Dutch debut MATTERHORN takes UPC Audience Award

42nd International Film Festival Rotterdam
23 January – 3 February 2013

PRESS RELEASE 2 February 2013

• IFFR closes strong edition
• MATTERHORN takes UPC Audience Award
• WADJDA wins Dioraphte Award

Two feature film début were IFFR 2013’s audience favorites. Dutch film MATTERHORN by Diederik Ebbinge took the UPC Audience Award. Haifaa Al Mansour’s WADJDA was awarded with the Dioraphte Award for best Hubert Bals Fund-supported film. Both awards come with 10,000 Euro prize money.

MATTERHORN tells the tragicomical story of widower Fred (Ton Kas) who leads a lonely life after his wife passed away. His life takes an unexpected turn when a stranger (René van ’t Hof) calls at his doorstep.

Diederik Ebbinge co-founded popular Dutch theatre company De Vliegende Panters along with several cabaret academy classmates. He acted in several Dutch films and TV series and directed several short fiction films. His feature début MATTERHORN saw its world premiere in IFFR’s Bright Future 2013. Cinéart Netherlands releases MATTERHORN 7 February in Dutch film theatres.


Wadjda is 10 years old, lives in Saudi Arabia and wants a green bicycle. Her conservative surroundings think that a girl should not be on a bicycle, but she perseveres. Wadjda stands for many girls and women from Saudi Arabia. The drama offers a glimpse of a society that is otherwise closed, with universal and familiar themes such as hope, courage and perseverance.

Taboo-breaking Haifaa Al Mansour is regarded as the first female filmmaker from Saudi Arabia. Her first three short films, her award-winning documentary WOMEN WITHOUT SHADOWS (2005) and her fiction feature début WADJDA influenced many directors in her region. WADJDA was supported in script stage by the Hubert Bals Fund and was selected in IFFR’s Bright Future 2013.


IFFR 2013 counted 280.000 admissions for its films, exhibitions, live performances, and events: a positive result within the new economic reality. IFFR is delighted that audiences and partners have endorsed the importance of the festival and participated in large numbers.

The second edition of Curaçao IFFR takes place 4 – 7 April 2013 in Willemstad. The 43rd IFFR will be held from 22 January – 2 February 2014.


(End of press release)

Note to the Editor:

IFFR 2013 film information, search by film title:
http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/en/iffr-2013/films-a-z/

Available film stills and portrait pictures by filmmakers of all festival selections:
www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/professionals/press/film-stills-IFFR-2013/

Press information IFFR:
IFFR Press Office, Bert-Jan Zoet of Nancy van Oorschot
[email protected], 010-8909090