IDFA Forum 2026 selects 47 documentary projects for Amsterdam market
IDFA has named 47 documentary projects for its 2026 Forum, the market where film-makers pitch unfinished work to buyers, funds and broadcasters.
The selection was announced on Oct. 8, according to Deadline. The Forum is a co-production and co-financing market, a meeting place where producers seek partners to share costs and rights before a film is finished.
Competition was tight. Organisers drew the 47 from 859 entries, assessed by 42 outside experts, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That total was described as almost 900 submissions.
The Forum runs Nov. 15-18 in Amsterdam, inside the wider festival dates of Nov. 12-22. This is the 34th edition.
Projects cover all stages, from early development through production to near completion. They will be presented across four strands: Forum Pitches, Roundtable Presentations, Rough Cut Presentations for films close to picture lock, and IDFA DocLab Forum for interactive and immersive work.
Twenty-nine projects were chosen for the Pitches and Roundtables combined. Under a revised structure for 2026, Pitches play to a larger audience while Roundtables offer a smaller room for detailed talks on what each project needs. Both routes lead to one-on-one meetings with industry professionals, and producer-to-producer meetings remain central.
The names include several established directors. Wang Bing will bring Jiabiangou, Vitaly Mansky will bring Odesa.Mama, Rachel Leah Jones will bring Podium (You Have Three Minutes) and Liang Zhao will bring Ship of Fools. Juanjo Pereira will present Examination as a follow-up to Under the Flags, the Sun, while Roxy Rezvany was selected with Being North Korean.
The list spans five continents, with projects from Paraguay, Tunisia, Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan, Namibia and Palestine among those selected. Organisers said gender balance was reached across all Forum formats.
For viewers, this means early sightlines. Films pitched in Amsterdam this November will likely take another year or two to finance, shoot, edit and reach festivals and cinemas.
