IDFA – International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

What IDFA is and what you will see

IDFA is a documentary film festival held each November, with screenings across Amsterdam from 12 to 22 November 2026. The focus is creative documentary: personal portraits, political stories, essays and experimental formats rather than conventional television reportage. Alongside the main film programme, the festival runs sections for short documentaries, a junior programme, and DocLab, which presents digital and immersive non-fiction.

The 2026 festival lists Tatiana Huezo as its Guest of Honor, and its news pages mention a spotlight on the American filmmaker William Greaves and a selection of films and conversations on climate. You do not need to know the filmmakers in advance. The online programme gives short synopses, which is enough to decide.

How tickets and venues work

The programme is organised by film, day and venue, and you buy tickets for individual screenings on the official festival website, festival.idfa.nl. Ticket sales have already started, and the website marks sold-out screenings clearly. Some of the opening-night screenings are already sold out, which shows how quickly the busiest ones go, so if there is a particular film you want, buy it as early as you can.

Screenings are not in one building. The programme lists many cinemas and venues around the city, including Pathé Tuschinski, Eye Filmmuseum, Pathé City, Pathé Noord, Kriterion, Rialto, Het Ketelhuis, De Balie, Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam, Koninklijk Theater Carré and the Nationale Opera, among others. Het Documentaire Paviljoen acts as a meeting place with talks and some screenings. You can filter the online programme by day, time, location and ticket availability, which is the easiest way to build a schedule.

Prices vary by screening, so check the festival website. If you plan to attend five or more regular screenings, the festival offers a transferable Discount pass, which is not valid for full-day programmes. Read the current terms on the site before you buy.

Tips if you do not speak Dutch

Most visitors from abroad can enjoy IDFA entirely in English, because the festival is international and many films are subtitled. Each film page gives language and subtitle details, so check that before you book. The festival's compact Best of IDFA programmes are described as being in English or English-subtitled, and they are a gentle way in if you only have one day.

Some special programmes are in Dutch, such as certain talks and the junior programme, and these are labelled on the program pages. Where a film is shown with a talk afterwards, the talk may be in English or in Dutch, and the listing normally says which. If you are unsure, choose a screening without a Dutch-language label.

• Check the language and subtitle line on each film page before buying.
• Look for screenings marked with an English-language talk or Q&A if you want to hear the filmmaker.
• Allow for the difference between a Dutch-language special programme and the main film programme.
• Sensory-friendly (prikkelarme) screenings are offered for visitors who benefit from a calmer setting; details are on the festival website.

Planning your viewing day

Documentaries are often long and emotionally demanding, and one or two films in an evening is usually enough. Leave a gap of at least half an hour between screenings in different venues, because walking, queueing and finding your seat takes longer than it looks. Venues in the centre, such as Tuschinski and Carré, are walkable from each other, while Pathé Noord and Eye are in Amsterdam Noord, across the IJ, which adds travel time, so do not book them back to back with a central venue.

Arrive 15 to 20 minutes early for a popular title, and keep your ticket confirmation easy to find on your phone. If a screening is sold out, the website will show it, so have a second choice ready.

Combining IDFA with sightseeing

A good approach is to treat the festival as your evening plan and use the daytime for sightseeing. Museums such as the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum are open during the day, and a late-morning visit followed by an afternoon walk leaves you fresh for an evening film. If you want to stay near your screening, the area around Tuschinski and Rembrandtplein has plenty of cafés and restaurants for a meal before the film.

November is cold and often wet, so the festival suits a stay where you keep indoor and outdoor activities balanced. You can pair a film screening with a canal walk after dark, then warm up at a café. For daytime ideas, see our guides to museums and things to do, and check opening hours and tickets for each museum on its official site.