Influences
2025 IDFA Forum Unveils Diverse Slate of Documentaries
The 2025 IDFA Forum will feature over 50 documentary projects selected from 841 entries, taking place from November 16 to 19 in Amsterdam. The lineup emphasizes urgent global issues, showcasing diverse storytelling and maintaining gender balance across formats.
The International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) has announced the lineup for the 2025 IDFA Forum, featuring over 50 documentary projects selected from 841 entries. This 33rd edition of the festival’s co-production and co-financing market will take place from November 16 to 19 across three venues in Amsterdam. The forum highlights the urgent societal challenges faced globally, such as conflicts, political instability, and environmental degradation, emphasizing the role of documentary cinema in addressing these issues.
The lineup includes 33 projects in the Forum Pitch and Producers Connection sections, with notable entries like “The Video Guy,” which chronicles the journey of five African-American youths aspiring to be music stars, and “My Sister Gaza,” a personal documentary on life in Gaza during wartime. Additionally, the IDFA Forum showcases 12 projects in its new media strand, DocLab, encompassing various immersive formats. Gender balance is maintained across all selected formats, with two dozen debut features presented.
Key filmmakers participating include Oscar-nominated Petra Costa, presenting an untitled project, and James Jones, pitching “The Face of Power.” The forum will also feature new thematic panels that guide filmmakers on navigating the documentary financing landscape, alongside the concurrent Docs for Sale market, which supports distribution for creative documentary films.
SOURCE: DEADLINE
