In its 53rd edition, the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) is set to dazzle audiences with a curated selection of feature films, documentaries, and shorts. Running from January 25 to February 4, 2024, the festival will showcase over 400 films from more than 90 countries.
Germany takes the spotlight with 19 productions and co-productions featured across various sections, presenting a diverse cinematic landscape. Notably, five major German films will have their world premieres at the prestigious event.
Lea Hartlaub’s “SR,” a Blinkerfilm production, graces the Tiger Competition section with its world premiere. This marks Hartlaub’s third feature-length essay, offering an exploration of cultural fragments across space and time.
Sophia Bösch’s dystopian drama, “MILK TEETH,” produced by Weydemann Bros., joins the Big Screen Competition section. The film delves into a world rendered inhospitable, focusing on a community grappling with scarcity and isolation from a deadly zone.
The Harbor section presents two compelling world premieres. “ZONE,” directed by Christina Friedrich and produced by Madonnenwerk, unfolds a melodrama centered around a girl with paranormal abilities resisting a system seeking to control a sealed-off area. Meanwhile, Alexander Kluge’s “COSMIC MINIATURES” (Kairos Film) blurs the lines between fact and fiction, employing historical footage, texts, comics, and cabaret.
Exploring the boundaries of cinema, the Art Directions section features “ASUNDER” (Germany, USA, New Zealand) in the Installations sub-category. Created by artists Tega Brain, Julian Oliver, and Bengt Sjölén, the three-channel video projection merges artificial intelligence with environmental research.
Medium-length and short films also take center stage, with Deborah Phillips’ experimental short film “1014” paying homage to her mother in the Short & Mid-length section. “MAMÁNTULA” (Paola Alvarez Filmproduktion) by director Ion de Sosa, an international premiere in the same section, presents an avant-garde fantasy revolving around a coveted man with a hidden giant cloak persona causing mischief in Berlin.
Katarina Jazbec’s “KNOW YOUR STONES” (Urbane Künste Ruhr) celebrates its European premiere in the RTM section, exploring dream-sharing rituals in the Ruhr region.
The festival’s diverse lineup reflects the richness of global cinema, offering audiences a cinematic journey across genres and cultures. For further information, please contact Sylva Häutle, Head of Festival Relations & Producers Liaison, or Angela Sonntag, Head of Press & Public Relations.
