Over the last two decades, the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) has increasingly positioned African filmmaking within a continuous development cycle. Financing, script support, producer training, co-production access, and commissioning structures have shaped who arrives at the festival and in which sections. The Hubert Bals Fund, CineMart, Rotterdam Lab, and partner initiatives have functioned as early-stage mechanisms, operating years before a film reaches a competition slot.
This architecture helps explain the durability of Rotterdam’s African engagement — an approach that has translated into a visible shift across the festival itself. African and diaspora films entered Tiger, Big Screen, shorts, mid-length sections, retrospectives, and commissioned programs in parallel, not clustered in sidebars. This alignment corresponds with co-production conditions across the African continent, alongside projects made with African filmmakers and producers based in Europe, North America, and the Middle East.
Partnership initiatives, including Realness Institute’s Creative Producer Indaba and targeted funds such as the Displacement Film Fund, are also helping place African participation into Rotterdam’s professional calendar as a recurring presence.
The 2026 lineup sits inside this long arc.
During a press conference streamed today, December 16, IFFR Festival Director Vanja Kaludjercic outlined films selected across competition, non-competition, opening, and closing titles, alongside focus programs including a retrospective and partnerships.
The breakdown of African and diaspora participation follows:
Big Screen Competition
– “The Arab” — Director: Malek Bensmail
Countries: Algeria, France, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Belgium
Official synopsis: Haroun is an old man who lives in Oran, Algeria. He has an incredible secret: he would be the brother of “The Arab”, a fictional character killed in Camus’ world-renowned French novel: “The Stranger”.
Tiger Competition
– “Variations on a Theme” — Directors: Jason Jacobs, Devon Delmar
Countries: South Africa, Netherlands, Qatar
Official synopsis: Ouma Hettie is an elderly goat herder in South Africa’s Kamiesberge.” “Drawn into a scam offering overdue reparations for her father’s unpaid wartime service, her rituals are unsettled and her independence imperiled in this lyrical documentary.
– “O Profeta” — Director: Ique Langa
Countries: Mozambique, South Africa, Qatar
Official synopsis: When Pastor Hélder’s faith begins to wane, he turns to witchcraft to reclaim it – gaining miraculous powers in return for sacrifice.” “Shot luminously in black and white, this austere debut unfolds with quiet intensity, revealing how doubt and darkness seep into everyday life.
– “My Semba” — Director: Hugo Salvaterra
Country: Angola
Official synopsis: A rap-fueled, gritty and vibrant city symphony of Luanda, Angola, blending documentary and manifesto as it follows X and his siblings toward the dream of the big stage.” “My Semba is a city symphony and a rap musical.
Tiger Short Competition
– “Deep Cobalt” — Director: Petna Ndaliko Katondolo
Countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, United States
Official synopsis: “One hundred metres beneath the surface of the earth, a forgotten people live hidden.”
Short and Mid-Length Films
– “Ako Kantu” — Director: Ganza Moise
Country: Rwanda
A Valentine’s Day special episode takes an unexpected turn when a sensationalist YouTuber interviews a local charismatic thief.
– “Forget the Director, This Is Emmy’s Cut!” — Director: Marion Desmaret
Country: Uganda
With his wit and sharp commentary, Uganda’s legendary Video-Joker, VJ Emmy, transforms local cinema halls into places of communion.
– “God Sleeps on Sundays” — Director: Naishe Nyamubaya
Country: Zimbabwe
A traditional healer finds herself in a fierce rivalry with a Christian preacher determined to seize her land for his new church.
– “Obi Is a Boy” — Director: Dika Ofoma
Country: Nigeria
Obi returns home for his mother’s funeral, forcing him to confront his fractured relationship with his estranged father.
– “Submergido” — Director: Ariel Añez
Country: Mozambique
A son shares a mysterious connection with his father, who disappeared during the war in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.
– “I Am the Film Motherfucker, but I’m Real” — Director: MeowX2
Country: Egypt
No synopsis available. Further information to be announced.
Retrospectives and Special Programming: Marwan Hamed Retrospective — Egypt
IFFR 2026 presents a full retrospective of Egyptian filmmaker Marwan Hamed, comprising eight films, including the European premiere of “El Sett”, a biographical drama on Umm Kulthum (1904–1975), starring Mona Zaki.
Included titles:
- “The Yacoubian Building” (2006)
- “Ibrahim Labyad” (2009)
- “The Blue Elephant” (2014)
- “The Originals” (2017)
- “Diamond Dust” (2018)
- “The Blue Elephant 2” (2019)
- “Kira & El Gin” (2022)
- “El Sett” (2025/2026)
Focus Programs: Collectif Faire-Part — Belgium / Democratic Republic of the Congo
A dedicated focus programme on Collectif Faire-Part, an ensemble of Congolese and Belgian artists.
Included titles:
- “L’escale” — Collectif Faire-Part | 14′ | Belgium | No premiere
- “Faire-part” — Collectif Faire-Part | 60′ | Belgium | No premiere
- “In vele handen” — Collectif Faire-Part | 21′ | Belgium | Dutch premiere
- “Kingongolo Kiniata” — Mozalaki Nizar Salah | 25′ | Democratic Republic of the Congo | World premiere
- “Speech for a Melting Statue” — Collectif Faire-Part | 10′ | Belgium | World premiere
- “What We Said to Brussels Airlines” — Collectif Faire-Part | 21′ | Belgium | World premiere
Displacement Film Fund — UNHCR with the IFFR Hubert Bals Fund
All funded projects receive world premieres at IFFR 2026.
– Mo Harawe — Somali-Austrian filmmaker
Project: “Whispers of a Burning Scent” (working title)
Format: Short film | Grant: €100,000 | Premiere: World premiere at IFFR 2026
The 2026 edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) takes place from January 22 to February 1, 2026, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
- Displacement Film Fund (UNHCR × IFFR Hubert Bals Fund): Mo Harawe (Somalia) for “Whispers of a Burning Scent” — world premiere at IFFR 2026.
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