The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) has been allowed to maintain its 2022 edition on-site by the Dutch government. The upcoming edition will take place Jan. 26 to Feb. 6.
The festival announced last week that its popular industry events, CineMart and Rotterdam Lab, were being switched to online due to the surge of COVID-19 cases in the Netherlands. The government announced today that the Netherlands will extend COVID-19 restrictions through the end of the year, including the closure of primary schools a week before the Christmas holidays.
Festival director Vanja Kaludjercic said the festival has adapted its protocol “once again to fit the restrictions in place in the Netherlands.”
“We are happy to confirm the festival will take place physically, allowing us to give the stage to all the outstanding filmmakers who have trusted us to screen their work,” Kaludjercic said.
IFFR will kick off with the world premiere of Mijke de Jong’s “Along the Way” on opening night. De Jong’s 12th feature film, “Along the Way” tells the story of daring, young Afghan twins, Nahid and Malihe, whom the filmmaker met during her volunteer work at camp Moria on the Greek island of Lesbos.
“Mijke de Jong is a familiar face with a long and rich history at IFFR, first showing here in 1990. It’s an honour to welcome her back with this latest poignant and timely film which will open our 51st edition,” Kaludjercic said.
Anticipated highlights of this 2022 edition include the presentation of Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen’s new installation, “Sunshine State,” at the Dutch landmark Kunsthal.