IDFA 2026 has announced the titles selected for its for Short Documentary Competition, alongside new selections for Signed, Best of Fests, and Paradocs. IDFA DocLab has also unveiled first projects for its 20th anniversary, including the winners of the Film Fund DocLab Interactive Grant 2026. The 39th edition of IDFA runs from November 12 to 22 in Amsterdam.
IDFA COMPETITION FOR SHORT DOCUMENTARY (scroll down for selection). “The IDFA Competition for Short Documentary celebrates the versatility of the form, with 15 films that use creativity and imagination to push the boundaries of short documentary,” the festival writes. “Together, they form a mosaic of styles, themes, and perspectives, driven by ambitious directors with singular cinematic voices and strong artistic visions.”
The festival highlights a number of titles selected for the Shorts Competition. “In a tragicomic portrait of humanity and its fallibility, The Bus of Broken Hearts by Björn Carlberg and Johan Palmgren follows the world’s biggest cross-country ski race, where thousands of disheartened participants fail to make it to the finish line,” organisers write. “Several titles turn their attention to the act of looking itself.