IDFA Forum 2026, one of the leading international co-production and financing markets for documentary film, has announced the selection of 47 projects from 859 submissions received from around the world. The 34th edition of the event will take place from November 15 to 18 in Amsterdam and will bring together projects at different stages of development, production, and completion, with a new structure designed to facilitate dialogue between filmmakers and industry professionals.
The projects were selected through an evaluation process involving 42 external experts and will be presented across four formats: Forum Pitches, Roundtable Presentations, Rough Cut Presentations, and IDFA DocLab Forum, dedicated to new media projects. The organization has revised its presentation model in response to an increasingly fragmented financing and distribution market, aiming to help projects communicate more clearly what kind of support they need and facilitate connections with funds, broadcasters, producers, distributors, and other potential partners.
A total of 29 projects will take part in the Forum Pitches and Roundtable Presentations, while six projects nearing completion will participate in the Rough Cut Presentations, where buyers, festival representatives, and funders will have access to 20-minute excerpts. The IDFA DocLab Forum, meanwhile, will bring together 12 projects exploring formats including immersive installations, virtual reality, extended reality, mixed reality, participatory performances, and interactive documentaries.
The selection spans five continents and includes projects from a wide range of production contexts. Participating filmmakers include Wang Bing, Vitaly Mansky, Rachel Leah Jones, and Liang Zhao, alongside emerging filmmakers and production companies. The projects address issues including war, political polarization, colonialism, the climate crisis, social transformations, and new technologies.
Among the projects selected for the Forum Pitches is La Linda, directed by Francina Carbonell, an Argentina-Chile co-production produced by Gema Films. The film follows Tatuna, an 89-year-old heiress to land in Mendoza, who lives in isolation in a palace with her 70-year-old domestic worker, Gloria. Her daughter’s return to claim part of the inheritance triggers a family conflict shaped by tensions between three generations and Argentina’s economic crisis.
The new IDFA Forum structure also strengthens one-on-one meetings and producer-to-producer encounters. Project representatives will be able to meet with industry professionals interested in their work, while producers will have dedicated opportunities to seek co-production partners.
“Despite the challenges of the market, both in terms of financing and distribution, we strongly believe that IDFA Forum should provide a space for filmmakers who approach their craft with courage and curiosity,” said Adriek van Nieuwenhuijzen, Head of IDFA Industry. The program, she added, seeks to support works capable of surprising audiences, revealing new perspectives, and embracing the complexity of the present.
IDFA Forum will take place from November 15 to 18. The Rough Cut Presentations will open the event on November 15 at Pathé City; IDFA DocLab Forum will take place on November 16 at De Balie; the Forum Pitches will be held on November 16 and 17 at the DeLaMar Theater, while the Roundtable Presentations will take place on the same dates at De Balie. Docs for Sale will run concurrently from November 14 to 18.