International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2027

International Film Festival Rotterdam: cinema, discovery and new forms of moving image

Since 1972, International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) has brought independent cinema, emerging filmmakers and experimental forms of moving image into the cultural life of Rotterdam. Its programme spans feature films, short and mid-length work, creative documentary, animation and experimental cinema, while Art Directions extends the festival into live audiovisual performance, immersive media, XR and installation-based projects.
IFFR’s work also continues beyond the festival dates. CineMart connects film projects with the international industry, the Hubert Bals Fund supports filmmakers and projects from different regions, Rotterdam Lab works with emerging producers, and IFFR Pro brings these activities into a wider professional programme around the festival.

How films enter the programme

IFFR combines curated programme strands with several competition routes. Tiger Competition focuses on first-, second- and third-feature directors. Big Screen Competition brings arthouse filmmaking into a programme shaped for a broader cinema audience, while Tiger Short Competition is dedicated to short and mid-length work.
Submitted films are viewed by IFFR programmers as part of the selection process. Competition winners are then determined through section-specific jury structures: Big Screen Competition uses an audience jury, while Tiger Competition and Tiger Short Competition are decided by their respective juries.

IFFR 2027

The 56th edition will take place in Rotterdam from 28 January to 7 February 2027. The current film call covers three main routes: feature films from 64 minutes, short and mid-length films under 64 minutes, and Art Directions projects in immersive media and sound//vision.
Film submissions for the feature and short/mid-length routes remain open until 15 September 2026 at 17:00 CEST. Eligible films are works completed after 1 January 2026. Short and mid-length films enter with World, International or European premiere status; feature films must remain available for their first public screening in the Netherlands at IFFR. Tiger Competition is reserved for first-, second- or third-feature directors whose films can make their World Premiere in Rotterdam.

Films and projects that fit the 2027 call

The film routes include narrative cinema, creative documentary, experimental work and animation. Films produced during a postgraduate or Master year can enter as student work, and work-in-progress films can be submitted when they can be completed in time for the festival.
Art Directions opens a separate route for projects that sit between cinema, performance and new media. Immersive media includes VR, AR, XR, interactive installations and related digital work. sound//vision is built around live audiovisual and performance-based projects. Selected Art Directions projects must be completed by 1 January 2027.

What to prepare

A film submission requires the completed entry information and a preview screener. The screener must remain streamable and downloadable until 7 February 2027. For selected films, the festival screening copy is due by 16 December 2026, followed by the film information, creative and technical credits, and publicity materials required for catalogue and communications work.

Festival planning around IFFR

IFFR’s category and premiere structure makes submission timing part of the film’s wider festival plan, especially for short and mid-length work and for features targeting Tiger Competition. AD1 FILM can support that process through film evaluation, festival positioning, premiere planning, festival targeting, EPK and festival-material preparation or review, and submission management according to the film’s current stage.