Main competition selections now revealed

The International Competition presents twelve films that transform deeply personal histories into reflections on today’s most pressing issues. The selection brings together established names next to first-time filmmakers, with a diverse selection of films that champion the craft and innovation of filmmaking. Nine of the selected titles are world or international premieres.

Several works explore women’s lived experiences, tracing stories of oppression and violence met with resilience and solidarity. Other films turn to existential questions, probing our timeless search for meaning and belonging. Across the selection, stories of migration, war, and personal struggle emerge in singular, formally daring works that confront the realities shaping our world today.

The Envision Competition offers twelve unparalleled films, each of them stylistically arresting, as visionary filmmakers forge new cinematic languages. Eleven of the selected titles are world or international premieres.

Several works in the selection stage scenes or construct settings to direct their realities, using these interventions to explore the language of cinema. Others reimagine the archive, breathe new life into collective memory, or co-create stories with their protagonists, shifting authorship and perspective. By a playful yet rigorous exploration of form, the films in the selection can be seen to challenge conventions, decolonize narratives, and open new ways of seeing the world.

IDFA has also announced the nominations for the cross-section awards—distinct awards that transcend the program sections to recognize outstanding artistic achievement across the festival program.

The IDFA Award for Best First Feature celebrates the most remarkable debut feature-length films, recognizing works that reveal a distinctive creative voice and the promise of an evolving signature. Drawn from the International Competition, Envision Competition, Luminous, and Frontlight, the award is accompanied by a €5,000 prize, awarded by an international jury. The films nominated for the IDFA Award for Best First Feature are also eligible for the FIPRESCI Award, presented by the International Federation of Film Critics and chosen by an international jury of film critics.

The IDFA Award for Best Dutch Film highlights exceptional Dutch filmmaking talent across the International Competition, Envision Competition, Luminous, and Frontlight selections. The winning filmmaker with receive €5,000, awarded by an international jury.

The Beeld & Geluid IDFA ReFrame Award for Best Creative Use of Archive honors outstanding archival film, selected from across the film program. The winning film with receive a €5,000 prize, awarded by an international jury.

The winners will be announced during the IDFA 2025 Awards Ceremony on Thursday November 20.

The IDFA 2025 selection is now complete.