HAPPENING 28 JAN–7 FEB '27 | International Film Festival Rotterdam returns from 28 January to 7 February 2027 for its 56th edition. The main film programme, screening timetable and public ticket prices have not yet been announced, but the festival dates and several Rotterdam-specific parts of the programme are already confirmed.
IFFR 2027 dates
International Film Festival Rotterdam, better known as IFFR, will take place from Thursday 28 January to Sunday 7 February 2027. That gives Rotterdam eleven days of international cinema, talks, audiovisual art, performances and industry activity at locations across the city.
IFFR is one of Rotterdam's biggest annual cultural events and combines a public film festival with programmes supporting filmmakers and film professionals. Its established programme ranges from international premieres and competitions to talks, exhibitions, immersive work and the IFFR Pro industry programme.
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What is confirmed for IFFR 2027?
The complete film selection is still to come, but Rotterdam already has several confirmed dates and names. RTM Day takes place on Friday 29 January 2027 at LantarenVenster. RTM is IFFR's programme devoted to films, filmmakers and creative talent from Rotterdam and the surrounding region.
The 2027 RTM programme is being guest curated by Leana Boven, Ciska Meister and Rocky Roos. They are developing a programme intended to bring together different communities, generations and forms of filmmaking from Rotterdam.
One film is already confirmed for the edition. Rotterdam artist and researcher Cyan Bae will premiere How to Lie, Femme, and Pass during IFFR 2027. The experimental project won RTM Pitch 2027 and examines algorithmic technologies through queer and feminist perspectives.
When will IFFR 2027 tickets go on sale?
Public ticket prices and a general ticket-sale date for IFFR 2027 have not yet been announced. Previous-edition prices currently visible on parts of the IFFR website apply to 2026 and should not be used to plan your 2027 budget.
The same applies to the detailed screening programme. At the time of this update, the dedicated IFFR 2027 programme page has not yet been populated with films.
IFFR normally releases its programme in stages towards the end of the year, followed later by the full timetable with individual screening times. We will update this page once the festival publishes confirmed 2027 ticket dates, prices and screening information.
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Where will IFFR 2027 take place?
The complete list of IFFR 2027 screening venues has not yet been announced. LantarenVenster is confirmed as the location of RTM Day on 29 January.
As a guide to how widely the festival spreads through Rotterdam, the 2026 edition used venues including de Doelen, Pathé Schouwburgplein, Theater Rotterdam, Cinerama Filmtheater, Oude Luxor, KINO, LantarenVenster and Nieuwe Luxor. Katoenhuis in M4H was a major location for the Art Directions programme, while smaller events and installations appeared at additional cultural venues around the city.
Do not assume that every 2026 venue will return in exactly the same role in 2027. IFFR publishes the final screening locations alongside its programme and timetable, and we will update this guide when that information is confirmed.
IFFR Pro and CineMart 2027
IFFR is also an important meeting point for the international film industry. Its professional programmes connect filmmakers and producers with financiers, distributors, sales agents and other industry professionals.
CineMart 2027 runs from Sunday 31 January to Wednesday 3 February. IFFR launched CineMart in 1984 as a co-production market where film projects can meet potential financial and creative partners. Its Darkroom work-in-progress programme takes place during the same dates.
The CineMart project selection is expected to be announced by early December. Exact dates for the wider 2027 IFFR Pro Days have not yet been published, so we are leaving those out until IFFR confirms them.
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Going to IFFR for the first time?
The biggest thing to know is that IFFR is spread across Rotterdam rather than contained within one festival complex. A day at the festival can mean moving between several cinemas and cultural venues, so always check the location as well as the start time when building your schedule.
The full programme can initially look rather enormous. Once the 2027 line-up is online, use the IFFR programme tools to narrow your choices rather than trying to absorb everything at once. Competitions, new filmmakers, special programmes, talks and Rotterdam-focused screenings all give you different ways into the festival.
Rotterdam Centraal is a useful starting point for many central festival locations, while venues on the Kop van Zuid and in other parts of the city are easily reached by metro, tram, bicycle or other public transport. Allow some travel time between screenings if your films are at different venues.
What happened at IFFR 2026?
The 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam ran from 29 January to 8 February 2026. The edition presented 441 films from 92 countries, including 217 world premieres.
IFFR recorded 266,806 festival visits, excluding press and industry screenings and events. Its professional programme welcomed 2,494 industry delegates, while the 2026 RTM Day attracted more than 3,300 visits.
The edition also introduced new elements including the Safe Harbour programme within CineMart and the Lightroom platform for immersive storytelling. The Rotterdam-focused programme included the world premiere of Rain in August by Ashley Röttjers.
Looking back at IFFR 2025
IFFR's 54th edition took place from 30 January to 9 February 2025 and presented 482 films from 94 countries, including 201 world premieres. The festival recorded 276,353 visits excluding press and industry screenings and events.
The 2025 edition also marked the arrival of Katoenhuis as a major venue for Art Directions and saw the launch of the Displacement Film Fund through IFFR's Hubert Bals Fund.
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Keep track of IFFR 2027
The next major updates will be the film selections, detailed programme, screening locations, ticket prices and public sale date. Until those are officially announced, be careful with older IFFR pages that still display 2026 dates or prices.
We will keep this RotterdamStyle guide updated as more of IFFR 2027 is confirmed. The festival itself runs from 28 January to 7 February 2027.
