Five things at IFFR 2026 you don’t want to miss

The International Film Festival Rotterdam starts again on 29 January! From 29 January to 8 February, Rotterdam is all about film in all its forms. We’re giving you five tips to get the most out of the festival’s 55th edition.

1. Go to the Opening Night & Club IFFR

IFFR kicks off with the romantic and humorous Providence and the Guitar, the fourth film by Portuguese filmmaker João Nicolau. Providence and the Guitar follows Leon and Elvira, two nineteenth-century artists trying to sustain their artistic careers – which proves to be no easy task. After the opening film, IFFR celebrates the start of the festival with a party at De Doelen. Start the festival in style and on the dance floor. Looking for more parties? Club IFFR is the official after-hours programme of IFFR. Each night is curated as an extension of the film programme, bringing together film, music and nightlife.

2. Visit Plein at Fenix

Part of the IFFR programme is freely accessible, including the activities at Plein at Fenix, Rotterdam’s new art museum on migration. From film screenings and hands-on activities to a kids’ corner and Film Club events, there’s plenty to experience at Plein from 6 to 8 February. Most activities are free to attend.

3. Attend unique programmes and international film premieres

Curious about the latest releases before they hit cinemas? Do you have a soft spot for Japanese films that have never been screened outside Japan? Or are you interested in feminist films from the 1970s to the present day? Head to the Limelight programme for major international titles, explore the Japanese V-Cinema programme, and visit the unique feminist film programme T, The Future Is NOW. Highlights include the remarkable short film Casting Tapes, a film about womanhood and acting as a social practice, in which actresses audition for the role of an actress.

In 2026, IFFR also presents a special programme dedicated to popular Egyptian filmmaker Marwan Hamed: the first retrospective of his work in Europe, including a Talk in which Hamed is joined by renowned filmmaker Yousry Nasrallah. Come and listen to two legends of Egyptian cinema in conversation with each other. They will discuss, among other things, Hamed’s latest biopic El Sett, about legendary singer Oum Kalthoum.

In his home country, Hamed’s films have repeatedly broken box office records. Catch the mystery thriller double bill The Blue Elephant and The Blue Elephant 2, the underworld drama Ibrahim Labyad, or the phenomenal The Originals, about a bank employee who loses his job and then receives a phone call that changes his life.

4. Explore a whole new world through immersive media in the Art Directions programme

Film is much more than a screen in a cinema: IFFR’s Art Directions programme explores the boundaries of cinema beyond the movie theatre. Visit IFFR’s Immersive Media programme, which invites you to experience the world differently. Become a cat, an escaping houseplant, or part of a future in the making. Across six playful and thought-provoking VR and immersive works, creators explore urgent themes such as climate change, Europe’s external borders, mental health and technology.

5. Visit the favourites of IFFR festival director Vanja Kaludjercic

And finally: a selection of films you won’t want to miss according to festival director Vanja Kaludjercic. Catch, for example, the moving and distinctive feature film debut Now I Met Her, the darkly comic The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford, or the timely Nangong Cheng.