IBF Classic

There is one IBF Classic selection round in 2026. The entry deadline is February 10.

Please note: The usual two deadlines (10 December 2025 and 10 June 2026) have been merged into a single round. This means there will be no deadline in June 2026.

Projects can be entered for IBF Classic in two categories: Project Development and Production & Post-production.

Project Development: This grant supports directors in their research, writing and/or production of visual material for the project presentation. The maximum development contribution per project is €7,500. The grant should strengthen the position of the director within the overall setup of the production and should be considered as the director’s contribution to the financing plan. Applications must be entered by the director.

Production & Post-production: This grant supports filmmakers in the realization of their project. The maximum (post-)production contribution per project is €25,000. The grant can be spent on all forms of production and post-production, from filming and editing to making the films suitable for screening in cinemas, on television, or on other screens. Applications must be entered by the director or producer.

• All directors attached to the project should have the nationality of a country as defined on the IBF Classic Country List and should live and work in a listed country.
  Unsure whether these eligibility criteria are met? Check here
• Projects from Bahrain, Hong Kong, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates can only be taken into consideration when they address political or human rights-related topics within the country itself.
• A project can be entered only once for each category*. A project can be entered for Project Development and, at a later stage, for Production & Post-production, regardless of whether the initial Project Development entry was successful.
  *There is one exception: if a project was rejected within the Production & Post-production category when it was in production stage, it can be re-entered only when all filming is completed, the project is in post-production stage and there is a rough cut available for entry.
• Entry forms must be completed in English. However, applicants from the following countries have the option to fill out the form in French: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Congo (DRC), Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, Haiti, Mali, Mayotte, Niger, Réunion, Rwanda, Senegal, and Togo. See: IBF Classic information and regulations in French.
• If a project is selected, the contribution must be spent in a country on the IBF Classic Country List.
• The IBF Classic grant may only be used for expenses incurred after the final selection date, which is approximately three months following the application deadline.
• The IBF Classic grant cannot be combined with funding from IFFR's the Hubert Bals Fund.
• Entries must be completed and entered on the day of the deadline at 23:59 (in the time zone of the applicant). Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration.
• The project must be in line with IDFA’s mission statement. For an overview of the kinds of films IBF supports, please refer to our collection page. Documentary series, films that are part of a study curriculum, or immersive and interactive media projects are not eligible.

Questions about these requirements? Please check the FAQ.

• Applications must be entered by the director of a project.
• Project Development contributions are granted to the director of a project and can be spent on research, writing, shooting, and producing a visual presentation of the project.
• Requirements for audiovisual material:

  • Entering original audiovisual material of the project is mandatory. This can be a teaser or selected research material, representative of the director's point of view, demonstrating their cinematic style, access and creative treatment to a topic and/or characters, with a minimum length of 2 minutes. It is encouraged to add an explanation of the materials presented. A photo presentation or material from other resources that serve merely as stylistic example is not accepted.
  • Project Development entries should also be accompanied by one previous work (if applicable), preferably representative of the filmmaker’s style. This previous film, although required for the jury’s selection process, is viewed only if necessary for decision making during the selection process.
  • The material must have English subtitles.
  • The material should be entered via a link with a password if necessary (e.g., Vimeo or YouTube) that does not require to login or download. The link must be entered on the day of the deadline.
  • Links should remain online for at least three months following the deadline.

• Applications must be entered by the director and/or producer of a project.
• The main producer attached to the project must be based in a country on the IBF Classic Country List.
• In case a co-producer from a non-IBF supported country is attached, this producer cannot be the main producer of the project. The application must be filed by the main producer from a country on the IBF Classic Country List. In case the project is pre-selected, the applicant should provide a deal memo or co-production agreement which needs to contain detailed provisions on the following aspects: the participation of each co-producer in the financing of the project; joint ownership of all the rights; sharing of the revenues between the co-producers, ensuring that the non-IBF supported country producer is an equal or minority co-production partner.
• Requirements for audiovisual material:

  • If your project is in the production stage, you must enter a trailer, demo, edited sequence, or other audiovisual material from the project with a minimum length of 3 minutes and a maximum length of 20 minutes.
  • If your project is in the post-production stage, you must enter an edited sequence or a selection of the rough cut of approximately 20 minutes. Projects that have finished shooting will be considered post-production applications.
  • If your material is longer than 20 minutes, please indicate which part we need to watch or make a selection of 20 minutes which you think is most representative and/or complementary to the end result.
  • If your entry is a re-application that qualifies under the re-application criteria (see General requirements for IBF Classic), a link to the full rough cut needs to be entered.
  • The material must have English subtitles.
  • The material should be entered via a link with a password if necessary (e.g., Vimeo or YouTube) that does not require to login or download. The link must be entered on the day of the deadline.
  • The link should remain online for at least three months following the deadline.

Please read the regulations above and check our frequently asked questions before emailing our office at idfaberthafund@idfa.nl.

Please read the regulations above before filling out the entry form. 

Filmmakers can only enter the same project once per category.