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IFFR 2021

IFFR announces a special extended 2021 edition

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- The Dutch gathering’s 50th anniversary will be celebrated in two parts, the first running from 1-7 February and the second from 2-6 June

IFFR announces a special extended 2021 edition
IFFR's artistic director Vanja Kaludjercic

This week, the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) has announced special plans for its next edition. The festival will be celebrated in two parts, the first running from 1-7 February and the second from 2-6 June, connected by a series of dedicated physical and online events in between.

The 2021 event will take place in a hybrid format, in line with the restrictions imposed by the current healthcare crisis but, nevertheless, it will continue to propose a rich programme for both local and international audiences, as well as industry professionals and press.

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The first part of the festival will be dedicated to IFFR’s main competitions, namely the Tiger Competition, Big Screen Competition and Ammodo Tiger Short Competition, as well as the Limelight lineup of avant premieres and a fully online edition of IFFR Pro Days for industry professionals. Physical events and screenings will take place at ‘de Doelen’ and at KINO Rotterdam. Titles will also be available to watch online for audiences across the Netherlands. In particular, the online IFFR Pro Days will provide practical networking and training opportunities as well as sessions for the industry at large. Meanwhile, Rotterdam Lab will take place from 25 January-5 February and The IFFR Pro Awards will be handed out on 5 February.

Between February and June, the festival will release their 50/50 collection on IFFR Unleashed, a selection of 50 films from the past 50 festival editions. Simultaneously, a programme focused on local Rotterdam filmmaking, called RTM, will be presented in a larger scale at LantarenVenster, and a mini-symposium will take place as part of Cinema Regained, IFFR’s strand dedicated to living film history and restoration films.

The second part of the festival takes place during the same days of the gathering’s 1972 inaugural edition and “hopes to be a festive celebration that invites larger audiences.” In detail, IFFR will present a unique “anniversary programme”, which “taps into the rich history of IFFR by inviting luminaries of the last five decades to enter a dialogue with fresh names and faces.” In June it will be also time for Harbour, IFFR’s newest and largest programme representing the multidimensional nature of Rotterdam, as well as Bright Future, a section dedicated to emerging film talent. Other possible highlights will include screenings in other Dutch cities alongside a series of outdoor events and presentations.

Speaking about the new format, festival director Vanja Kaludjercic said: “Through the new path we are taking in 2021, we are expanding beyond our existing boundaries. At the same time, our commitment to our makers, industry and audiences remains undiminished. As is our desire to deliver a creatively audacious, mesmerising festival, albeit one whose presentation – this year at least – will seem a little unfamiliar. The form may be different, but our programme will be as thrilling and vital as ever.”

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