HAPPENING 2–8 November 2026 | Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam returns with a week of nature documentaries, filmmaker encounters and industry events. The festival brings striking wildlife and environmental films to the big screen in Rotterdam, while also offering an online edition for viewers in the Netherlands.
About the Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam
Established in 2015, WFFR has grown into a familiar fixture on Rotterdam’s film calendar. The festival screens nature films from the Netherlands and abroad, with a focus on work that reveals the beauty of the natural world and asks what we owe to it.
The programme is not only about spectacle. WFFR also gives space to films that look at conservation, biodiversity, climate change, habitats, agriculture and the relationship between people and nature.
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What to expect at the festival
In 2026, the main festival runs from 2 to 8 November. Screenings will take place at Cinerama Filmtheater and LantarenVenster, with films selected for the Flamingo Competition also forming part of the online festival.
The festival will open on 2 November with the world premiere of Wildgemis, a powerful documentary by Dutch director Anouk Suntjes. The film follows researcher Elke Tukker as she studies wild horses in the American wilderness, exploring themes of nature, power and the human need for connection.
Other early highlights in the 2026 selection include Wild Tamil Nadu, Wild Asia, Why we love Dolphins, The Chimps of Fongoli, Snow Leopard Sisters, Notes from the Woods, Heart of a Lion, Frost Without Snow and Ice, Flamingos and Becoming Elephant: The Orphans of Reteti.
The full film timetable is expected on 1 September 2026. The WFFR Industry Days follow on 6 and 7 November 2026. The prestigious Flamingo Award Ceremony is scheduled for 7 November 2026 and will take place at the historic Arminius Church.
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WFFR Lokaal and satellite editions
This year brings a significant expansion to our local neighbourhoods. The new WFFR Lokaal programme will screen a curated selection of films from 1 October to 8 November 2026 at more than 20 unique community locations spread throughout Rotterdam. Extra activities are organised alongside these screenings, bringing nature documentaries directly to you.
WFFR will also run satellite editions in Wageningen from 11 to 15 November 2026 and Tilburg from 18 to 22 November 2026. The online festival runs from 3 November to 5 December 2026, and is geoblocked to viewers outside the Netherlands.
Festival locations
In Rotterdam, WFFR 2026 takes place at Cinerama Filmtheater, Westblaak 18, and LantarenVenster, Otto Reuchlinweg 996.
Cinerama’s central location makes it easy to combine a screening with dinner or drinks in the city centre. LantarenVenster, on the Wilhelminapier, offers a waterfront setting close to restaurants, hotels and cultural venues.
For visitors, the festival is an accessible way to see new nature films that rarely reach regular cinema programmes. For filmmakers and professionals, it offers a meeting place for discussion, networking and new work.
