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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
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
Best Documentary Films
Award-Winning Documentaries
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