International Documentary Festival Amsterdam has revealed the 47 projects selected for IDFA Forum 2026, the festival’s prestigious co-production and co-financing market.

The final lineup, culled from almost 900 submissions, “brings together projects in development, production, and near completion, showcased across the Forum Pitches, Roundtable Presentations, Rough Cut Presentations, and IDFA DocLab Forum (new media),” IDFA notes.

Scroll for the full lineup of projects. IDFA Forum runs November 15-18, while the festival itself unfolds from Nov. 12-22.

Some prominent filmmakers will be presenting projects in this year’s Forum: Wang Bing (Jiabiangou); Vitaly Mansky (Odesa.Mama); Rachel Leah Jones (Podium (You Have Three Minutes)); Liang Zhao (Ship of Fools), and Paraguayan director Juanjo Pereira with Examination, his follow up to the highly regarded Under the Flags, the Sun (2025).

Along with Paraguay, projects hail from around the world including Tunisia, Namibia, Myanmar, India, Kyrgyzstan, China, Taiwan, Palestine, the U.S., and Canada among others, “reflecting a broad range of geographies, production contexts, and perspectives,” IDFA observes. “Europe maintains a strong presence in the lineup, comprising major documentary markets (France) and smaller producing nations (Greece, Hungary). Gender balance has been achieved across all the formats, with a commitment to wider diversity beyond parity alone.”

Recognizing how the documentary market has become “increasingly fragmented and harder to navigate,” IDFA is modifying the setup of the Forum “to help projects communicate more clearly the support they need and to foster their meaningful engagement with funders, broadcasters, producers, and other collaborators.”

Under the revised structure, selected projects will be showcased either to a larger audience at the Forum Pitches or in the more intimate setting of the Roundtable Presentations, allowing for more in-depth conversations. “Both formats offer access to the Forum’s one-on-one meetings with industry professionals. Co-production and producer-to-producer meetings also remain central to Forum, with producers now invited to meet with selected projects in search of co-production partners.”

Adriek van Nieuwenhuijzen, Head of IDFA Industry, said in a statement, “Despite the challenges of the market, both in terms of finance and distribution, we strongly believe that IDFA Forum should provide space for filmmakers who approach their craft with courage and curiosity. We champion works that surprise, reveal, and embrace complexity, and we hope to see all of these projects find audiences, whether on screens, big or small, via headsets, or in immersive installations.”

Forum Pitch and Roundtable Presentations

Twenty-nine projects have been selected for the Forum Pitches and Roundtable Presentations. Mehran Tamadon’s One Step Closer grapples with the consequences of polarization in a French rural community, while Andrew H. Brown’s Wild Goose Days lenses the Indigenous KYUK radio station in Alaska, threatened by government policies. War takes center stage in Roman Bondarchuk and Vadym Ilkov’s mosaic-style Recovery, which reframes Ukraine’s reconstruction as resistance.

Archival filmmaking is present in the selection, with Juanjo Pereira’s Examination, which draws on declassified materials and their reinterpretations to reveal power systems taming a land and jaguars. Meanwhile, Christina D. Bartson’s The Contract of the Century reckons with the legacies of colonialism, zeroing in on the energy megaproject, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.

Rough Cut Presentations

Six projects have been selected for this year’s Rough Cut Presentations. Featuring 20-minute excerpts, the presentations offer the buyers, festival representatives, and funders attending both IDFA Forum and Docs for Sale an early look at projects nearing completion. Vikram Singh’s Camels of the Sea offers a distinct take on climate change and endangered ways of living as illegal salt pans threaten India’s rare swimming camels. Facts join fantasy in Josefina Buschmann Mardones’ Artificial Clouds, an AI’s absorbing travelogue through Chile, tracing its ecological footprint. Nikos Pilos and Arsinoi Pilou’s Resisting Residents embeds us in an Athens squatted community, capturing solidarity as a lived practice.

IDFA DocLab Forum (new media)

The market’s new media strand, IDFA DocLab Forum, presents 12 projects, boasting diverse formats, from an immersive installation to VR, XR, mixed reality, a participatory performance, and an interactive documentary. The projects engage with such resonant themes as digital labor, bodily memory, virtual violence, and collective participation in democracies. Katja Verheul’s Mine Land looks at the remnants of war still unearthed in a Bosnian forest 31 years on. Hyeunjoo Woo and Jiyun Park’s How to Make a Chiffon Cake proposes an intriguing scenario, turning a woman’s invisible domestic work into AI training data. Mark Mushiva and Daniel Chein’s Time Hunter XR: Colonial Protocols also appropriates tech tools for resistance, conjuring a speculative decolonial mission in 1912 Namibia.

Forum Pitch and Roundtable Presentations

• Being North Korean, dir. Roxy Rezvany, prod. Aya Kaido / Besheh Meesheh Films Ltd, Roxy Rezvany (United Kingdom)

• Dr. Hedgehog, dir. Peter Alsted, prod. Birgitte Keseler / Elk Film, Katrine Dolmer / Elk Film (Denmark)

• Examination, dir. Juanjo Pereira, prod. Ivana Urízar / Cine Mío (Paraguay)

• Fur, dir. Joakim Demmer, prod. Thomas Kufus / zero one film GmbH (Germany)

• Game of Replacing Gods, dir. An Chu, prod. Kei Yiu Kathy Wong / In-sight Practice Ltd. (Taiwan)

• How Love Moves, dir. Pallavi Paul, prod. Aman Mann, Shaunak Sen / Kiterabbit Films (India)

• Jiabiangou, dir. Wang Bing, prod. Mao Hui / CS Productions, Sonia Buchman / Gladys Glover Films, Nicolas R. De La Mothe / Gladys Glover Films, Serge Lalou / Les Films d’ici (France, Hong Kong)

• La Linda, dir. Francina Carbonell, prod. Gema Juárez Allen / Gema Films (Argentina, Chile)

• My Father Killed Bourguiba, dir. Fatma Riahi, prod. Dorra Bouchoucha / Nomadis Images, Lina Chaabane / Nomadis Images, Fatma Riahi (Tunisia)

• My Rebel Heart, dir. Ida Kat Balslev, prod. Sidsel Lønvig Siersted (Denmark)

• Near Life, dir. Marta Miskaryan, prod. Alice Hughes / Beehive Films Ltd (United Kingdom)

• Odesa.Mama, dir. Vitaly Mansky, prod. Filip Remunda (Czech Republic, Latvia)

• One Step Closer, dir. Mehran Tamadon, prod. Rebecca Houzel / Petit à petit production, Marianne Romeo / Petit à petit production (France)

• Podium (You Have Three Minutes), dir. Rachel Leah Jones, prod. Rachel Leah Jones / Home Made Docs, Philippe Bellaiche / Home Made Docs (France, Switzerland, Canada)

• Re:collection, dir. Dane Dodds, prod. Antoinette Engel (South Africa, Denmark)

• Recovery, dir. Roman Bondarchuk, Vadym Ilkov, prod. Darya Bassel / Moon Man (Ukraine)

• Ship of Fools, dir. Liang Zhao, prod. Jia Zhao / Muyi Film (Netherlands)

• Shooting Stars, dir. Parsa Ansari, prod. Milad Khosravi / Seven Springs Pictures (Iran)

• Silence Diaries, dir. Daniela Muñoz Barroso, prod. Daniela Muñoz Barroso / Estudio ST, Leila Montero / Estudio ST (Spain, Cuba)

• Sisters in War, dir. Lay Thida, prod. Lay Thida / Lavender Productions, Maya Newell / Closer Productions (Myanmar)

• Sonia – Searching for Balance, dir. Rita Balogh, Peter Akar, prod. Sára László / Campfilm, Marcell Gerő / Campfilm (Hungary)

• Stitch by Stitch, dir. Alina Baitokova, prod. Adilet Karzhoev / Karzhoev Films (Kyrgyzstan)

• Super Sila, dir. Mohammed Alshareef, prod. Ala’ Abu Ghoush (Palestine)

• The Contract of the Century, dir. Christina D. Bartson, prod. Elijah Stevens / Space Time Films (United Kingdom, United States)

• The Earth Beneath Our Feet, dir. Jack Wolf, Janvier Murairi, prod. Arne Buettner / Kino Adagio, Quentin Laurent / Les Films de l’oeil sauvage, Quentin Noirfalisse / Dancing Dog Productions SPRL (Germany, France, Belgium)

• The Night I Return, dir. Ehsan Fardjadniya, prod. Pieter van Huystee / Pieter van Huystee Film (Netherlands)

• This Body Is My Final Address, dir. August Joensalo, prod. Emilia Haukka / Aamu Film Company (Finland)

• This Version of Me, dir. Gabrielle Zilkha, prod. Ina Fichman (Canada)

• Wild Goose Days, dir. Andrew H. Brown, prod. Andrew H. Brown, Katie Basile (United States)

Rough Cut Presentations

• Artificial Clouds, dir. Josefina Buschmann Mardones, prod. Daniela Camino / Mimbre Films, Boris Garavini / Les Films Invisibles (Chile, France)

• Camels of the Sea, dir. Vikram Singh, prod. Mandakini Gahlot / Elefant Films (India)

• Moon Is Watching You, dir. Chi Hang MA, prod. Chi Hang MA, Catherine CHAN (Hong Kong)

• My Mother & I, dir. Dilpak Mjaeed, prod. Marwa Tammam / Patchwork Productions (Egypt)

• Oh Heart, Don’t be Afraid, dir. Ana Kvichidze, prod. Avtandil Khorava / Moonbow Productions, Mariam Bitsadze / 17/07 Productions, Ana Kvichidze (Georgia)

• Resisting Residents, dir. Nikos Pilos, Arsinoi Pilou, prod. Dafni Kalafati / Filmiki (Greece)

IDFA DocLab Forum

• Artificial (Body) Intuition, dir. Amit Palgi, prod. Amit Palgi (Netherlands)

• The Atlas of Sound, dir. Siobhan Silén, prod. Annika Hagemann (United Kingdom)

• The Bridge, dir. Brandon Powers, prod. Brandon Powers / Our Time Projects (United States)

• How to Make a Chiffon Cake, dir. Hyeunjoo Woo, Jiyun Park, prod. Ubac Studio (South Korea)

• Just a game?, dir. Jo Sol, prod. Georgina Oliva / Shaktimetta Produccions (Spain)

• Lidscape XR, dir. Sebastian Carrasco, prod. Andrés Piñeros / Scrmbld Studio (Colombia)

• Mine Land, dir. Katja Verheul (Netherlands)

• The Passage, dir. Nicole-Christine Strasser, prod. Sebastian Herbst / Arkanum Pictures (Germany)

• This Pleasant Lady, dir. Victoria Mapplebeck, prod. Victoria Mapplebeck (United Kingdom)

• Time Hunter XR: Colonial Protocols, dir. Mark Mushiva, Daniel Chein, prod. Laura Kloeckner / Seera Films (Germany, Namibia, United States)

• TKHAFSH / تخفش (working title), dir. Noor Abed, Haig Aivazian, prod. AFAC Arab Fund for Art and Culture (Lebanon), with Time Based Editions (Belgium)

• We Walk the Bridge of Worlds, dir. Sara de Gouveia, Inka Kendzia, Zinhle Purity Mkhize, prod. Sara de Gouveia / Lionfish Productions (South Africa)

The list of potential suitors for Letterboxd continues to grow with another media player expressing interest in the social media platform for cinephiles, which could fetch more than $300 million.

Gigi Pritzker, billionaire philanthropist and CEO of independent production company Madison Wells, is part of an investor consortium that has expressed interest in acquiring Letterboxd, according to an individual familiar with the matter. But the New York Times is seen as a favorite given its ability to be a neutral custodian, another person familiar with the sales process said. 

Letterboxd isn’t a household name unless you’re a film buff. The platform that lets you log, rate and review movies you’ve seen may fly under the radar for most people. But over the last few years, it has become a reliable haven for film fans to share their love of (and argue over) cinema and discover their next watch. The app is elegant, unique and, above all, cool — traits that have allowed it to build a base of fervently loyal users.

As of the end of the second quarter, Letterboxd surpassed 30.7 million members, an increase of 43% year-over-year and up 185% since being acquired by the Canadian holding company Tiny. That number, TheWrap has learned, is now closer to 35 million. Any deal for Letterboxd is expected to value the platform at over $300 million, roughly 20 times its projected earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or Ebitda of roughly $15 million for this year. Letterboxd’s Ebitda is projected to increase to over $20 million in 2027. 

It’s that growth and a user base of informed film fans that makes Letterboxd such a hot acquisition target. Studios are keen to at least kick the tires on the company because so much of the critical discourse around films happens there. Owning that discourse, as well as the user data that members — many of whom are in that coveted Gen Z demographic — submit about their movie preferences, would be invaluable.

It’s unclear when a deal could close, but an individual familiar with the situation noted that things are further along now than they were during initial reports in April and when Letterboxd was simply taking initial interest meetings with parties like Sony and Netflix back in July. Since then, the New York Times and A24 have also expressed interest.

Representatives for Letterboxd declined to comment. Katie Hill, the New York Times’ global head of communications and external affairs, told TheWrap it “regularly reviews potential investments,” but declined to comment on “speculation about potential acquisitions or divestitures.”

Pritzker, Letterboxd’s majority owner Tiny and LionTree, the investment bank running the sales process, did not immediately return TheWrap’s request for comment. 

Potential new suitors

In 2001, Gigi Pritzker formed the independent production and finance company Odd Lot Entertainment. The company would later be merged into Madison Wells in 2015.

Over the course of her career, Pritzker has focused on developing, producing and funding film, television and theater projects from underrepresented voices, particularly women as well as established and up-and-coming storytellers looking to push boundaries. Her notable producing credits include films like “Rabbit Hole,” “Drive” and “Hell or High Water” and TV series such as “The Dragon Prince” and “Genius.” 

Letterboxd makes a good fit for Pritzker’s ethos, with the platform often helping elevate the same voices and projects she’s spent her career funding. For as much as Letterboxd users log and litigate the year’s biggest blockbusters, the site’s most popular participants often spread the word and praise underseen and undercelebrated indie productions. It’s a cinematic equalizer, one that platforms quality more than box office earnings.

As surprise word-of-mouth hits like “Obsession” have shown, being able to harness buzz and the discourse around films and filmmakers is extremely powerful. 

But alikely contender to walk away with Letterboxd is one that didn’t appear in the initial round of candidates: the New York Times. But it’s seen as a compatible buyer since it doesn’t have a stake in the films discussed on the platform. Over the last several years, the Times has invested in different outlets and platforms to get its subscribers to spend more time on its site, whether it’s games like Wordle or podcast creator Serial Productions. In 2022, it acquired sports news site The Athletic for $550 million.

In addition to Pritzker and the New York Times, LionTree and Tiny have gauged interest from A24, Sony and Netflix. Other potential suitors that have reportedly been floated include Paramount, RedBird Capital Partners, TPG, Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian and Versant.

According to an individual familiar with the situation, Letterboxd’s owners have been open to meeting with studios, but a deal would likely include conversations aimed at keeping the service’s mission intact. 

TheWrap previously confirmed that The Ankler was approached by Tiny about acquiring Letterboxd last year, but the two sides ultimately couldn’t agree on deal terms. In July, an insider said that communications between the two companies remain open as they’ve partnered on sales, a series of events and newsletters, but that the Janice Min-led media company was not actively looking to acquire Letterboxd.

A public benefit corporation called Intrinsic Entertainment Collaborative also officially launched its Letterboxd4All campaign on Monday. As TheWrap previously reported, its long-shot bid is focused on keeping Letterboxd independent from studio influence and maintaining the platform as a “point of discoverability” to help indie filmmakers own their own audience.

The group of indie film advocates has built a coalition of unnamed investors capable of writing seven- and eight-figure checks. Its campaign also allows the public to participate as equity investors through a platform called WeFunder, which requires a minimum $100 investment, or through donations of any amount via its GoFundMe or a fiscal sponsor. As of the time of publication, The GoFundMe has raised $38,705 from 20 donations.

A history of growth

The social media service, which launched in 2011, has had a meteoric rise over the years, with celebrities now eagerly awaiting to share their “Letterboxd 4” (or their four favorite films, featured on users’ Letterboxd profiles) on red carpets. Back in 2024, the platform boasted 16 million users, a number that has roughly doubled in the two years since.

“It’s just undeniable that Letterboxd has become the leading platform in film discourse — involving those even well beyond traditional cinephiles and attracting a significant portion of the ‘casual’ moviegoing audience as well,” Zoë Rose Bryant, a prolific Letterboxd user, told TheWrap in July.

Letterboxd has survived a changing of hands before. In 2023, Tiny purchased a majority stake of 60% in a deal valued at $50–$60 million. Meanwhile, the remainder is owned by Letterboxd’s co-founders Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow. Tiny began shopping its stake in Letterboxd in 2025, though the sales process did not publicly surface until April. 

Owning that discourse and user data could be invaluable to any major studio as they build and promote their own film slates each year. However, the prospect of a studio owning Letterboxd has sparked fears that the platform will be unable to remain neutral about which films ultimately get promoted on the service and that any negative opinions around a corporate owner’s films could be censored. 

Which is likely why there’s such a diverse collection of companies weighing an offer.

Sharon Waxman contributed reporting to this story.