Introduction to the film festival
The 38th International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, including its New Media program IDFA DocLab, takes place November 12 to 23, 2025. The regulations stated here apply only to entries to IDFA's 2025 festival edition.The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) is the world's largest documentary film festival held annually since 1988 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.IDFA is an independent, international meeting place for audiences and professionals to see a diverse (in form, content, and cultural background) program of high-quality documentaries. IDFA selects creative and accessible documentaries, which offer new insights into society.By 2009, IDFA had achieved the reputation of the most important doc fest.Every year in November, the festival takes place over the period of 11 days, in more than 40 venues around the city, welcoming an audience of 295.000 (2019), and a record number of documentary film professionals, as over 3500 gather for the festival, from more than 100 countries every year.
Awards
From the films selected for the International Competition, an international jury of five jurors will choose the winner of the IDFA Award for Best Film. The award is accompanied by a €15,000 cash prize. The jury also selects the winners of the IDFA Award for Best Directing (worth €5,000), the IDFA Award for Best Editing, and the IDFA Award for Best Cinematography.
From the films selected for the Envision Competition, an international jury of five jurors will choose the winner of the IDFA Award for Best Film in the Envision Competition. The award is accompanied by a €15,000 cash prize.
The jury also selects the winners of IDFA Award for Best Directing (worth €5,000) and the IDFA Award for Outstanding Artistic Contribution.
From the projects selected for the IDFA DocLab Competition for Immersive Non-Fiction, an international jury of three jurors will choose the winner of the IDFA DocLab Award for Immersive Non-Fiction. The award is accompanied by a €5,000 cash prize.
From the projects selected for the IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling, an international jury of three jurors will choose the winner of the IDFA DocLab Award for Digital Storytelling. The award is accompanied by a €5,000 cash prize.
From the films selected for the IDFA Competition for Short Documentary, an international jury of three jurors will choose the winner of the IDFA Award for Best Short Documentary. The award is accompanied by a €5,000 cash prize.
From the films selected for the IDFA Competition for Youth Documentary, an international jury of three jurors will choose the winner of the IDFA Award for Best Youth Film, divided into two age categories: 9-13 and 14+. Each award is accompanied by a €2,500 cash prize.
From the International Competition, Envision Competition, Luminous, and Frontlight, an international jury will choose the winner of the IDFA Award for Best First Feature (€5,000).
From the International Competition, Envision Competition, Luminous, Frontlight, and Signed, an international jury will choose the winner of the IDFA Award for Best Dutch Film (€5,000).
From across the program, an international jury will choose the winner of the Beeld & Geluid IDFA ReFrame Award (€5,000).
Rules
Eligibility
IDFA considers documentary films, performances and new media projects in any format and of any duration. IDFA understands documentary film in a broad sense, as a film that deals with reality, including hybrid films and films that rely on real elements as a core component. Please check entry requirements per section below (see 2.4).
All films completed after July 11, 2024 are eligible for IDFA 2025. Films completed before this date are not eligible and cannot be taken into consideration.
Unless approved in writing by IDFA program department, only one version of a film will be considered. It is therefore highly preferred that the submitted screener is at least a picture-lock. Rejected works-in-progress cannot be re-entered for the current edition when a newer version is available, nor for the following year.
Films that have been already considered by our team in previous editions are not eligible, even if the film has changed significantly since the last time it was entered.
Films that have already been screened in the Netherlands, been broadcast on Dutch television or are available via VOD, SVOD or any online platform in the Netherlands are not eligible for the festival. For premiere requirements and regulations for specific program sections, please see section 2.4.
If the film does not meet all the requirements as stated in this section, it will not be eligible for selection. Exceptions to these eligibility requirements can only be approved in special circumstances by the board of directors of IDFA after sufficient examination.
Premiere status
IDFA welcomes all documentary films, new media projects and performances that are a world, international, European or Dutch premiere. On average, half of all films selected for IDFA’s program are a Dutch premiere. The other half of IDFA’s program consists of films that are a world, international or European premiere. The latter is a requirement for films entered into one of IDFA’s competitions, Luminous or Frontlight sections.
Our program sections and competitions each have their own specific requirements regarding premiere status. A world premiere would mean that a screening at IDFA is the first screening ever, on any media, and anywhere. The international premiere is the first screening outside the country of production, a European premiere is the first screening in Europe (referring to the Council of Europe member states), and a Dutch premiere the first screening in the Netherlands. For the specific requirements for our different competitions and program sections, please see section 2.4 of the regulations.
A private screening prior to IDFA is allowed and will not change a film's premiere status, provided this screening is not publicized, by invitation, without ticket sales, and for fewer than 50 people.
nternational Competition and Envision Competition
The International Competition presents about 15 films, over 60 minutes in duration each, in world, international or European premiere. This is the best of an art that matured over time and the work of a filmmaker that masters it with all its sophistication and refinement. Here are films that are artistically confident, well-rounded, and in their unique ways, universally relevant.
The Envision Competition presents about 15 films, over 40 minutes in duration each, in world, international or European premiere. With stylistic integrity and courage, each one of these films searches for its own language. Here is a polyphony of proposals, giving us signs of what the future of documentary film can be, helping us realize the present moment of reality, and of the art itself.
Films selected for IDFA’s competitions are eligible for IDFA awards. Please see section 3. Juries and awards.
Luminous and Frontlight
Luminous and Frontlight are international non-competitive sections for films longer than 40 minutes, in world, international or European premiere. In exceptional cases, short films (under 40 minutes) could be invited for Frontlight and Luminous.
IDFA DocLab Competition & IDFA DocLab New Media Program
Information about the DocLab Call for Entry 2025 will be announced soon.
IDFA Competition for Short Documentary
Competition for films up to 40 minutes, in world, international, or European premiere. For Dutch productions, only world premieres can be accepted.
Films selected for IDFA’s competitions are eligible for IDFA awards. Please see section 3. Juries and awards.
Youth Program
The Youth Program invites young audiences to discover the art of documentary film. The program includes films aimed at two age groups: 9-12 and 13+. Filmmakers who take young audiences seriously with films that do not shy away from difficult subject matter and vast artistic expression are the cornerstones of this section.
Films of any duration are eligible. We consider world, international, European and Dutch premieres, but world and international premieres are given priority.
Best of Fests and Signed
Two non-competitive programs that bring the highlights of the year to Amsterdam. Best of Fests is IDFA’s showcase of the films that have made an impact on the international film festival circuit. Signed is the section dedicated to the latest films by the most interesting contemporary filmmakers whose filmographies we highly appreciate.
The sections are open to films of any duration and require films to be at minimum a Dutch premiere at the time of the screening at IDFA. Screening, TV broadcast or availability through streaming platforms in the Netherlands prior to the festival makes the entry ineligible.
Paradocs
International non-competitive section that brings a showcase of the year’s best experimental documentary art. This program is open to films of any duration and can also include single- or multi-channel video installations that can be presented in a cinema. World, international, European and Dutch premieres are eligible. Dutch productions may have been screened in the Netherlands in a non-film context (e.g., in a museum or gallery) prior to being presented at IDFA.
| Jury Name | Judge photos | Jury Profile |
|---|
Authorization type
Duration (several sessions)
Film Festival Features
Dates & Deadlines
2025-03-04
Submission start time
2025-04-22
Early entry deadline
2025-05-26
second entry Deadline
2025-07-08
Final entry deadline
2025-07-08
Submission end time
2025-09-30
Finalist notification start time
2025-09-30
Finalist notification end time
2025-11-12
Award ceremony start time
2025-11-23
Award ceremony end time
Categories and fees
2025/04/22
Early entry deadline
Standard: 28 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/05/26
second entry Deadline
Standard: 39 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/07/08
Final entry deadline
Standard: 49 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/04/22
Early entry deadline
Standard: 49 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/05/26
second entry Deadline
Standard: 71 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/07/08
Final entry deadline
Standard: 93 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/04/22
Early entry deadline
Standard: 49 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/05/26
second entry Deadline
Standard: 71 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/07/08
Final entry deadline
Standard: 93 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/04/22
Early entry deadline
Standard: 49 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/05/26
second entry Deadline
Standard: 71 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/07/08
Final entry deadline
Standard: 93 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/04/22
Early entry deadline
Standard: 49 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/05/26
second entry Deadline
Standard: 71 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/07/08
Final entry deadline
Standard: 93 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/04/22
Early entry deadline
Standard: 28 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/05/26
second entry Deadline
Standard: 39 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/07/08
Final entry deadline
Standard: 49 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/04/22
Early entry deadline
Standard: 28 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/05/26
second entry Deadline
Standard: 39 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/07/08
Final entry deadline
Standard: 49 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/04/22
Early entry deadline
Standard: 49 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/05/26
second entry Deadline
Standard: 71 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/07/08
Final entry deadline
Standard: 93 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/04/22
Early entry deadline
Standard: 49 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/05/26
second entry Deadline
Standard: 71 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/07/08
Final entry deadline
Standard: 93 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/04/22
Early entry deadline
Standard: 28 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/05/26
second entry Deadline
Standard: 39 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
2025/07/08
Final entry deadline
Standard: 49 Dollar
Student： 28 Dollar
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