IFFR (International Film Festival Rotterdam) 2027

The International Film Festival Rotterdam, known to almost everyone simply as IFFR, returns from Thursday 28 January to Sunday 7 February 2027. The organiser has confirmed the dates on its official website. For eleven days Rotterdam turns into one large cinema, with screenings, talks, short film programmes and art installations spread across the city, and the festival heart at de Doelen on Kruisplein.

IFFR has run since 1972 and built its reputation on adventurous programming. Debut features by directors nobody has heard of yet share the schedule with experimental work. The festival is also straightforward for English speakers: the programme guide is published in English, and the website and ticket shop work in English as well.

What happens at IFFR

Film is the core: features, shorts and mid-length work from all over the world. Around the screenings sits a broader programme. Big Talks and Tiger Talks are ticketed talks strands. Art Directions covers installations, sound work and immersive media; at the 2026 edition its main venue was the Katoenhuis on Keilestraat. There is an education programme too, listed by the festival under Learning.

IFFR is an industry event as well. The festival runs CineMart, its co-production market, alongside the Hubert Bals Fund and the Rotterdam Lab, all aimed at supporting new filmmaking talent.

Competitions and awards

The Tiger Competition is IFFR’s trademark contest, reserved for up-and-coming filmmakers from across the world. The Tiger Short Competition pits twenty short and mid-length films against each other for three equal awards. The Big Screen Competition takes a different route: it mixes arthouse, classic and popular cinema, and an expert audience jury chooses the winner.

There are prizes beyond the juries as well. The Audience Award is decided by visitors’ votes, international film journalists pick the best Tiger Competition film for the FIPRESCI Award, the NETPAC Award goes to the best Asian feature, and a Youth Jury Award is handed out by five young Rotterdammers.

Where the festival takes place

De Doelen, at Kruisplein 40, is the festival heart, and a ticket-support desk sits there during the festival.

At the 2026 edition, screenings and events ran at around a dozen locations. Pathé Schouwburgplein, Theater Rotterdam, Cinerama, the Oude Luxor and KINO sit in and around the centre, while LantarenVenster, the Nieuwe Luxor and Podium Islemunda are further out. Roodkapje and the Muziekwerf also appear on the list, and the Katoenhuis housed Art Directions. The 2027 line-up has not been published; the definitive list appears on iffr.com once the programme is announced.

Tickets and official information

Ticket sales for IFFR 2027 have not opened yet. The festival sells tickets through its own website, iffr.com.

The 2026 edition shows how the system works. The full schedule went online on 9 January and general ticket sales opened on 15 January at 20.00. A regular feature film ticket cost 13.50 euro, with a reduced rate of 8.50 euro for students and visitors under 23. Shorts and mid-length programmes were 9.50 euro, or 5.50 euro reduced, and the opening and closing nights, film plus party, cost 25 euro each. Multi-ticket cards were available, linked to a personal account. Sales were capped at ten tickets per screening per transaction, and purchased tickets could not be returned. Ticket-support desks at de Doelen and LantarenVenster helped visitors in person.

Accessibility

IFFR publishes venue-by-venue accessibility details. De Doelen’s screening rooms are reachable by lift, with wheelchair seats in the Grote Zaal, Jurriaanse Zaal and Willem Burger Zaal. Pathé Schouwburgplein, Theater Rotterdam, the Oude Luxor, KINO, WORM, LantarenVenster, the Nieuwe Luxor and Podium Islemunda are wheelchair accessible too. Cinerama is the exception: the building has no wheelchair access. Assistance dogs are welcome, though the festival asks to be told before you buy tickets.

A selection of films works with the free Earcatch and Subcatch apps, which add audio description and subtitles for deaf and hard of hearing visitors. The festival also schedules screenings with lower sound levels and dimmed lighting for visitors who are sensitive to stimuli. For access questions, email [email protected].

A short history

IFFR held its first edition in 1972 and has since grown from a festival into a year-round film organisation, with the IFFR Filmclub, education work and industry programmes running outside the festival weeks. The organisation holds ANBI status, the Dutch designation for public benefit institutions.

For comparison, the 2026 edition ran from 29 January to 8 February 2026.

Common questions

When is IFFR 2027?

From Thursday 28 January to Sunday 7 February 2027. The dates are confirmed on the festival’s official website.

When do tickets for IFFR 2027 go on sale?

The sale date has not been announced. In 2026 the full programme went online on 9 January and ticket sales started on 15 January. Announcements appear on iffr.com.

Are the films subtitled in English?

IFFR publishes its programme guide in English and its website runs in English. Films screen in many languages; the film pages on iffr.com show the details, and the festival’s own FAQ notes that not all English-language films have subtitles.

How much do tickets cost?

Prices for 2027 have not been published. At the 2026 edition a regular feature film ticket cost 13.50 euro, students and under-23s paid 8.50 euro, and shorts programmes cost 9.50 euro.

Is the festival wheelchair accessible?

Nearly all venues used in 2026 are wheelchair accessible; Cinerama is the exception. Email [email protected] with access questions.