guests of honour

Lotte Ottevanger

Lotte Ottevanger

Night Mayor, The Hague

Lotte Ottevanger is a multidisciplinary artist who creates interactive installations to bring social critical topics to light. Through sound, film and other media she creates experiences to help you understand other perspectives. She created a 360 documentary-experience about The Hague’s underground nightlife. Het latest project, ‘(S)exposed’, is an audio experience about street harassment. In her role as the Night Mayor of The Hague, she also acts as a bridge between the city’s nightlife community, residents, and policymakers, fostering a vibrant, safe, and inclusive night culture.

The 2025 program was divided into 10 blocks, each featuring 2 to 6 films followed by Q&A sessions and conversations with filmmakers and actors. Browse the full program below.

Screening Schedule

Block 1 | Time 11:30 - 13:00 | HALL-4

YR WYDDFA

Director : Sander Blom

Producer : Sander Blom

Duration : 15:45 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands, United Kingdom 

Dave and his estranged daughter Sara hike up Yr Wyddfa, confronting years of resentment over his perceived rejection of her sexuality. As they climb, Dave opens up about his fears and struggles to understand, gradually softening Sara’s anger. At the summit, they scatter her late mother’s ashes and discover her final wish: for Sara to forgive her father. The emotional journey brings them closer, offering hope for reconciliation and healing.

Sana LEE's Sajupalja

European Premiere

Director : Jinhwa LEE

Producer : Hyung-yun CHANG

Duration : 42:10 Min

Country of Origin : South Korea 

LEE Sana is a woman born in the year of the White Horse in 1990 with a nasty ‘palja’. she is an intentional outsider who is making a living as a gig driver after she had been dishonorably discharged from the military. She’s gone through all sorts of adversities in life. To change her ‘palja’, Sana embarks on an adventure in the spirit world where the ancestor spirits write down and protect ‘sajupalja’.

Veil of Silence

World Premiere

Director : Sebastiano Cavadino

Producers : Sebastiano Cavadino, Job Lodder

Duration : 15:00 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

“Veil of Silence” is about a crumbling relationship where two people —each in their own way— are too afraid to face their problems. We follow Gemma, who is silently drifting through her inner world where she is confronted with her ego.

Block 2 | Time 13:30 - 15:00 | HALL-4

Birthday Suit

Birthday Suit

Dutch Premiere

Director : Lisanne Sweere

Producers : Sammy Wisniewski Vermeulen, Lisanne Sweere

Duration : 15:34 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

When Julia (17) goes on a vacation with her dad Cees and his new girlfriend, she unexpectedly ends up at a nudist campsite. Not only does she have to face her discomfort with being naked, but she also has a hard time accepting her dad having a new lover and having to miss her mother. Through her budding friendship with free spirit Nenah (20), she gradually comes to terms with the new situation. But when Cees misses the mark with a surprise he’s organized for his daughter, their bond becomes tenuous.

Free Fish

Dutch Premiere

Director : Bisan Owda

Producer : Carolina Pereira

Duration : 22:13 min

Country of Origin : Palestine, State of, Portugal

Free Fish is an intimate short documentary filmed entirely in Gaza during one of the deadliest years in recent history. The film follows two brothers, Mohammad and Ahmad Kaloob, separated by siege and displacement, yet bound by the sea. Mohammad, displaced in Khan Younis with his two young daughters, fishes from the South and tries to find alternatives for the boat and net he lost in the bombing of Gaza Seaport. Ahmad, still in the North under total blockade, risks his life each morning near the Al-Shate’e refugee camp, what was once a livelihood is now a daily act of survival, the coastline is militarized, boats are shot at and hunger is used as a weapon of war. And yet, the brothers return to the sea. They cast their nets and their memories, into waters that no longer offer freedom, but still carry meaning. Fishing becomes a fragile ritual of resistance, of connection, of presence.
The film also follows Rami, Mohammad’s teenage nephew, who lost his twin brother during the genocide and now fishes alone. Through him, Free Fish becomes not just a story of survival, but of grief, inheritance, and the quiet defiance of those who refuse to disappear.

Cyclus

Director : Mila Banis

Producers : Daan van Ooijen, Valentina Boschin

Duration : 32:40 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

‘Cyclus’ is a raw, stylish psychological thriller/drama that is intended to show that anyone can become a victim of an abusive and toxic relationship. As an audience we follow two stories in which both main characters (Lisa and Marit) communicate with each other through a tape. The film explores the subtle red flags of partner abuse (in teenage lives), based on the glorification of romantic ups & downs in modern media.

Block 3 | Time 15:30 - 17:00 | HALL- 4

The Last Rehearsal

Director : Carling Ernstzen

Producers : Carling Ernstzen, Hessam Binesh

Duration : 18:57 min

Country of Origin : United Kingdom

A beloved acting teacher rallies his favourite students one last time to stage his final play.

While We Were Sleeping

While We Were Sleeping

Dutch Premiere

Director : Olmo Omerzu

Producers : Jiří Konečný, Hélène Mitjavile, Théo Laboulandine, Rok Biček

Duration : 18:56 min

Country of Origin : Czechia, France, Slovenia

Klára and Dáša plan to lose their virginity with partners they’ve just met. Yet things quickly spiral out of control. What begins as a teenage dare, turns into a long night that puts both their friendship and safety at risk, forcing them to realise how easily control over their choices can slip away…

Collage

Dutch Premiere

Director : Marius Conrotto

Producers : Marius Conrotto Diaz, Marius Conrotto

Duration : 9:56 min

Country of Origin : Spain

A girl who works in a museum tries to convince another co-worker that two visitors are flirting. And how does she know? Scientific studies say that there are six signs that show one person’s attraction to another.

Walk In The Park

Director : Gijs Schoneveld

Producers : Siebe Schoneveld, Gijs Schoneveld, Teun Driessen

Duration : 13:34 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

Mark and Evelien are the young parents of a very healthy son. Ten fingers, ten toes, all the trimmings, but the sunny outlook is missing. In a world where appearances rule, they have forgotten reality. Life and love are not always fun and the grind lurks like a predator. During eight uncomfortable walks, they try to find out where they took the wrong turn and whether it is even possible to end up on the right path next to each other.

Puma Matriarchs of Torres Del Paine

Dutch Premiere

Director : David P. Glatz, Shiela P. Glatz

Producers : David P. Glatz, Shiela P. Glatz

Duration : 12:16 min

Country of Origin : United States

The film chronicles the lives of three mother Pumas (aka Mountain Lions, Cougars) as they survive and thrive in the rugged terrain of Chilean Patagonia. These three matriarchs, Sarmiento, Rupestra and Petaca, drive the dynamics of living and dominating their respective territories. Raising their kits, teaching them how to catch prey and hunting that prey increase these cats’ chances of surviving in this beautiful but challenging habitat.

Block 4 | Time 17:30 - 19:00 HALL- 4

G.O.A.T.

Director : Daan Bunnik

Producers : Daan Bunnik, Fiscal Peters

Duration : 8:26 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

GekkigGeit is a 9-minute tragicomic road trip about unprocessed trauma, miscommunication, and… a goat. Set in rural Netherlands, the film explores the aftermath of a stillbirth through absurdity and tenderness, as a couple’s bottled-up grief finds an unexpected release on their way to a bizarre goat-themed festival.

LUCIE in RÉ

Dutch Premiere

Director : Nicolas NOVAK

Producer : Victor Holl

Duration : 19:50 min

Country of Origin : France

Lucie is about to set off on holiday. The last unexpected problem to sort out before boarding the train is a water leak that’s cropped up at the worst possible moment. That’s the nature of adventure… especially when your phone falls onto the tracks just as you’re getting on the train…
Lucie hesitates, then plucks up the courage to leave – without her phone…

Buskers of Porto

World Premiere

Director : Matties Dielemans, Guus Engelbregt

Producers : Guus Engelbregt, Matties Dielemans

Duration : 29:32 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

“Buskers of Porto” shows how the city and its musicians are intertwined. The documentary is a journey through the streets of Porto and along the many street musicians that enrich this city with their music. They share intimate stories about their work on the streets and the freedom they experience, but also about the challenges that it brings along with it. “Buskers of Porto” is a connecting film about music, dreams, and survival.

Known Strangers

Director : Nico Strik Peña

Producers : Sabine Veenendaal, Jeroen Beker, Christian Holtland, Sanne Deckers

Duration : 14:59 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

Three former classmates unexpectedly run into each other during a diner robbery. An awkward reunion between a criminal, a police officer, and a diner employee, as they are faced with the different life paths that have led them there.

Block 15 | Time 19:30 onwards | HALL-4

BAAB

Director : Nayla Al Khaja

Producers : Nayla Al Khaja, Jude Stephen Walko, Sultan Saeed Al Darmaki

Duration : 1hr 37min

Country of Origin : United Arab Emirates

BAAB is a dark fantasy that unfolds through the fractured mind of a woman reeling from the sudden death of her twin sister. Plagued by the eerie hum of tinnitus in her left ear, she is drawn into a surreal world where grief takes on physical form. As she descends through three visceral stages, depression, anger, and bargaining, her reality begins to distort, blurring the line between the living and the dead. Set in an isolated Emirati landscape steeped in myth and memory, BAAB explores the intimate violence of grief and the unspoken bond between twins. What begins as a psychological unraveling soon reveals something more otherworldly, a doorway (“BAAB” in Arabic) that may lead to closure… or something far more sinister.

Block 5 | Time 11:30 - 13:00 | HALL-5

The Dance of Triumph

European Premiere

Director : Geray Hasan

Producer : Emin Musavi

Duration : 39:41 min

Country of Origin : Azerbaijan

“THE DANCE OF TRIUMPH” follows Jalal, a war veteran who has lost both his legs and now struggles to reclaim dignity, purpose, and joy within the quiet confines of family life. Caught between public victory and private collapse, grief, pride, and silence weigh heavily on him.
However, an unfulfilled promise—to dance the traditional “Heyvagulu” song at his fallen friend’s sister’s wedding emerges as a fragile thread of hope.
Blending intimate domestic moments with memories of brotherhood and sacrifice, the film is a portrayal of resilience, love, and the quiet courage it takes to keep living after the war.

Somewhere Between Here & There

World Premiere

Director : Frank van der Wulp

Producers : Morrow Films, Kalin Morrow, Isabella Katharina, Mumbi Kuguru

Duration : 19:59 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

At Mia’s wake, her sister Jess struggles to keep everything in order while their friends and family navigate grief in their own chaotic ways. But when Mia herself suddenly reappears, she realizes she isn’t just back for herself; she’s back for them. While some can see her and others remain oblivious, Mia becomes a catalyst for unfinished business: encouraging her best friend Clover to pursue love, confronting her ex Dani’s unresolved commitment, helping Jess release guilt over misplaced mourning, and even standing up to her overbearing boss Caroline, who refuses to acknowledge her death. When she gets the chance to help her loved ones find closure, she begins to understand what it means to let go, and what remains when we do.

Lotus

European Premiere

Director : Nurgul Odabas Nash

Producers : Glenn Hanns, Nurgul Odabas Nash

Duration : 11:24 min

Country of Origin : Australia

A breast cancer survivor is being manipulated by male doctors into undergoing breast implant surgery. Confused by these manipulations, she decides to have breast surgery. In the waiting room of the plastic surgeon’s office, she visits with her husband, and the universe will send her a message. Lotus tells about a woman’s “My Body, My Choice.

Block 6 | Time 13:30 - 15:00 | HALL-5

The Reach

Dutch Premiere

Director : Luca Caserta

Producers : Luca Caserta

Duration : 28:00 min

Country of Origin : Italy

Based on a short story by Stephen King. Featuring the song “Moonlight Motel” by Bruce Springsteen. Winner of Best Foreign Short Film at the 17th Burbank International Film Festival and Best International Short at the 32nd Sedona International Film Festival. On Goat Island, elderly Stella Flanders must confront her past and the Reach that separates the isle from the mainland, in a journey between memories and love that transcends the boundaries of life. Stella Flanders is the oldest woman on Goat Island. Throughout her life, she has never crossed the Reach that separates the isle from the mainland. She has spent her entire existence in that small, close-knit community that is almost as welcoming as a family and in which she has always had everything she needed. But as a freezing winter descends upon the island, Stella begins to see visions of those she once loved, calling her toward the Reach. Perhaps the time has come for her to embark on that journey she never wished to take…

Disturbia

Disturbia

Dutch Premiere

Director : Mira Yankova

Producer : Adrian Georgiev

Duration : 6:23 min

Country of Origin : Bulgaria

Before our very eyes a strange human-bird hybrid undergoes constant transformation to cope with the omnipresent tensions of economical, ideological, military, and climatic threats.

Moral Hazard

Director : Luuk Audenaerde

Producers : Brend Küppers, Luuk Audenaerde

Duration : 12:20 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

A wealthy married woman tries to escape her intense guilt after she and her husband accidentally injure a sex worker during a reckless persuit of ecstasy.

The Fountain

Dutch Premiere

Director : Andrej Srebrnjak

Producer : Stojan Radic

Duration : 21:00 min

Country of Origin : Slovenia

After the death of her parents, eleven-year-old Mila moves to the countryside to live with her grandparents. Traumatised by loss, she stops speaking and withdraws from the world. With gentle patience and long walks in nature, her grandfather tries to awaken the spark of childhood and a sense of everyday life. During one of their walks, Mila discovers an ancient fountain hidden in the forest that mysteriously responds to every object she throws into it. When the fountain begins returning what was lost, Mila starts to believe it holds a power beyond understanding. Her discovery becomes a journey of healing and belief.

Ode (An Acknowledgement of Sea Country)

Dutch Premiere

Director : Kirsten Hudson

Duration : 6:15 min

Country of Origin : Australia

ODE (An Acknowledgement of Sea Country) is an experimental, cameraless animation made from handmade, biodegradable seaweed film, developed in collaboration with marine scientists in Western Australia. Using native macroalgae, natural pigments and sound generated from the electrical activity of living seaweed, the film allows ocean processes to shape its imagery and soundtrack. Running for 365 seconds, one for each day of the year, it offers a poetic meditation on ecological time, ocean intelligence and humanity’s relationship with the natural world.

Block 7 | Time 15:30 - 17:00 | HALL-5

Summer

Director : Laura Torenbeek

Producer : Ernesta d’Agostino

Duration : 10:00 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

Every summer, Francesca (12, Italian) spends time with her Dutch friend Alice (14) in her small village in Italy. However, this year something seems to have changed. Alice is different. Older. She is more interested in making friends with the older and seemingly cooler kids in the village and Francesca feels how they are drifting apart. Whilst Francesca still embraces her childhood, Alice is on the verge of becoming a teenager.

The Boy With The Balloon Heart

Director : Jay Krishnan Menon

Producer : Appliedwonder

Duration : 16:00 min

Country of Origin : India

Born with a balloon heart, a wide-eyed, dreamy and emotional boy drifts through life, never quite able to find where he belongs. His delicate, floating heart sets him apart—both a gift and a burden in a world that values groundedness, practicality and conformity. As he stumbles through life grappling against the weight of existence, he struggles with loneliness and the bane of being different. But one day, a quiet revelation shows him that what once felt like a flaw might be the very thing that sets him free.
The Boy with the Balloon Heart is a gentle, poetic animated short about vulnerability, hope, and finding strength in what makes us unique.

Light Falling Down

World Premiere

Director : Aimee Greenberg

Producers : Aimee Greenberg, Tom Call, Avalon Greenberg Call

Duration : 36:53 min

Country of Origin : United States

When a fragile Polish woman discovers a young Jewish girl hiding on her farm near Treblinka in 1942, she must choose between survival and morality in this surreal and psychological Holocaust narrative drama.

The Border Czar

European Premiere

Director : Raymond T. Williams

Producers : Jodi Beck, Mark Pellegrino

Duration : 11:55 min

Country of Origin : Costa Rica

After delivering a rousing speech on immigration, Rep. Jim Coolidge goes to sleep – only to wake up on the wrong side of the border.

Block 8 | Time 17:30 - 19:00 | HALL-5

Fanny

Fanny

Director : Karlijn Milder, Lotte Milder

Producer : Charlotte Driessen

Duration : 30:00 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

The ambitious hairdresser Fanny must survive within the demanding world of the Viennese court. When she pays no mind to the existing rules and moralities of the time, she draws the unexpected attention of Empress Sisi, as well as a public audience. A tragicomic period piece film about breaking stereotypes. Those who dare to be different can bring about change.

WETBOY

Director : Yentl Vlachos

Producers : Shanya Valies, Dilba Yasin

Duration : 10:00 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

At the start of summer, 20-year-old Sef and his friends spend a day swimming at a secluded river spot in southern Limburg. An underwater wrestling match between Sef and his best friend Lucas unexpectedly turns intimate, prompting Sef to attempt a kiss. Shocked and confused, Lucas punches Sef and hides his discomfort behind laughter, leaving Sef hurt, bewildered and struggling with unspoken feelings and unanswered questions about their friendship.

BYSTANDER

Dutch Premiere

Director : Ian Roderick Gray

Producer : Adham Hunt

Duration : 2:50 min

Country of Origin : United Kingdom

Commissioned by UN Women, Bystander is a tense, intimate short film exploring the split second where instinct, fear and responsibility collide. Across a series of everyday settings – a bus stop late at night, a locker room after a match, an online gaming session, an open-plan office – we witness subtle but recognisable moments of harassment and boundary-crossing behaviour directed towards women. Nothing heightened. Nothing dramatised beyond reality. Just the familiar discomfort of something not quite right. Each character faces the same internal question: intervene, or stay silent? Told through restrained performances, tightening frames and immersive sound design, the film places the audience inside the pause before action, where rationalisation and conscience wrestle for control. Rather than judging its characters, Bystander examines the psychology of inaction in the face of harassment and abuse towards women and the quiet realisation that silence, too, has consequences.

BRIDGE -My Little Friends

Director : Kazuyuki Ishihara

Producer : Makoto Mizusawa

Duration : 9:30 min

Country of Origin : Japan

“I’ll bring Shiro to you.I promise!” Jin, the cat, made this promise to Mugi, who is deeply sad about losing her beloved dog, Shiro.Jin loves Mugi very much and, after hearing the story of the “Rainbow Bridge” from his owner Aki, he decides to take Mugi to meet Shiro at theRainbow Bridge! Can Jin heal Mugi’s sadness? With the help of nearby pigeons and squirrels, Jin’s great plan is now underway!

Faceless People - The Journey of Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees in India

World Premiere

Director : Radhakrishnan R.K.

Producers : Meena Mohan, Swathi Mohan, Michael Leo Valan

Duration : 22:31 min

Country of Origin : India

Six Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in India, from different age groups, speak about their life in camps, and their hopes and aspirations. For over three decades, Sri Lankan Tamil refugees have lived in Tamil Nadu in a protracted situation—without certainty about their future and without viable policy solutions. Three generations have grown up with aspirations they cannot fulfil, surviving through sheer resilience while quietly contributing to the economy of their host communities. This prolonged uncertainty has left them among the most vulnerable. Encampment policies have deepened their marginalization, preventing thousands from leading productive lives and participating meaningfully in society. Despite the fact that 79% of these refugees have lived in India for more than 30 years, and 45% were born here and consider India their home, they remain outside the mainstream. Many young refugees have never seen Sri Lanka and struggle to accept it as their homeland. Their reality is one of being “permanently temporary.”

Block 16 | 19:30 onwards | HALL-5

OBRAZ / The TOWER OF STRENGTH

Dutch Premiere

Director : Nikola I. Vukcevic

Producers : Nikola I Vukcevic, Christopher Thoke, Milorad Radenovic, Nevena Savic, Dario Domitrovic

Duration : 1hr 37 min

Country of Origin : Montenegro

World War II is underway in Yugoslavia. A child, fleeing from the fascist unit that killed the child’s parents and burned their village, finds temporary shelter in the house of a stranger. Another significant difference between them is that the child is Christian and the host is Muslim. During the war in Yugoslavia, this fact often marked the line between life and death. The host of the house confronts a profound moral dilemma, as his home comes under intense siege by fascist forces: – whether to hand over the child to the persecutors, thereby compromising his deep-rooted beliefs and personal code, or – to endanger the safety of own family by saving a young foreigner of another religion and nation? When the host runs out of options, he is faced with a choice that will challenge his principles and define his legacy, and THE QUESTION IS: WHAT WILL HE DO?

The Official Montenegrin Oscar Entry for 2025, in the Best International Feature Film category.

Block 9 | Time 11:30 - 13:00 | HALL-4

D!SoRd3rEd

European Premiere

Director : Corey Allen

Duration : 9:29 min

Country of Origin : United States

In a wasteland of rubble and ruin, J. Doe—a Black Patient Zero—navigates the wreckage of a nation haunted by its own reflection. Pursued by histories of violence, erasure, and resistance, he confronts the ghosts of an unfinished reckoning. Blurring archive and hallucination, Disordered is a visual requiem—part ritual, part rupture—that confronts the consequences of a soul that cannot forget, yet refuses to remember its past.

Murderers

World Premiere

Director : Péter Polgár

Producers : Attila Csáky, Dávid Kárpáti

Duration : 37:48 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

Ignored by history for 40 years, the Oversteegen sisters’ true story inspires “Murderers” (1941-1990). Two teenage girls lure a Nazi to his death. Echoing the psychological trauma of war, emigration, and today’s chilling winds of fascism, the film asks: what is the true price of murder for a righteous cause, and what remains of our humanity after we are forced to cross the ultimate line?

Codes

European Premiere

Director : Eleanor Rhode

Producer : Sara Gibbings

Duration : 10:34 min

Country of Origin : United Kingdom


Following a major attack on British soil, a politician discovers that the only way of saving his country is by killing the man standing in front of him.

What if you had to kill a person to save the world? Four days ago, Jasper Slater was elected to parliament and appointed as Deputy Prime Minister for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Today, he is in a concrete bunker surrounded by military personnel. The worst has happened – a major attack on British soil, right at the heart of government. Everyone is dead. Jasper is suddenly in charge. And another attack is imminent. With an enemy prepared to do anything to destroy the country he loves, Jasper makes the unthinkable decision: launch Britain’s nuclear weapons before it’s too late. There’s just one problem. For Jasper to launch the missiles he needs the nuclear codes. And they are currently buried approximately two inches into the chest of Corporal Carter, a volunteer in the British Army, and a walking nuclear deterrent. Now Jasper has to decide how many lives he is willing to sacrifice to save the country. Including the first one.

Friends with Benefits

European Premiere

Director : Nancy Pop

Producers : Deniz Cam, Sinan Eczacibasi, Alyssa Briddes

Duration : 8:38 min

Country of Origin : United States

Two former coworkers lose their insurance and decide couples
therapy is a budget-friendly option.

(An earlier iteration of this script by Deniz Cam placed at the 2023 Austin Film Festival.)

SAFE ZONE

Dutch Premiere

Director : Ahmad Alameldeen

Producer : Ahmad Alameldeen

Duration : 8:15 min

Country of Origin : Egypt, Italy, United States

Hidden in a dark sewer pipe beneath a ruined besieged city, a mother and her eight-year-old daughter are starving. They survive by staying dead silent, terrified of the soldiers patrolling the streets above them. When a humanitarian aid cargo plane flies over, most of the aid drops far away, but one parcel falls by mistake. It lands on the street, just a few feet from their hiding spot. The hunger is too strong for the little girl to resist. She breaks free from her mother’s grip, crawls through the dirty pipes, and scrambles out into the blinding sunlight. She runs to the broken package and falls to her knees. But she doesn’t eat the rice. Instead, she frantically tries to sweep the spilled grains back into the bag to save them. High on a nearby rooftop, a sniper watches her through his scope. He doesn’t shoot immediately. He simply waits. He knows the package isn’t a lifeline; it is a trap. He is waiting for the mother to run out into the kill zone to save her child.

Block 10 | Time 13:30 - 15:00

JANET'S ISLAND

Director : Dodine Grimaldi

Producer : Dodine Grimaldi

Duration : 20:38 min

Country of Origin : France

During their holiday, two little girls help Janet, a heartbroken English traveler—unaware that this encounter will jeopardize their own family

Zwaar plat (Knocked Cold)

Director : Tom Druppers

Duration : 52:22 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

Thian ‘Tarzan’ de Vries is a young kickboxing sensation from the Netherlands who is rapidly conquering the international fight scene. Behind his invincible image, however, lies a turbulent past marked by addiction, crime, and time spent in youth detention. Kickboxing became both his escape and his salvation. As Thian rises through the ranks toward global recognition, an unease grows beneath the surface: can he keep control when the system that protects him begins to crack?
‘Zwaar plat’ (Knocked Cold) is a raw and intimate documentary about fighting – inside and outside the ring – and about the fragile balance between discipline and self-destruction. The film portrays not only a relentless athlete but a complex young man caught between freedom and confinement, strength and vulnerability.

Block 11 | Time 15:30 - 17:00

When I Was Little, I Wasn't Afraid

Director : Guido F.G. Jeurissen

Producer : Arjen van Doezelaar

Duration : 20:00 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

In tough IJsselmonde, 10-year-old Gush and Kevin survive a near drowning in the Meuse. As Kevin grows harder, Gush clings to his dream of becoming an astronaut. When his ball lands at neighbor Gershwin’s home, he discovers the man is his future self, offering one last weekend of childhood.

Fido

European Premiere

Director : John Norris Ray, Maria Victoria Sanchez

Producer : John Norris Ray

Duration : 7:05 min

Country of Origin : United States

A young girl watches an old dog. Taking the dog on a walk, a rough encounter with a bully has dire consequences.

BUBBLES

Dutch Premiere

Director : MERI DISHNICA

Producer : GIANNI RUSSO

Duration : 15:00 min

Country of Origin : Albania, Italy

A forty-year-old woman named SOL, floats in a long-distance relationship bubble. She starts the day waiting for the wake-up call to accurately perform her morning ritual, which seems to be a video call with her longtime boyfriend FRED. He is so far away that the sunrise at Sol’s window marks the sunset at his’. They both look weary and on the verge of frustration as they wait to see each other for Christmas— so the story goes, for some bizarre reason, for the two of them to meet requires the crack of Fred’s bubble, which never occurs.

The One Who Draws Dance

World Premiere

Director : Kristina Daurova

Producer : Kristina Daurova

Duration : 17:42 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

You’ll see him at almost every dance performance in Amsterdam. With a stack of paper under his arm, inkwells and watercolour palettes within easy reach, he finds his spot in the front row. Or, if it’s too crowded, he simply sits on the floor. As close to the stage as possible, close to the dancers, so he can capture their movements. His brush moves quickly, as if trying to keep up with the dance. His hair falls across his face, fingers smeared with paint, loose sheets of sketches scattered haphazardly around him. As if only he and the dancers are there, and the audience behind him doesn’t exist. Afterwards, he is noticeably uncomfortable as curious visitors lean over his drawings. He often gives his sketches away to the dancers, who recognise themselves in his swift, precise lines. And before you know it, he has vanished again. But at the next performance, he is there once more, as always in the front row. Everyone knows who he is, and yet no one really knows him. His name is Edgar, and he draws dance.

What We Carry

European Premiere

Director : Afra AlMarar

Producer : Najat Abdulrahman

Duration : 14:28 min

Country of Origin : United Arab Emirates

May and Sultan struggle to live within a home consumed by silence after a devastating loss alters their relationship forever. While Sultan clings to hope and the possibility of moving forward, May endures relentless physical pain and carries a secret she cannot bring herself to reveal. As the distance between them grows, old suspicions resurface, and the burden she bears begins to fracture the fragile foundation of their marriage.

BLOCK-17 | Time 17:30 - 19:00

Dear Lara

Dutch Premiere

Director : Lara St. John

Producer : Patrick Hamm

Duration : 1hr 34min

Country of Origin : Canada, United States

When violinist Lara St. John goes public about her own assault as a child at an elite music school, she uncovers a global pattern of abuse in the classical music world and joins fellow survivors to confront an entrenched culture of silence.

Block 12 | Time 11:30 - 13:00 | HALL-5

TODD & THE TOAD

Dutch Premiere

Director : Julia Mücke

Producer : Katharina Kümmel

Duration : 12:06 min

Country of Origin : Germany

Anxious, awkward, and terminally avoidant, Todd is a man paralyzed by social anxiety. When pressure mounts from Polly—a girl he’s been messaging online—to finally meet in person, Todd spirals into neurotic panic. To cope with this, he find’s a hint in the darknet, that takes him to lick a mysterious toad… only to awaken in a bizarre therapy session with Juan Carlos (aka JC)—a charismatic, hallucination-induced psychologist claiming to be part of Todd’s “corrective experience.” What unfolds is a surreal, fast-paced inner journey where JC challenges Todd’s deep-seated fears and avoidance tactics, pushing him toward emotional truth, self-awareness, and connection. From psychedelic lessons on vulnerability to hilarious miscommunications, Todd must face the terrifying possibility that love is worth the risk—just before everything nearly goes off the rails. With quirky humor, sharp dialogue, and an unexpected dose of heart, Todd & The Toad is a comedy about mental health, romantic anxiety, and the ridiculous but real steps we take toward becoming braver versions of ourselves.

Halima - Eine Anleitung zum Starksein

Dutch Premiere

Director : Linda Verweyen

Producer : Linda Verweyen

Duration : 24:18 min

Country of Origin : Germany

Halima underwent an operation to reconstruct her vulva after female genital mutilation. On her journey home, she talks about her way of staying strong. A film about the consequences of FGM, everyday racism in Germany and reality as a female refugee. Halima is a collective figure, representing biography, struggle and point of view of five somali women, who had suffred from FGM/C and worked on the film in all stages of production.

The Testimony

Director : Ellen van Kempen

Producer : Iris Heusschen

Duration : 16:45 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

‘The Testimony’ is a intimate crossover between theatre and film, in which a woman makes an irreversible decision, fueled by revenge and driven by love for her daughter.

Gnocchi

Director : Dylan Geurts

Producer : Dimphy van Vilsteren

Duration : 10:56 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

After an embarrassing mispronunciation of the word “gnocchi”
Emma decides to leave society behind and start a self-sufficient life in the woods, but even there, her obsession continues to haunt her.

The Toast Trip

European Premiere

Director : George Maestri

Producers : George Maestri, David Niles White

Duration : 10:42 min

Country of Origin : United States

A film about a mind-numbing job, delicious food, absurd numbers, big dreams, death, and toast.

Block 13 | Time 13:30 - 15:00

Beautiful Birds

Beautiful Birds

Dutch Premiere

Director : Tommy Clarke

Producers : Richard Lindsay, Mark Stothert

Duration : 19:59 min

Country of Origin : United Kingdom

When a widowed birdwatcher reluctantly teams up with her granddaughter for a local birdwatching competition on the Isle of Bute, their search for rare species becomes a heartfelt journey through grief, love, and letting go.

Don't call me Chef

European Premiere

Director : Maxime SIEGLE, Matthieu VOLLAIRE

Producers : Clément JOUVE, Delphine LASSALLE

Duration : 27:43 min

Country of Origin : France

Clotaire Poirier is not your typical chef. A globetrotter and polyglot, he rose to prominence with French audiences as a finalist on “Top Chef”, embodying a new generation of cooks for whom performance no longer comes at the expense of people. “Don’t Call Me Chef” offers an intimate immersion into his world, following three exceptional pop-up events between London and Paris, including a striking collaboration with Pierre Gagnaire. Amid the pressure of service, bursts of creativity, and openly embraced doubts, Clotaire Poirier champions a radical vision: a horizontal kitchen, where listening, trust, and collective intelligence replace traditional hierarchy. Through preparations and services, the film captures the emergence of a new way of building a brigade—freer, more contemporary—and subtly questions the dominant models of haute cuisine. A moving portrait of a chef breaking away, striving to reconcile excellence with humanity.

Machines Learning

European Premiere

Director : Anthony Koithra

Producer : Anthony Koithra

Duration : 8:16 min

Country of Origin : United States

Machines Learning is Anthony Koithra’s first original animated short, created entirely solo except for the music. In a dark factory, a bullying worker pushes his crew of robots harder and harder. They observe. They learn. And eventually, they act. The machines are learning, but what are we teaching them?

Ethos of Mizoram

World Premiere

Director : Himanshu joshi, Kapil Batra

Producer : Architectural Heritage Division INTACH

Duration : 10:29 min

Country of Origin : India

Mizoram unfolds as a land where mist-covered hills, close-knit tribes, and an enduring spirit of community shape every aspect of life. This documentary journeys into the heart of Mizo society, exploring the guiding ethos of tlawmngaihna—the tradition of selflessness, courage, discipline, and service to others. Through intimate encounters with village elders, artisans, musicians, dancers, and cooks, it reveals a culture where identity is preserved through oral traditions, vibrant choral music, and dances such as Cheraw. The camera follows the rhythm of everyday life from rice fields and forest produce to kitchens filled with smoked meat, bamboo shoots, fermented delicacies, and fresh greens, before entering workshops where skilled hands transform bamboo, cane, and handwoven textiles into objects of utility and beauty. Moving between ancestral memory and contemporary aspirations, the film presents Mizoram not merely as a picturesque mountain state, but as a living civilization whose music, cuisine, dance, and handicrafts embody resilience, hospitality, ecological wisdom, and a profound sense of belonging.

MADS & The Freak Factory

World Premiere

Director : Yda Neves

Producer : Sherin Jonker

Duration : 7:21 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

MADS & the Freak Factory is a narrative fashion and music film that transforms the themes of the original song Stereotype into a surreal allegory about identity, categorization, and the systems through which people are understood and evaluated. Set within a surreal and darkly whimsical factory world, the film follows a young girl as she enters the mysterious MADS Factory, where extraordinary figures move through an enigmatic system of observation, judgment, and transformation. As she ventures deeper into this meticulously controlled world, the line between individuality and classification begins to dissolve, revealing a haunting reflection on the labels that define us—and those who define them. Blending human made, original music (‘Stereotype’ by alias Halle Day), handcrafted origami-inspired fashion (by alias Y.N.Y), and AI-assisted visual worldbuilding, MADS & the Freak Factory is a darkly whimsical allegory about identity, judgment, and the consequences of reducing human beings to predefined roles. The film does not offer answers, but invites reflection on the systems through which we see and define one another.

Block 14 | Time 15:30 - 17:00

Em & Selma Go Griffin Hunting

Director : Alexander Thompson

Producer : Roger Mayer

Duration : 15:00 min

Country of Origin : United States

“From BAFTA-winning Exec Producer Roy Lee (Weapons, How to Train Your Dragon, Barbarian, It, Welcome to Darry) comes an allegorical 1930s-set coming-of-age fable about mothers, daughters & the beasts they hunt. Starring HEREDITARY’s Milly Shapiro and WALKING DEAD’s Pollyanna McIntosh.

The Phenomenon of Presence

European Premiere

Director : Simon Brooks

Duration : 9:25 min

Country of Origin : United Kingdom

The architect of a virtual world called Presence is interviewed about its profound capabilities – it can trigger lucidity in Alzheimer’s patients. Meanwhile, inside Presence, a daughter tries to reconnect with her mother, an Alzheimer’s sufferer, and bring her back to the physical world. The Phenomenon of Presence (TPOP) is a cerebral sci-fi thriller looking into our near future and exploring the possibilities of how technology may soon change our lives forever. TPOP explores the ongoing relationship between technology, psychology and neurological conditions such as dementia. In the near future, a virtual world called “Presence” has the unexpected side effect of easing the symptoms of certain forms of dementia. Across the globe millions of sufferers escape into this world, leaving their loved ones behind. The film asks the question: “If you lost your loved one to a virtual world you knew would help their condition, would you let them go forever?”

Boot Room

European Premiere

Director : Atul Malhotra

Producer : Richard Hague

Duration : 15:24 min

Country of Origin : United Kingdom

A junior footballer navigates the brutal hierarchy of a 1988 professional football club steeped in a culture of systemic bullying . His growing unease culminates in a hesitant act of defiance sparking a brutal backlash, turning the violence directly onto him. A short film adapted from a story by ex-footballer, turned author, John Budden. The film stars Noah Valentine (Waterloo Road, Inside No 9), Wilson Mbomio (The Witcher, Dickensian, Kindling), Akai Coleman (Supacell) and Matt Kennard (Drifters, We Live in Time).

Waterlanders

World Premiere

Director : Jan Rekelhof

Producers : Jan Rekelhof, Jarno Pors, Guido Visser

Duration : 9:14 min

Country of Origin : The Netherlands

In a flood-ravaged Netherlands. A father and his teenage daughter survive in isolation aboard an off-grid ship, cut off from a world shaped by floods & war. When a shellshocked soldier appears, claiming peace has returned, the father faces an impossible choice: trust a stranger and risk everything … or protect his daughter at the cost of his humanity.

Grace

Dutch Premiere

Director : Anna Rodgers

Producer : Nuala Carr

Duration : 25:00 min

Country of Origin : Ireland

Grace is a poignant coming of age drama centred on a woman in her late 20s with Down Syndrome, navigating the complexities of adulthood, independence and first love from within a residential support house. When Grace pushes the boundaries set for her, the consequences ripple through her carefully managed world.

BLOCK-18 | Time 17:30 - 19:00

Invisible Injuries

European Premiere

Director : Kelly Bergsma

Producers : Scott Quayle, Veronika Bohmova, Kelly Bergsma

Duration : 1hr 31min

Country of Origin : Australia

After war, Australian veteran Andy Fermo came home carrying wounds no one could see. As PTSD reshaped his body, identity, relationships and family life, the battlefield followed him into the everyday life; parenting, sleeping, communicating, and simply trying to feel safe. Invisible Injuries explores the hidden cost of trauma and the courage it takes to heal. This is a story about what it means to keep living after survival; to manage PTSD, rebuild connection, and find a way back to self, family and community.

Program Book 2026

Coming Soon...

Block 1 | Doors open at 09.20 | Time 9.30 - 11.00

Broken Courage

Directors : David Peck, Nathanael Draper,
Cambodia (Canada), (74 min)
Broken Courage follows Suon Rottana, a former Khmer
Rouge rebel and landmine survivor, on his journey of
memory, trauma, and reconciliation as he transforms
his pain into healing through storytelling at Cambodia’s
war museums.

(World Premiere)

The Peril of the Wild West

Director : Fabian Smeenk
Netherlands, (3 min)
A biographical film portraying the life of Belle Starr, the
notorious 19th-century American outlaw.

Screening will be followed by Q&A with filmmakers

Block 2 | Doors open at 11.20 | Time 11.30 - 13.00

~flowing

Directors : Iris P.M. Neuberg, Shereen Deen,
Austria, (6 min)
~ flowing tells the story of a migrant girl crew in
Vienna, blending song and video to capture their
unseen struggles and unstoppable strength in the face
of obstacles.

The Last Doctor Standing

Directors : Ibrahim Saber, Abdulqader Sabbah,
Qatar, (45 min)
Portrays Dr. Abu Safiya’s unwavering courage, enabling
450,000 Palestinians to resist displacement despite
immense personal loss and his eventual detention.

A Perfect Night

A Perfect Night

Director : Angelo Raaijmakers,
Netherlands, (19 min)
To celebrate his promotion to senior police officer,
Nordin and his girlfriend Luna try to bake ‘a perfect
cake, for a perfect night’. What starts as a fun and
affectionate activity slowly changes into a toxic cycle
of emotional and physical abuse, in which the two
struggle with their boundaries and self-control.

Shakespeare-for-all-Ages

Shakespeare for All Ages

Director : Hannes Rall,
Germany, (3 min)
A smart, entertaining and coherent Shakespeare
homage in about 3 minutes.

Screening will be followed by Q&A with filmmakers

Block 3 | Doors open at 13.20 | Time 13.30 - 15.00

(Dutch Premiere)

The Return of the Fireflies

Director : Daan Roosegaarde,
Indonesia, (1 min)
Set in Bali’s restless nights, this film follows the return
of fireflies, weaving a luminous tale of culture, memory,
and humanity’s duty to protect fragile nature.

Policed Mind

Director : Laury Hooghuis,
Netherlands, (10 min)
The Woman in White roams a deserted police station,
haunted by the Guard who steals thoughts.

Penguins of the Point

Director : Derek Robitaille,
Canada, (17 min)
Explores the lives of Falkland Islands penguins,
revealing their daily struggles and the growing threats
of climate change, overfishing, and avian influenza.

The Rise And Fall Of Zara Zilverstein

The Rise and Fall of Zara Zilverstein

Directors : Brian Kazez, Argentina,
France, USA, Spain, (20 min)
Tells the story of Zara, a store clerk, who is thrust into
sudden fame after a mishap with a famous actor, only
to find that her rapid rise quickly becomes a curse.

Domestic Animals
(Dutch Premiere)

Domestic Animals

Directors : Sandy Siquier, Alex Mendez Giner,
USA, (19 min)
Confronting the hidden epidemic of domestic violence,
Domestic Animals portrays cycles of abuse with
unflinching honesty, while a watching cat symbolizes
our collective inaction.

Only One Glove

Director : Fotis Zampetakis,
Greece, Spain, (4 min)
A story of missing gloves that unfolds into a reflection
on loss, absence, resilience, and the search for our
other half or for ourselves

Screening will be followed by Q&A with filmmakers

Block 4 | Doors open at 15.20 | Time 15.30 - 17.00

The Way We Roll (Music video)

The Way We Roll

Director : Brenda Malley,
Canada, (4 min)
Two renegades speed down a Texas backroad, but
their reckless escape ends with the inescapable reach
of the law

The Unseen
(Dutch Premiere)

The Unseen

Directors : Milou Rientjes, Niek Pennings,
Netherlands, (73 min)
Following three African migrants in Southern Italy,
capturing their struggles with exploitation, exclusion,
and uncertain futures while clinging to their dreams.

Screening will be followed by Q&A with filmmakers

Block 5 | Doors open at 17.20 | Time 17.30 - 19.30

The Architect

The Architect

Director : Michael Emami,
Sweden, (129 min)
A renowned Swedish architect reflects on his life with a
newfound friend while awaiting a possible cancer
diagnosis.

(Dutch Premiere)

The Brain that Cried Wolf

Director : Michael Sasaki,
USA, (15 min)
A slapstick comedy about Ronald Osaki, a queer Asian
actor in Hollywood navigating industry prejudice while
battling panic disorder, thanatophobia, and hypochondria.

Teeth
(World Premiere)

Teeth

Directors : Dany Szam, Carlijn Van Vliet,
Netherlands, (4 min)
Revealing how women often endure hidden domestic
abuse in silence, trapped by fear, dependence, and
concern for their children.

Screening will be followed by Q&A with filmmakers

Block 6 | Doors open at 09.20 | Time 9.30 - 11.00

Europe – Human Habitats

Director : Christian Baumeister,
Germany, (50 min)
Europe’s cities, from Paris to Portugal, reveal a hidden
wild side where rats, storks, snakes, ibex, and bats
thrive alongside people in surprising ways.

Yellowstone 88 - Song of Fire

Yellowstone 88

Directors : Jerry van de Beek, Betsy De Fries,
USA, (5 min)
A narrated animation about the massive 1988 wildfire
that devastated the park, the harsh winter that
followed, and the renewal of life in its aftermath.

Yaroshenko

Yaroshenko

Director : Lieuwe de Jong,
Netherlands, (4 min)
Yaroshenko of Ukraine endured the loss of his
daughter in battle and a home he can no longer return
to tragedies that feel too heavy for one lifetime.

Only When You Bury Me In This Earth

Director : Nima Shahmalekpur,
UK, (17 min)
An Afghan refugee awaiting word from his brother,
finds solace in flying kites until a crash with a
neighbour’s drone forces him to confront his
migration’s purpose and how to rebuild his life.

Screening will be followed by Q&A with filmmakers

Block 7 | Doors open at 11.10 | Time 11.20 - 12.50

Just let me dance

Just Let Me Dance

Director : Lou Zidi,
France, (22 min)
Following sisters Ange and Julia as they return to their
Corsican village to tell their spirited mother, Mado, who
has early-onset Alzheimer’s, about moving to a nursing
home only to find she intends to choose her own future.

Jeff

Jeff

Director : Julia Hebner,
USA, (25 min)
A phone sex operator who loses her grip on reality as
she becomes entangled in a hypnotic bond with a
caller confessing disturbing secrets.

Ricochet

Director : Max Van Nol,
Netherlands, (15 min)
An ex-convict is torn between returning to crime to
save his ailing wife or staying true to the honesty he
fought hard to rebuild.

Apnea

Director : Fabio Patrassi,
Italy, (12 min)
Following Teo, a 25-year-old in Milan who confides in
an AI while struggling to come out, exploring identity,
freedom, and whether AI can aid such a human
struggle.

Screening will be followed by Q&A with filmmakers

Block 8 | Doors open at 13.00 | Time 13.10 - 14.55

In Half

Director : Jorge Morais Valle,
Spain, (24 min)
Visually striking journey into loneliness, fear, and human
connection.

Confrontation

Confrontation

Directors : Marie Abbenanti, Sandy Pujol Latour,
France, (29 min)
Following 17-year-old Maxime, a survivor of
rape/incest, as she faces her godfather at a police
station in a tense struggle for truth and self-liberation,
based on a true story.

(Dutch Premiere)

Squashed

Director : Hazal Beril Çam,
Turkey, (16 min)
Using the image of a giant seagull abducting a woman
to portray how violence, like femicide, becomes
disturbingly ordinary amid Istanbul’s chaos and
society’s numbed response.

The-Spinning-Wheel

The Spinning Wheel

Director : Davy Stoces,
USA, (6 min)
A strange bug-like creature spins a human’s negative
thoughts into golden thread–until its spinning wheel
breaks.

SPACETIME

Spacetime

Director : Jeroen Hoekstra,
Netherlands, (12 min)
Exploring the Einstein Telescope and the future of
gravitational wave detection

Screening will be followed by Q&A with filmmakers

Block 9 | Doors open at 15.05 | Time 15.15 - 17.00

(World Premiere)

The Missing Part

Director : Marv Hathim,
Netherlands, (12 min)
When his friend vanishes during a weekend getaway,
Frank’s search for answers unravels a chilling truth far
beyond anything he imagined.

A Wild Life

A Wild Life

Director : Marie-Andrée Lemaire,
UK, (20 min)
Following Chester, whose suicide plan is upended by a
boy scout’s plea for help, leading to an unexpected
journey.

The Beneath

Director : Lisette Vlassak,
Netherlands, (7 min)
Young model Lone, pushed to the brink by her agent
and industry, finds refuge in her garden until a strange
underground creature threatens it, leading to a
revelation about the true source of her struggles.

Marter

Director : Christian Alsan,
Germany, (19 min)
Set in 1622 but painfully relevant today, Marter
explores how truth is twisted by power and how a
woman’s silence can echo louder than any confession

In Her Skin

Director : Kazım Mutlu,
Turkey, (10 min)
Şule gifts her husband a VR experience to rekindle their
passion, but after an unexpectedly intense encounter,
she becomes obsessed with finding the woman behind
the illusion.

(European Premiere)

Lockdown

Director : Melanie van Betten Jeffcoat,
USA, (17 min)
Inspired by the filmmaker’s own high school shooting
experience, follows a mother who must fight for
survival after picking up her daughter from school.

(European Premiere)

Whose Children are These?

Director : Christine E. Whitten,
USA, (7 min)
Music video inspired by the original song “Whose
Children Are These?

Screening will be followed by Q&A with filmmakers

Block 10 | Doors open at 17.10 | Time 17.20 - 19.00

(World Premiere)

Soft Floating in the Fields of Spheres

Director : Peter Korday,
France, (61 min)
Interweaving past, present, and imagined futures, this
film traces Rebecca’s spiritual journey through love, loss,
and forgiveness, questioning whether time itself is only
an illusion.

Red

Red

Director : Wout van Aanholt,
Netherland, (37 min)
Tired of the wolf’s harassment, Little Red Riding Hood
turns to a mysterious artifact called Trinity, only to find
its solution brings new dangers.

Screening will be followed by Q&A with filmmakers

Ticket Partner

How to get your tickets : Tickets are available through our ticket partner, Koortickets. Select the block you wish to attend and find a full overview on the ticket page. Take advantage of the early bird offer, which ends on 31 October 2026

Masterclasses 2026

Venue: Pathé Buitenhof Hall 4 and 5

14 November 2026

Masterclass-1

Time: 10 to 11 AM Hall-4
Presenter: Patricia Hetherington

Topic: The Art of Making it Happen

Synopsis:

Independent filmmaking rarely goes according to plan. Budgets fall short, opportunities disappear, decisions backfire and the unexpected becomes part of the process. What separates an idea from a finished film isn’t the absence of obstacles, but the ability to keep finding a way forward, even when adversity strikes. From short films to internationally screening feature documentaries, Australian filmmaker Kelly Bergsma shares the philosophy that has shaped her filmmaking career: Say Yes. Yes, And… What’s Next? Drawing inspiration from the principles of improvisation, Kelly explores how to embrace opportunities, adapt when circumstances change and approach every challenge with a solution- focused mindset. Whether a project succeeds, encounters setbacks or demands a complete pivot, there is always another decision to make. The key is learning to recognise it, act on it and keep the production moving. Through candid experiences, real-world production challenges and practical insights, this interactive masterclass explores the resourcefulness, resilience and creative problem-solving required to bring ambitious ideas to life. Because making a film isn’t about everything going to plan. It’s about knowing how to move forward when it doesn’t.

Kelly Bergsma

Kelly Bergsma is a Dutch Australian filmmaker, producer, creative entrepreneur and speaker with a career spanning independent filmmaking, business leadership, talent management and social impact. As Managing Director of Double Shot Creative Studios, Kelly has taken projects from short films to internationally screening feature documentaries, including Invisible Injuries, which premiered at CinefestOZ in 2026 and is having its European Premiere at the International Film Festival The Hague. A former CEO of a youth mental health charity, Kelly brings a unique perspective to storytelling, leadership and creative problem-solving. Driven by the philosophy “Say Yes. Yes, And… What’s Next?”, Kelly is passionate about turning ambitious ideas into reality, navigating challenges and inspiring others to make things happen.

Masterclass-2

Time: 10 to 11 AM Hall-5
Professor Alex Mendez Giner

Title: CINEMATIC STORYTELLING

Synopsis: To Be updated

Félix Martínez

After working in a few production companies in Hollywood and obtaining his Bachelor of Fine Arts in screenwriting from the New York Film Academy, Felix quickly found work as a Script Doctor in his home country of Argentina. Felix has been working as a Script Doctor for various known personalities and production companies from Buenos Aires since 2019. He is currently also a juror for the New York International Screenplay Awards, the Seattle Film Festival and the New York Screenwriting Awards.

15 November 2026

Masterclass-3

Time: 10 to 11 AM Hall-4
Presenter AIMEE GREENBERG

Topic: FROM PAGE TO STAGE TO SCREEN, the journey of Light Falling Down, from theatre to film; script to post.

Synopsis: In this master class, theatre artist and filmmaker Aimee Greenberg will document the journey of Light Falling Down, from stage play to long short. During a Q&A session, Greenberg will describe the genesis of the play, inspired by interviews, and the adaptation of the play to a film script; from live performance to film shoot and post.  Topics include:  killing your darlings: keeping the poetry while cutting exposition and theatrical language, adding scenes to develop the visual language of the film, the stage world versus film world, surrealism and expressionism in film, sound and production design in theatre versus film and the transformation of play to film in post, via color, music and editing. The pros and cons of the 36m short will also be discussed.
 

AImee Greenberg

Greenberg is a Bay Area filmmaker and native New Yorker film and theatre artist. She studied film and theatre at Queens College and NYU, and trained  with notable icons including Sanford Meisner, Wynn Handman, and Stella Adler. Aimee worked as an actress and director in television and off Broadway with storied theatre companies including La Mama, Etc. and The Medicine Show Theatre, and Playwrights Horizon.   In LA, she founded her first theatre company: HEIJERA productions. Greenberg is deeply inspired by the work of Robert Wilson, Pina Bausch, Sam Shepherd, Sam Beckett, Brecht, Maya Deren, Tarkovsky, Bela Tar, Pasolini, Cocteau, Stan Brackhage and other experimental artists who broke formal rules and conventions. During her LA period, she pivoted from modern and classical theatre and began generating multi-media original works, while creating a unique acting and movement system.  Greenberg’s post-modern and hybrid works integrate theatre, film, video, masks, puppetry, installation, found objects, pop culture, sound, text, and movement. She has generated life scripts and directed performances with marginalized groups such as teen runaways, gang-involved youth, and battered women. Greenberg also directed and facilitated theatre/film workshops, performances and lectures in universities and conservatories in California, Europe, Russia, and Japan. In San Diego, Aimee founded her second nomadic and site-specific theatre company: fruitlessmoon theatreworks, where she continued to devise new work and re-stage classics with a unique twist.

Critically acclaimed works include Dark Moon of Lilith, American Carnage: A Love Story and phases of the LOON. Aimee is fortunate to have collaborated with icons Grotowski, Augusto Boal, Irene Fornes and Guillermo Gentile. She is the recipient of multiple awards and fellowships including: The Asian Cultural Council Fellowship, The Los Angeles Endowment, Seattle Original Works, and the LA Women’s Foundation Grant. 

Masterclass-4

Time: 10 to 11 AM Hall-5
Presenter: Prof. Nikola Vukčević, PhD
Storytelling Principles & Structure: The Hero’s Journey and Beyond

Synopsis: Prof. Nikola Vukčević explores the fundamental principles of storytelling and how compelling stories are structured across film, theatre and literature. Beginning with Aristotle’s Poetics and moving through Freytag’s dramatic structure, Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey and Christopher Vogler’s narrative framework, the session examines the essential elements that make a story work—including theme, premise, character, conflict, structure and message. Through interactive discussions and examples from contemporary films and theatre, participants will learn how these ideas can be applied in practical storytelling, screenwriting and directing. The masterclass also looks at how Konstantin Stanislavski’s approach to acting influenced modern storytelling. It is designed for filmmakers, writers, actors, students, media professionals and anyone interested in understanding how powerful stories are created.

Prof. Nikola Vukčević, PhD

Nikola Vukčević is a film director, Full Professor of Film Directing, and Head of the Film and Media Department at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts (FDU) Cetinje, University of Montenegro. Over the course of his career, he has directed around 70 projects across multiple media Prof. Vukčević served as Artistic Director of the City Theatre Podgorica for seven seasons and as Vice President of the Council of the National Broadcaster RTCG (2014–2017). He is an alumnus of the prestigious IVLP Fulbright Program (New York, Los Angeles) and has served as a guest lecturer and film directing workshop leader across international institutions, including Paris, Istanbul, Dubrovnik, Izmir, Porto, China, and Bulgaria. He holds a PhD focused on the poetics of Ingmar Bergman in theater and cinema. For his latest feature film, OBRAZ / The Tower of Strength (2024)—which won over 20 international festival awards—he was honored with Montenegro’s highest state honor, the Thirteenth of July Award, formally cementing his position among the nation's most prominent artists.

Moderator

Sonu Shiva

Sonu Shiva

Sonu Shiva is a Professor of English at Govt. Dungar College, Bikaner, India, with over 25 years of distinguished experience in teaching and research. A known film critic, lyricist, and song composer, she has delivered lectures across Europe and Southeast Asia, contributing actively to international academic and cultural dialogues. Her research, published in reputed international journals, focuses on cinematic works such as Kamal Amrohi’s Pakeezah, Muzaffar Ali’s Umrao Jaan, and film adaptations by Deepa Mehta (Earth, Water, Fire) and Vishal Bhardwaj (Haider, Maqbool, Omkara).
Dedicated to mentorship and social impact, she has successfully supervised eleven Ph.D. scholars and is currently guiding eight doctoral students working on issues like dissociative self , marital rape, midlife crisis, children under oppressive regimes, adolescence conflicts and science fiction in literature as well as digital spaces. Her core areas of interest include film studies, gender studies, diasporic and world literature, making her a prominent voice in interdisciplinary literary and cultural research in India and abroad.

Venue

Pathé Buitenhof

Address

Buitenhof 20, 2513 AG Den Haag, Netherlands

Pathé Buitenhof, located next to the Binnenhof, is a historic venue with a boutique appearance

Pathé Buitenhof is one of The Hague’s distinctive cinema venues, located in the historic Buitenhof area, in the heart of the city. The cinema occupies a monumental 17th-century building, whose present façade and entrance date from 1904. The building has had several lives, including as a restaurant, bridge club and Cineac cinema, before becoming the home of Pathé Buitenhof. IFFH films will be screened in the recently renovated boutique theaters number 4 and 5. The theaters, designed by architect Kees Doornenbal and located in the monumental building, are equipped with luxurious single and double armchairs with a convenient table for food and drinks. The theaters also feature new laser projection with a curved screen for the best picture, and the lighting has been updated so that the beautiful wall murals are showcased even better. The opening event of the festival will be celebrated in the beautifully decorated ballroom.

Hotel Booking

Book your corporate rate for International Film Festival The Hague