Festival dossier
Amsterdam, Netherlands · Est. 1988 · High structural score (80–100) for legitimacy and industry clout — not limited to Oscar-qualifying festivals
Strong legitimacy signals
Tier A score for legitimacy and industry clout. Still confirm deadlines, fees, and categories on the festival site before paying.
The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) is the world's largest documentary film festival, held annually since 1988 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It showcases approximately 300 creative, artist-driven documentaries each year—about one-third of which are world or international premieres—emphasizing original visual language, urgent social themes, and non-Western perspectives. IDFA is widely regarded as the most important documentary event in Europe, if not globally, attracting nearly 300,000 visitors and over 3,500 professionals from more than 100 countries.
Last updated Aug 23, 2026
No red flags found
Founded
1988
Venue
Het Ketelhuis
Screenings
Physical screenings confirmed
Award Categories
1
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