The 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam, is the 2026 edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, which was held from 29 January to 8 February 2026. In this edition a retrospective for Egyptian film director Marwan Hamed, as one of its Focus strands in celebration of his prolific career was featured along with European premiere of his 2025 film El Sett, a biopic of Egyptian singer and actress Umm Kulthum. In its second focus strand the festival will present films from the Japanese V-Cinema.
The festival closed with the premiere of French film Bazaar, a comedy-thriller about a crime writer and a film professor caught up in a mystery by Rémi Bezançon. Tiger Award was won by Variations on a Theme!, by Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar, whereas Audience Award was won by British biographical drama film I Swear by Kirk Jones.
Jury The jury for its three competition sections was announced on 2 December 2025.
Tiger Competition Soheila Golestani, Iranian actress and film director Marcelo Gomes, Brazilian film director, screenwriter and visual artist. Ariane Labed, Greek-French actress and film director. Kristy Matheson, BFI London Film Festival Director since 2023, and formerly the Creative Director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival and Director of Film at Australia’s national museum of screen culture ACMI. Jurica Pavičić, Croatian writer, columnist and film critic
Tiger Short Competition Sammy Baloji: photographer from the Democratic Republic of the Congo Anka Gujabidze: visual artist from Tbilisi Jukka-Pekka Laakso: Festival director of Tampere Film Festival since 2002
Big Screen Competition Jan-Willem van Ewijk: Dutch film director, actor and screenwriter Sara Ishaq: Yemeni-Scottish film director, screenwriter, and trainer Loes Luca: Dutch actress, singer and comedian Chris Oosterom: Director of Imagine Film Festival Mila Schlingemann: Senior Programmer & Acquisitions at EYE, the national museum for film and the art of moving image in the Netherlands.
Official selection The titles were revealed on 16 December 2025.
Opening and closing films The opening and closing films of the festival are:
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Opening film Providence and the Guitar A Providência e a Guitarra João Nicolau PortugalClosing film Bazaar Le crime du 3e étage Rémi Bezançon France
Tiger Competition
The competition titles are as follows:
La belle année, Angelica Ruffier (Sweden, Norway) A Fading Man, Welf Reinhart (Germany) The Gymnast, Charlotte Glynn (United States) A Messy Tribute to Motherly Love, Dan Geesin (Netherlands, Germany, Belgium) My Semba, Hugo Salvaterra (Angola) Nangong Cheng, Shao Pan (China) O profeta, Ique Langa (Mozambique, South Africa, Qatar) Roid, Mejbaur Rahman Sumon, (Bangladesh) Supporting Role, Ana Urushadze (Georgia, Estonia, Turkey, Switzerland, United States) Unerasable!, Socrates Saint-Wulfstan Drakos (Belgium, Thailand, Sweden) Variations on a Theme, Jason Jacobs, Devon Delmar (South Africa, Netherlands, Qatar) Yellow Cake, Tiago Melo (Brazil)
Big Screen Competition 2m2, Volkan Üce, Belgium, Germany, Turkey The Arab, Malek Bensmaïl, Algeria, France, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Belgium Butterfly, Itonje Søimer Guttormsen, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, Germany Cyclone, Philip Yung, Hong Kong The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford, Sean Dunn, United Kingdom Home, Marijana Janković, Denmark, Serbia Master, Rezwan Shahriar Sumit, Bangladeshis Moonglow, Isabel Sandoval, Philippines Now I Met Her, Xiao Luxi, China Projecto Global, Ivo M. Ferreira, Portugal, Luxembourg Talking to a Stranger (Hablando con extraños), Adrian Garcia Bogliano, Mexico Tell Me What You Feel, Łukasz Ronduda, Poland
Tiger Short Competition
A donde nos lleva la fe de José Gerónimo, director Juliano Kunert (Dominican Republic) Acid City, dir. Jack Wedge, Will Freudenheim (United States) The Apple Doesn’t Fall..., dir. Dean Wei (China) Body, remember..., dir. Matthew Berka (United Kingdom) CUL-DE-SAC !, dir. Clyde Gates, Gabriel Sanson (Belgium, France) Deep Cobalt, dir. Petna Ndaliko Katondolo (Congo, Democratic Republic, United States) DISSONANCE, dir. Jordan Strafer (Germany) Domestic Demon, dir. Anahid Yahjian (United States, Portugal) Futuros luminosos, dir. Ismael García Ramírez (Colombia) Golden Island, dir. Arief Budiman (Indonesia, Singapore) Home Is where the heart Is, dir. Timothée Engasser (France) I am a River, dir. Heidi Piiroinen (Finland, France) Last Shot, dir. Parham Rahimzadeh (Netherlands) like moths to light, dir. Gala Hernández López (Spain, Italy, France) Mirror Martyr Mirror Moon, dir. Jesse Jones (Ireland) The Next World, dir. Grau Del Grau (United States) Objet d’énigme, dir. Chiara Caterina (Italy, Belgium) Orla, dir. Marie Lukáčová (Czech Republic, Slovakia) RELUCESCO, dir. Shannon Lynn Harris (Canada) The Second Skin, dir. Mariia Lapidus (United States, Mexico) Smriti~, dir. Shahi A J (India) The Tragic Movement of the Spheres, dir. Simon Rieth (France)
Limelight A programme showcasing cinematic highlights of film festival favourites and international award-winners.
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)100 Nights of Hero Julia Jackman United Kingdom, United States 3 Days in September 3 zile în septembrie Tudor Giurgiu Romania Badak M. Raihan Halim Singapore, Malaysia Bazaar (Murder in the Building) Le crime du 3e étage Rémi Bezançon France Between Brothers Tussen broers Tom Fassaert Netherlands, Belgium ChaO チャオ Yasuhiro Aoki Japan Dead Man's Wire Gus Van Sant United States Deadline 自殺通告 Kiwi Chow Taiwan, Hong Kong, United Kingdom El Sett Marwan Hamed Egypt Exit 8 8番出口 Genki Kawamura Japan Fackham Hall Jim O'Hanlon United Kingdom, United StatesFather Mother Sister Brother Jim Jarmusch United States, Ireland, France Fuori Mario Martone Italy, France Gavagai Ulrich Köhler Germany, France The History of Sound Oliver HermanusUnited Kingdom, United States Hi-Five Kang Hyeong-cheol South Korea I Swear Kirk Jones United Kingdom The Kidnapping of a President Kyyditys Samuli Valkama Finland, Czech Republic, Netherlands, EstoniaLate Fame Kent Jones United States Life Is Life La vita va così Riccardo Milani Italy The Little Sister Hafsia HerziFrance, Germany Mi Amor Guillaume Nicloux France My Daughter Is a Zombie 좀비딸 Pil Gam-sung South Korea My Tennis Maestro Il Maestro Andrea Di Stefano Italy No Hit Wonder Florian Dietrich Germany No Other Choice 어쩔수가없다 Park Chan-wook South Korea Palestine 36 فلسطين ٣٦ Annemarie Jacir Palestine, United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan Parasakthi பராசக்தி Sudha Kongara India Peleliu: Guernica of Paradise ペリリュー 楽園のゲルニカ Goro Kuji Japan Providence and the Guitar A providência e a guitarra João Nicolau PortugalQuezon Jerrold Tarog Philippines Rangga & Cinta Riri Riza Indonesia Return to Silent Hill Christophe Gans France, United States Romería Carla Simón Spain, Germany Scarlet 果てしなきスカーレット Mamoru Hosoda Japan The Secret Agent Kleber Mendonça Filho Brazil, France, Germany, Netherlands The Shadow's Edge 捕风追影 Larry Yang China, Hong Kong Siapa Dia Garin Nugroho Indonesia Silent Friend Stille Freundin Ildikó Enyedi Germany, France, Hungary Sore: Wife from the Future Sore: Istri dari Masa Depan Yandy Laurens Indonesia Sound of Falling In die Sonne schauen Mascha Schilinski Germany Special Unit – The First Murder Rejseholdet – Det første mord Christoffer Boe Denmark, Poland The Stranger L'Étranger François Ozon France The Testament of Ann Lee Mona Fastvold United Kingdom, United States Tokyo Taxi TOKYOタクシー Yoji Yamada Japan Treat Her Like a Lady Paloma Aguilera Valdebenito Netherlands Tunnels: Sun In The Dark Địa đạo: Mặt trời trong bóng tối Bui Thac Chuyen Vietnam Two Prosecutors Sergei Loznitsa Latvia, France, Germany, Netherlands, Romania, Lithuania Whitetail Nanouk Leopold Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland The Wizard of the Kremlin Le mage du Kremlin Olivier Assayas France The Wolf, the Fox & the Leopard David Verbeek Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland, Taiwan, Croatia, Belgium, Finland
Bright Future The programme highlights first-feature films from promising filmmakers.
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Ah Girl 阿 Girl Ang Geck Geck Priscilla Singapore Chronovisor Jack Auen & Kevin Walker United States Dead Dogs Don't Bite Ölü Köpekler Isırmaz Nuri Cihan Özdoğan Turkiye Honey Bunny Koke Igor Jelinović Croatia, SerbiaI Grew an Inch When My Father Died P. R. Monencillo Patindol Philippines Let Them Be Seen Nolitha Refilwe Mkulisi South Africa, Germany Mayilaa Semmalar Annam India
Harbour The programme showcases contemporary cinema.
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) 58th Carl Joseph Papa Philippines Accept Our Sincere Apologies Juja Dobrachkous United Kingdom, Italy Art Is Dark and Full of Horrors El arte es oscuro y está lleno de horrores Artemio Narro Mexico Earth Song Erol Mintaş Finland, Germany The Hole, 309 Days to the Bloodiest Tragedy Lobang Buaya: 309 Hari Sebelum Tragedi Berdarah Hanung Bramantyo Indonesia Gaua Spain Krakatoa Carlos Casas United Kingdom, Poland, France The Misconceived James N. Kienitz Wilkins United States Motherwitch Δωδεκάμερον Minos Papas Cyprus, North Macedonia, United States The Passion According to GHB A Paixão Segundo GHB Gustavo Vinagre, Vinicius Couto Brazil A Useful Ghost Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke Thailand, France, Singapore, Germany
Focus: Marwan Hamed This will feature Marwan Hamed's work from the past twenty years.
Year English title Original title Production countrie(s) 2014 The Blue Elephant الفيل الأزرقEgypt 2019 The Blue Elephant 2 2 الفيل الأزرق 2018 Diamond Dust تُراب الماس 2009 Ibrahim Labyad إبراهيم الأبيض 2022 Kira & El Gin الجن و كيرة 2017 The Originals الأصليي 2006 The Yacoubian Building يعقوبيان عمارة
Focus: V-cinema
Japan’s V-Cinema Focus will showcase a range of Toei titles:
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Crime Hunter クライムハンター 怒りの銃弾 Okawa Toshimichi Japan
Awards The following awards were given in the festival:
Tiger Award Variations on a Theme!, Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar, South Africa, Netherlands, Qatar
Special Jury Awards
La belle année, Angelica Ruffier, Sweden, Norway Supporting Role Ana Urushadze, Georgia, Estonia, Turkey, Switzerland, United States
Big Screen award
Master, Rezwan Shahriar Sumit, Bangladesh
Audience Award I Swear by Kirk Jones, United Kingdom Ammodo Tiger short awards The Second Skin, Mariia Lapidus, USA, Mexico The Apple Doesn’t Fall... Dean Wei, China Ndjimu (Deep Cobalt), Petna Ndaliko Katondolo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, USA
FIPRESCI Award Supporting Role Ana Urushadze, Georgia, Estonia, Turkey, Switzerland, United States
KNF Award 2026 The Apple Doesn’t Fall... Dean Wei, China
NETPAC Award
i grew an inch when my father died P. R. Monencillo Patindol, Philippines Special mention
The Seoul Guardians, Kim Jong-Woo, Kim Shin-Wan and Cho Chul-Young, South Korea Youth Jury Award
Ah Girl, Ang Geck Geck Priscilla, Singapore
European Short Film Award Nomination CUL-DE-SAC !, Clyde Gates, Gabriel Sanson, Belgium, France
Robby Müller Award Yorick Le Saux, French cinematographer
References
External links