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39th edition

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA)

Amsterdam, Netherlands November 12 – 22, 2026 11 days

About International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA)

IDFA is a leading international documentary film festival held annually in Amsterdam each November. The festival presents a vast selection of feature, mid-length and short documentaries alongside interactive and immersive works through its DocLab strand. In addition to public screenings, IDFA hosts a major industry platform — IDFA Forum, Docs for Sale and Project Space — that supports documentary filmmakers through funding, training and co-production opportunities. It is widely regarded as one of the most influential events in the global documentary calendar.

Festival details

Location Amsterdam, Netherlands
Scope International
Focus Documentary · Feature · Short · Interactive · XR
Duration 11 days
Founded 1988
Official website idfa.nl/en
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Awards

IDFA Award for Best Film
Top prize of the International Competition.
IDFA Award for Best Directing
Outstanding directorial achievement in a feature-length documentary.
IDFA Award for Best First Feature
Best first feature-length documentary by an emerging filmmaker.
IDFA Award for Best Dutch Film
Best documentary in the Dutch competition.
IDFA DocLab Award for Immersive Non-Fiction
Innovation in interactive, immersive and XR non-fiction works.

Special programs

International Competition
Main competition for feature-length documentaries.
Envision
Bold, experimental and artistically ambitious documentary work.
IDFA DocLab
Immersive, interactive and XR non-fiction storytelling.
Luminous
Accessible, audience-friendly documentaries from leading voices.
IDFA Forum / Project Space
Industry pitching and project-development platform.

For filmmakers

Submission deadline 2026-07-09
Eligible production years 2025–2026
Screening eligibility Films must comply with IDFA's entry regulations; separate tracks for main festival and DocLab.
Accepted formats Feature documentary, Mid-length documentary, Short documentary, Interactive / XR

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