51st International Film Festival Rotterdam

26 January – 6 February 2022

Rotterdam, 22 December 2021

The 51st edition programme is scaled down and moved online in response to increased concerns about Covid-19 and lockdown in the Netherlands

International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) announces the decision to host an adapted festival programme online in response to growing concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant across Europe and a nationwide lockdown in the Netherlands, in effect from Sunday 19 December. The 51st edition will offer audiences a selection of films, available in the Netherlands, and IFFR Talks, available worldwide, on IFFR.com. IFFR Pro industry events CineMart and Rotterdam Lab will also take place online. More information on the IFFR 2022 festival format and programme will be announced during a press conference in early January.

The Netherlands’ government announced a full, nationwide lockdown in effect from Sunday 19 December, including the closure of all non-essential shops, as well as cinemas, schools, museums and catering establishments – as advised by the Netherlands’ Institute for Public Health and Environment (the RIVM). The measures have been announced to be in effect until at least 14 January 2022.

In light of the current concerns and unpredictable circumstances of the global health crisis, IFFR has made the decision to host a scaled down festival programme online. The festival’s previous announcements outlined plans for an ambitious on-site programme for IFFR 2022 that is now no longer possible. Even in case the current restrictions are lifted after 14 January, the sheer scale of the festival is no longer compatible with a last-minute transition to an in-person event in Rotterdam.

The festival acknowledges that the impact of this critical decision is widely felt – most prominently affecting the filmmaking community and audiences which IFFR continually sets out to support and connect with. IFFR remains committed to presenting an online programme in conditions that permit the safety of the public, staff members and guests while celebrating cinema and providing a platform for filmmakers from across the globe.

IFFR 2022’s programme will be scaled down to a selection of films available to audiences based in the Netherlands and IFFR Talks with related filmmakers available worldwide, on IFFR.com. The festival’s education programmes will be adapted or postponed until later in the year to offer pupils and students access to IFFR-curated cinema.

Both a press and an IFFR Pro industry accreditation will be made available, with international online access to a selection of official titles. As previously announced, Rotterdam Lab and CineMart will take place online – offering an essential platform to emerging producers and projects in development to learn, connect and generate exposure.

The abrupt change in circumstances requires a reevaluation of the festival programme. Further information on the festival plans and the adapted selection of films will be announced during our press conference in early January. The date will be confirmed as soon as possible.