising talent from some of the country’s leading production companies—are also taking part in IDFAcademy, with access to the Forum.

The program presents a thoughtful blend of talks that invite filmmakers to engage in conversation. The program kicks off with the Opening Talk with acclaimed filmmaker Firouzeh Khosrovani, known for her tenacious vision and introspective, visually inventive works. IDFA’s new Artistic Director Isabel Arrate Fernandez will have an in-depth conversation with Khosrovani about her oeuvre and her capacity to tell compelling stories through cinema, even under tight constraints of political pressure and censorship in Iran. Khosrovani is premiering her latest film, Past Future Continuous at IDFA, screened in the Envision Competition. Her previous film Radiograph of a Family debuted at IDFA in 2020, scooping the IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary.

Another much anticipated talk features esteemed Brazilian filmmaker Petra Costa. In IDFAcademy Talk: Releasing your story, the director of the unflinching Edge of Democracy, an Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary, and Apocalypse in the Tropics (IDFA 2024, Signed), Costa will examine the complexities of releasing a documentary and the importance of a release strategy that stays true to the film and its filmmakers.

Among other highlights in the program is IDFAcademy Talk: Characters close up with Italian director Gianluca Matarrese (I Want Her Dead IDFA 2025, Envision Competition, and GEN_ IDFA 2025, Signed and Dead Angle: Institutions) and Argentine helmer and IDFAcademy alumna María Silvia Esteve (Mailin, IDFA 2025, International Competition, previously part of IDFA Project Space). The Talk will explore the dynamics of collaborating with a film’s characters, the process of co-creation, and the evolving notion of authorship that emerges from such intimate creative relationships.

Another standout in the program is IDFAcademy Talk: Cutting memories – intimacy, history, and the archive. The discussion will be joined by Beirut-based filmmaker and IDFAcademy alumna Lana Daher (Do You Love Me, IDFA 2025, Best of Fests, previously part of IDFA Project Space) and Damascus-born award-winning editor and director Qutaiba Barhamji (Kaouther Ben Hania’s 2025 Venice-premiered The Voice of Hind Rajab, and Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Feature Four Daughters). The discussion will examine the use of archives not merely as a repository of images but as a space of intimacy, interpretation, and resistance.

The program features a series of interactive sessions and round tables, providing a platform for industry professionals to exchange their insights and expertise on financing, (co)-producing, festival strategies, and more. IDFAcademy Session: Debunking the myths will build on the discussion raised in the session IDFAcademy Talk: How to collaborate in a (co-)production. In an interactive format, participants will share their experiences and explore key questions about working with producers, their role and responsibilities, the director’s rights, and the nuances of author contracts.

IDFAcademy Round Tables: Finance & funding will offer IDFAcademy participants the chance to connect with representatives of various funds to learn about their support programs, selection criteria, and best practices for preparing successful funding applications. Seasoned film producer Mikael Opstrup will again lead IDFAcademy Talk: Presenting your documentary, offering practical advice and examples to craft an effective pitch trailer. Four participants will have the opportunity to present their projects and receive feedback from a panel of industry experts.

Along with the interactive sessions and round tables focusing on legal and production aspects, the program features IDFAcademy Session: Me & the filmmaker, led by psychotherapist and former documentary producer Rebecca Day (Film in Mind). This session will provide space to reflect on the creative and emotional challenges of the filmmaking process and examine how the director’s role affects the film and its participants at every stage of production.

Acknowledging the value of peer connections, this year’s IDFAcademy will expand opportunities for participants to meet with one another. During the IDFAcademy kick-off, dedicated IDFAcademy tutors Gugi Gumilang, Gitte Hansen, Marion Schmidt, Renko Douze, and Rodolfo Castillo-Morales will help participants connect and kickstart their networking efforts. Participants will gather again on Sunday morning before the edition wraps up.

IDFAcademy is excited to launch yet another edition this November and looks forward to welcoming participants from around the world. The vibrant line-up of talks, sessions, and round tables is brought to life through the active participation of documentary professionals keen to share their experiences and knowledge with emerging talent.