The 53rd International Film Festival Rotterdam, is the 2024 edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, which began on 25 January 2024.
Description The complete line-up of films competing in the festival was revealed on 18 December 2023.
The festival opened with Head South, a New Zealand film by Jonathan Ogilvie, on 25 January 2024, and closed on 4 February 2024 with La Luna by M. Raihan Halim.
The Arab Cinema Center, on its 10th anniversary, supported three producers in the Rotterdam Lab, and ran five days of panel sessions and events at the festival.
Rei by Tanaka Toshihiko of Japan won the Tiger Award, while Kiss Wagon by Midhun Murali from India and Flathead by Jaydon Martin from Australia won the Special Jury Awards. The VPRO Big Screen Award was awarded to The Old Bachelor by Oktay Baraheni from Iran. Green Border by Agnieszka Holland won the Audience Award.
Juries
Tiger Competition Marco Müller: former director of Locarno, Venice and IFFR Ena Sendijarević: an Amsterdam-based Bosnian filmmaker and screenwriter Nadia Turincev: industry expert and founder of Easy Rider Films Herman Yau: Hong Kong film director, screenwriter and cinematographer. Billy Woodberry: leading directors of the L.A. Rebellion
Tiger Short Competition Mónica Lima: Portuguese filmmaker Yasmina Price: New York-based writer and film programmer Jade Wiseman: a Montreal-born film distributor now based in Amsterdam.
Big Screen Competition Samina Khan Sylvie de Leeuwe Lisa van der Loos Marcos Silva Ella de Bruijn
FIPRESCI Award Ela Bittencourt Dārta Ceriņa Panagiotis Kotzathanasis Antonios Lagarias Ronald Rovers
NETPAC Award Elena Larionova Haug Donsaron Kovitvanitcha Andreas Ungerböck
Official selection Opening and closing films
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Opening filmHead South Jonathan Ogilvie New Zealand Closing filmLa Luna M. Raihan Halim Singapore, Malaysia
Tiger Competition The following films are selected to compete for the Tiger Award. The line-up was announced on 19 December 2023.
Highlighted title indicates award winner. English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich United States Flathead Jaydon Martin Australia Grey Bees Dmytro Moiseiev Ukraine Kiss Wagon Midhun Murali India Me, Maryam, the Children and 26 Others Farshad Hashemi Iran, Germany, Czech Republic Moses Jenni Luhta, Lauri Luhta Finland The Rim La parra Alberto Gracia Spain Formosa Beach Praia Formosa Julia De Simone Brazil, Portugal Rei Tanaka Toshihiko Japan Journey of Shadows Reise der Schatten Yves Netzhammer Switzerland She Fell to Earth Susie Au Hong Kong sr Lea Hartlaub Germany Swimming Home Justin Anderson United Kingdom Under a Blue Sun Daniel Mann France, Israel
Big Screen Competition The following films are selected to compete for the VPRO Big Screen Award. Highlighted title indicates award winner English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Aire: Just Breathe Leticia Tonos Dominican Republic, SpainChildren of War and Peace Ville Suhonen Finland Trust Confidenza Daniele Luchetti ItalyEternal Ulaa Salim Denmark, Iceland, NorwayMilk Teeth Sophia Bösch Germany, SwitzerlandThe Old Bachelor Oktay Baraheni IranPortrait of a Certain Orient Marcelo Gomes Brazil, Italy, Lebanon Seven Seas Seven Hills Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai Ram India Steppenwolf Adilkhan Yerzhanov KazakhstanTenement Inrasothythep Neth, Sokyou Chea CambodiaThe Worst Man in London Rodrigo Areias PortugalYohanna Robby Ertanto Indonesia, United Kingdom, Italy
Tiger Short Competition The following films were selected to compete for the Tiger Short Competition. Highlighted title indicates award winner
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)3 MWh Marie-Magdalena Kochová Czech Republic6000 mensonges Simon Rieth FranceBreak no.1 & Break no.2. Lei Lei ChinaCrazy Lotus Naween Noppakun Thailand Daphne was a torso ending in leavesCatriona GallagherItaly, GreeceDigital Devil SagaCameron WordenUSATwo Sides of the TortoiseLos dos lados de la tortugaOscar IllingworthEcuadorFew Can SeeFrank SweeneyIrelandFlatasticAlice SaeyFrance, NetherlandsFlower ShowElli VuorinenFinlandHistory Is Written at NightLa historia se escribe de nocheAlejandro Alonso EstrellaCuba, FranceI Would Rather Be a StoneRadije bih bila kamenAna HušmanCroatiaLike a Sick YellowSi e verdhë e sëmurëNorika SefaKosovoPetticoat FireMox MäkeläFinlandAdrift PotentialsPotenciais à DerivaLeonardo PirondiBrazil, USATeen Girl FantasyMarisa HoickaCanadaTerminal IslandSam DrakeUSATo Exist Under Permanent SuspicionValentin NoujaïmFranceVoidIwasaki YusukeJapanThe WatchmanNöbetçiAli CherriItaly France Workers' WingsKrahët e punëtoreveIlir HasanajKosovo
Short & Mid-length The Short & Mid-length film programme showcases films under 63 minutes. +Original titleDirector(s)Production countrie(s)1014Deborah S. PhilipsGermany102 NarraRafael Manueal, Tatjana FannyNetherlandsAde (On a Sunday)Theja RioIndiaAlguén me chamou Serpe NegraBorja Santomé RodríguezSpainAzul PandoraAlan GonzálezCubaBaulera 12Mila Araoz, Amaru Villanueva RanceUKBeautiful MenNicolas KepensBelgiumBonnarienAdiel GliotFrench GuianaA Brave New WorldArnold TamHong KongBull's HeartMargarita BagdasaryanUzbekistanCoralSonia OleniakUSADau:añcut (Moving Along Image)Adam PironKiowa Tribe of OklahomaDear Shadow, My Old FriendTimoteus Anggawan KusnoNetherlandsDenials, DecoysMicah WeberUSADescentSyd FarringtonUKDig ItGabriel LesterNetherlandsEast CokerWang HanxuanChinaThe Electric KissRainer KohlbergerAustriaO filme feliz :)Duarte CoimbraPortugalFluxYoujin MoonUSAGolden DragonBoren ChhithCambodiaGrandmamauntsistercatZuza BanasińskaNetherlandsHolographic WillMike StoltzUSAI Am Hymns of the New TemplesWael ShawkyItalyI Would've Been HappyJordan WongUSAI. / II. / III.Alexandre LaroseCanadaIf I'm Here It Is by MysteryClari RibeiroBrazilIn DreamsJosh ShaffnerUSAThe Inescapable Desire of RootsMark Chua, Lam Li ShuenSingaporeThe Instability of CloudsZazie Ray-TrapidoUSAIs my Living in VainUfuima EssiUKIsblinkOlga KrüssenbergSwedenKeep LookingAyo AkingbadeUSALeelaTanmay ChowdharyIndialessons in flightCecilia AranedaBrazilLight, Noise, Smoke, and Light, Noise, SmokeNishikawa TomonariJapanLine of SightAli EslamiNetherlandsLoopholeJordan StraferUSALose Voice Tool KitAdele DipasqualeItalyMagic & PropagandaLilia FilinaRussiaManántulaIon de SosaSpainA Man ImaginedMalanie Shatzky, Brian M. CassidyCanadaMan of AralHelena Gouveia MonteiroIrelandMateria vibrantePablo MarínArgentinaMolecular DelusionsQuentin L'helgoualc'hFranceMsaytbeh, the elevated place.Rawane NassifLebanonEl neceser rojoSerge GarciaMexicoOjitos mentirososElena DuqueSpainOn Plains of Larger River & WoodlandsMiguel de JesusPortugalPainIvan FaktorCroatiaPeeperHan ChanglokSouth KoreaPistolerasNatalia del Mar KašikAustriaPreoperational ModelPhilip UllmanNetherlandsQuestioning the Existence of AlecRoger HornSouth AfricaA Radical DuetOnyeka IgweUKSchalafsandElias BöttcherSwitzerlandThe Silence of IronMariana de MeloBrazilSilent PanoramaNicolas PiretBelgiumSleepy HeadsTudor Cristian JurgiuRomaniaspace_invaders.exeMalaz UstaNetherlandsSpirits of the Black LeavesThaweechok PhasomThailandSteroTevin Kimathi, Millan TarusKenyaStoryboard SuliAnggun PriambodoIndonesiaEl tercer mundo después del solAnalú Laferal, Tiagx VélezColombiaTo the spirits in the roomCate GiordanoUSAUm tropeço em cinco movimentosValentina RossetBrazilUNDRKamal AljafariPalestineWater HazardAlexander DavidPortugalWhen the Wind RisesChen HungTaiwanThe Witness TreeNiranjan Raj BherwalNepalThe Wool AliensJulia ParksUKYou can't get what you want but you can get meSamira Elagoz, Z WalshNetherlandsZanatany, L'empreinte des linceuls esseulésHachimiya AhamadaBelgium
Bright Future The programme will highlight first-feature films from promising filmmakers.
English title Original title Director(s) Production Countries (s) 78 Days 78 dana Emilija Gašić SerbiaNaangal Avinash Prakash India a Few Mornings, an Evening Astrid van Nimwegen NetherlandsThe Heirloom Ben Petrie Canada Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust Ishan Shukla Indiayours, Eva Giolo, Rebecca Jane Arthur, Katja Mater, Sirah Foighel Brutmann, Eitan Efrat, Maaike Neuville Belgium
Cinema Regained English title Original title Director(s) Year Production countrie(s) 121280 Ritual Antoinetta Angelidi2008 Greece Cinema Bruciato Clemens Klopfenstein2024 Switzerland Godsterminal Georg Tiller2024 Austria Hair Piece: A Film for Nappyheaded People Ayoka Chenzira1984 United States Joymoti Never Left Mehdi Jahan2024 India Naked Acts Bridgett M. Davis1995 United States Obsessive Hours at the Topos of Reality Rea Wallden2023 Greece Overnight Flies Georg Tiller2016 Austria Parama Aparna Sen 1985 India Parama: A Journey with Aparna Sen Suman Ghosh2024 India Persona Beach Georg Tiller 2011 Austria
Harbour
The programme will showcase contemporary cinema.
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) 8 Views of Lake Biwa Biwa järve 8 nägu Marko Raat Estonia 100 Yards 门前宝地 Xu Haofeng, Xu Junfeng China Animalia ParadoxaNiles AtallahChile Anubhuti अनुभूति Anirban Dutta India Cosmic Miniatures Alexander Kluge Germany Dream Team Lev Kalman, Whitney Horn New Zealand Elegies 詩 Ann Hui Hong KongFire on Water Sun-J Perumal MalaysiaGreice Leonardo Mouramateus Brazil Head South Jonathan Ogilvie United States A History of Love and WarUna historia de amor y guerraSantiago Mohar VolkowMexicoHungry Ghost Diner We Jun Cho Malaysia Power Alley Levante Lillah Halla Brazil 'Lolo & Sosaku' The Western Archive Sergio Caballero SpainMaia – Portrait With Hands Alexandra Gulea Germany Mário Billy Woodberry PortugalSmall Hours Of The Night Daniel Hui Singapore So Unreal Amanda Kramer United StatesThe Cursed Land Panu Aree ThailandTrolley Times Gurvinder Singh India Who’ll Stop the Rain 青春並不溫柔 Su I-hsuan Taiwan Heresy Witte Wieven Didier Konings Netherlands Zone Christina Friedrich Germany God Between Us Zwischen uns Gott Rebecca Hirneise Austria
Art Directions: immersive media The programme highlighted the expansion of cinema to installations, exhibitions and live performance. English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) 8 miljard ikken Tibor de Jong Netherlands The Assembly Charlotte Bruneau Luxembourg I'm Terribly Sorry Rachel Maclean United Kingdom Realmbreak Hotel Floris van Laethem Netherlands Small Acts of Violence Aay Liparoto Belgium
Limelight The programme will showcase cinematic highlights of film festival favourites and international award-winners.
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) 13 Bombs 13 Bom di Jakarta Angga Dwimas Sasongko Indonesia Adagio Stefano Sollima Italy The Beast La Bête Bertrand Bonello France Blue Giant Yuzuru Tachikawa Italy Boléro Anne Fontaine France La chimera Alice Rohrwacher Italy Daaaaaalí! Quentin Dupieux France The DelinquentsLos delincuentes Rodrigo Moreno Argentina Evil Does Not Exist 悪は存在しない Ryusuke Hamaguchi Japan Firebrand Karim Aïnouz United Kingdom Four Daughters Kaouther Ben Hania France Full River Red 滿江紅 Zhang Yimou China Green Border Zielona granica Agnieszka Holland PolandHammarskjöld Per Fly Sweden Holly Fien Troch Belgium How to Have Sex Molly Manning Walker United Kingdom The Iron Claw Sean Durkin United States Jigarthanda DoubleX ஜிகர்தண்டா டபுள்X Karthik Subbaraj India The Arctic Convoy Konvoi Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken Norway Krazy House Steffen Haars, Flip van der Kuil NetherlandsLost in the Night Amat Escalante MexicoLa Luna M. Raihan Halim SingaporeMadame Luna Daniel Espinosa Sweden Mars Express Jérémie Périn France The Promised Land Bastarden Nikolaj Arcel Denmark Stormskerry Maja Stormskärs-Maja Tiina Lymi Finland Viduthalai Part 1 and Viduthalai Part 2 விடுதலை: பாகம் I & II Vetrimaaran India Voy! Voy! Voy! !فوي! فوي! فوي Omar Hilal EgyptThe Zone of Interest Jonathan Glazer United States
Kids & Family