For Internationals

The International Film Festival Assen (IFA) is the go-to destination for film lovers in the North. From March 6 to 9, 2025, immerse yourself in films that highlight women in front of and behind the camera. Celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, the four-day festival takes place annually at De Nieuwe Kolk in Assen. IFA challenges your perspective on equality and identity, offering captivating arthouse films and an exciting festival programme.

IFA is one of the oldest film festivals in Europe with an intersectional feminist tradition. This means that the festival pays attention to how different forms of inequality, such as gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and socioeconomic status, intersect and impact each other. IFA is committed to equal opportunities and representation, both on and behind the screen. Female filmmakers and their stories are central to our mission. For 45 editions, we have worked to continue strengthening the position of women in the film industry. Every year, we proudly present a programme that touches, inspires, and sparks reflection.

This year, our festival programme once again offers a diverse and inspiring selection of films from the Netherlands and beyond. From thought-provoking films that challenge perspectives to more lighthearted, uplifting stories, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. At IFA, you’ll always discover meaningful and captivating new stories, but the festival is also a great day out; an opportunity to meet fellow film lovers and immerse yourself in the magic of cinema.

IFA is also proud to offer a platform for emerging filmmakers. We host two annual short film competitions: KersVers, dedicated to female-identifying directors from across the Netherlands, and Noordsterren, showcasing filmmakers from the Northern provinces of the Netherlands – Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe. During the festival, our jury will award the Best Film and Best Northern Film, with the winners receiving a cash prize to invest in their next project.

For our international audience, we’ve gathered all films that are either English-spoken or have English subtitles further down on this page. This makes it easy to find the films that are accessible to you.

Friday March 7 is the perfect day for international visitors. All films on this day will be either in English or have English subtitles. Below, you’ll find an overview of these films. Enjoy a programme where unique films and social themes come together. Get inspired, meet like-minded people, and experience IFA for yourself. Explore the selection below and book your ticket today!

Ticket prices for the festival are as follows:

• Regular: €11.50
• Opening: €14.00
• Strippenkaart (includes 5 films): €47.50
• Friends: €9.00
• Kersvers/Noordsterren: €9.00
• Student/CJP: €9.00

Tickets will be available soon through the website of De Nieuwe Kolk. Stay tuned!

P.S.: Are you curious for more after the festival in March? Join us for IFA Presenteert! Throughout the year, we bring special new arthouse films to various locations in the North in collaboration with different partners. Keep an eye on our socials and website to stay updated!

IFA shines its spotlight on a rich selection of contemporary cinema, created by female talent both in front of and behind the camera. Here, you’ll find current (inter)national films, including premieres and true fan favorites. A permanent spot within Spotlight is reserved for IFA Perspective, where a groundbreaking film is discussed in a panel conversation. We delve into questions like: what does this film say about us and the world we live in? Get inspired by powerful stories and new insights.

Anora
Language: English | Dutch subtitles

Sean Baker delivers an entertaining and perceptive portrait of Ani, a young woman holding her own in a world of inequality, illusions and power. As an “erotic dancer,” she balances between opportunism and genuine desires, especially when she gets into a turbulent relationship with Vanya, a wealthy but mindless heir. A mix of love, sex and opportunism leads to confrontations with Vanya's powerful and mafia-like Russian family. While Vanya shirks his responsibilities, Ani grows into an unyielding heroine, aided by Igor, a rough but surprisingly caring sidekick. The film received the Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, and lead actress Mikey Madison received the Breakthrough Performance Award from the National Board of Review. The film was also nominated for five Golden Globe Awards, including Best Picture in the Musical or Comedy category, Best Actress and Best Director.

Butterflies
Language: Finnish | English subtitles

On a warm summer day, estranged daughter Siiri and father Petri unexpectedly meet each other. Siiri is a hard-working millennial who is at the whims of her demanding boss because she aspires a promotion, and is the antithesis of her optimistic, chaotic troubadour of a father. That's why they haven't seen each other for years. Over the course of a village Tango festival, both Siiri and Petri's facades crumble, and they must face their truth. A warm, cheerful comedy about the sometimes complicated dynamics between parents and children.

De Natuur Bestaat Niet
Language: English and Dutch | English subtitles

The relationship between humanity and nature is in crisis, you might say a relationship crisis. Under the guidance of renowned psychiatrist Dirk de Wachter, four people - each with a very different bond with nature - examine how we can repair our disturbed relationship with the world around us. From a New York “Plantmom” to an organic farmer, everyone seeks a new perspective. This documentary combines humor and art to make us reflect on our connection to nature. Divorce is not an option, can we save the relationship?

Familiar Touch
Language: English | Dutch subtitles

Coming-of-age does not always have to be about young people, Sarah Friedland shows in her tender, moving debut about eighty-year-old Ruth, who has dementia and has to get used to her new life in assisted living. She moves to a sun-drenched nursing home where she actually chose a room herself - but she doesn't remember this. The venturous Ruth now has to adapt to life among other elderly people with dementia, which provides endearing, confrontational but also often funny moments. Friedland shows in a sensitive, humane way that holding on to the person you were while accepting the person you have become, is something you never outgrow.

Good One
Language: English

A weekend hike with her father Chris and his oldest friend Matt doesn't go as planned for seventeen-year-old Sam. In this phenomenally intricate debut feature, the teenaged Sam is on the brink of womanhood. As if that's not hard enough by itself, she also has to deal with the clashing egos of the two middle aged divorced men. As the group navigates through the mountains of the Catskills, they also have to navigate their changing relationship to each other. Things eventually take a sharp turn, for the trip itself and Sam’s personal journey, as she’s faced with uncomfortable truths about her fellow travelers.

Hard Truths
Language: English

Pansy is a woman tormented by anger and depression, oversensitive to the slightest possible insult and always ready to go out of her way. She takes on strangers and lists the world's countless shortcomings to anyone who will listen, especially her cheerful sister Chantelle, who, despite their clashing temperaments, may be the only person left who can sympathize with her. Mike Leigh once again collaborates with Marianne Jean Baptiste in this tragicomic character study of human weaknesses, unresolved grief and complex family relationships.

Mother Vera
Language: Belarusian | English subtitles

A tranquil, almost hypnotic look at monastic life, alternating with images reminiscent of slow cinema. The life of nun Vera, once a young woman entangled in nightclubs, drugs and crime, seems straight out of a Dostoyevsky novel. Her spiritual journey - full of guilt, atonement and transcendence - touches on universal themes of redemption and equality. Rich imagery and a carefully composed sound set enhance the contemplative atmosphere, while unexpected moments of lightness, such as a walk with a playful lamb, reveal an intimate human side. The result is a layered story that explores not only spiritual life but also the human need for meaning.

On Falling
Language: Portuguese and English | Dutch subtitles

Laura Carreira's impressive debut On Falling examines working-class life in late capitalism and takes a raw and moving look at the hidden toll of online shopping. The story follows Aurora, a Portuguese migrant in Scotland, who works as an order picker under strict targets and constant assessment via digital handsets. The film, reminiscent of Ken Loach's Sorry We Missed You, shows with haunting precision how work in these modern workhouses erodes workers' humanity and sanity. Having premiered at TIFF and won awards in London and San Sebastián, Carreira proves herself a powerful and warm new voice in British working-class cinema.

September Says
Language: English | Dutch subtitles

In her hauntingly surreal directorial debut, Ariane Labed carefully crafts a dark coming-of-age story centred around two sisters, July and September. While not twins, the sisters are almost the same age and have a strange, symbiotic bond. After an incident at school, their mother decides to move them to the Irish countryside, and their behaviour becomes increasingly disturbing. Labed, a long time collaborator of Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, drew inspiration from the Daisy Johnson gothic novel Sisters. She skillfully subverts genre conventions to explore deeper emotional terrain. Her film is a haunting, atmospheric meditation on the fragile boundaries between reality and illusion, waking life and dream.

Toxic
Language: Lithuanian | English subtitles

In a bleak industrial area, we follow 2 young girls, both with dreams of escaping their reality. A modeling agency seems to offer the way out for them, but it soon becomes clear how toxic this industry is. This raw, poignant film doesn't sugarcoat it - the reality of poverty and despair is not portrayed more beautiful than it really is. Yet director Saulė Bliuvaitė manages to demonstrate how close friendships can develop in toxic conditions, like flowers growing on decaying concrete walls.

Where Dragons Live
Language: English | Dutch subtitles

At first glance, this magical documentary revolves around the painting Saint George and the Dragon, once sold by matriarch Jane Impey to buy a mansion where her children grew up among pickled reptiles, Asian art and stories full of dragons. Over time, it becomes clear that the dragon symbolizes fear and performance pressure, deeply ingrained in an eccentric, brilliant but dysfunctional family. Through 8mm archival footage and the house as a time capsule, Raes shows how objects and memories confront the family with their past. As the children and grandchildren wander through the rooms, Jane's menacing bills and rules lose their grip, and the traces of her love become visible. Raes creates an intimate space in which adult children relive their childhood and the mythical dragons of their fears become smaller and less intimidating. What remains is a loving and nuanced portrait of a special family.

We explore themes like gender diversity, discrimination and stereotypes. If you just look around, you’ll notice an increasing hostility toward LGBTQIA+ individuals and a rise in (online) hate against people who speak out as feminists or gender activists. Providing a counter-narrative is becoming increasingly essential. These stories must remain visible.

Cherub
Language: English

A dreamy, gentle character study of Harvey, a shy fat man who hardly dares to talk to anyone. His life takes a turn when he comes across Cherub, a gay magazine for 'big men and their admirers'. Subtly, this feature debut film immerses us in a peculiar, silent world where sexuality and alternative beauty ideals are scrutinized. Gorgeous compositions, grainy colors and static images let us fully experience (anti)hero Harvey.

Germaine Dulac Special
Language: silent movie with live music

Musical accompaniment at the cinemas. Between 1910-1930, this was the most normal thing in the Netherlands. But with the advent of sound film, the so-called “talkies,” this has become unusual. A pity, because it makes for a completely different cinematic experience than we are used to now; the musician really makes the film into something special. That is why we are bringing this old cinema tradition back to IFA! Julia Bekker (Santa Fé, Vanity Box) and Hugo Heinen (Atoomclub, Vanity Box) are bringing their own compositions. Together they will accompany Thèmes et Variations and La Souriante Madame Beudet by feminist avant-garde pioneer Germaine Dulac. Film scholar Dr. Steven Willemsen will introduce the films and talk about the historical significance of Dulac's films.

Mozart's Sister
Language: English | English subtitles

Using controversial new evidence from music experts, this gripping documentary explores the theory that Mozart's older sister, Maria Anna, was as much a musical prodigy as her brother. Her contribution to music history has been greater than previously known, claims director Madeleine Hetherton-Miau. The Australian multi-awarded documentary maker paints a sensitive and thoroughly researched portrait of Maria Anna's life, revealing how the patriarchal ideas of her time condemned her to be a less developed musician and composer than her brother, even though she was equally talented.

Niki
Language: French and English | Dutch subtitles

A compelling biopic about artist Niki de Saint Phalle, known for her colorful, sculptural works and innovative approach to art. In this film, we dive deeper into her life story and her psyche. We follow her life in France, where she keeps having unsettling flashbacks from her childhood. Her search for truth is painful and harsh, but she finds a weapon to free herself in her art.

The Substance
Language: English | Dutch subtitles

A stylish, razor-sharp satire that focuses on the obsession with youth and beauty. Demi Moore shines as Elizabeth Sparkle, a fitness icon in fading glory. She is prepared to do anything to regain her fame. Her life takes a turn when she encounters a revolutionary but sinister product: The Substance. Director Coralie Fargeat delivers a visually stunning and provocative masterpiece that combines unrealistic beauty standards with out-of-the-box body horror.

Trans Memoria
Language: Swedish and English | English subtitles

This personal hybrid documentary by audiovisual artist Victoria Verseau, who is also the protagonist, explores in a very open manner what it is like to be a trans woman. Verseau shares intimate moments of doubt, uncertainty and hopefulness, all while chasing the ghost of her friend Meril. Verseau met Meril in 2012 at a hotel in Thailand, where they stayed together in the period before and after their gender-affirming surgery. Years later, she returns to the hotel room they shared, after she hears of Meril's unfortunate and untimely death. Together with Athena and Aamina, who are going through their own transition, she reflects in and around this hotel on various existential issues.

Our view of the world is shaped by what we see around us. World Views expands your horizon by showing you the hidden stories about people, cultures and experiences that are often underrepresented. Every new story you discover invites you to see the world through someone else’s eyes, to broaden your understanding and to deepen your empathy. Discover compelling films that will leave a lasting impact on how you view the world.

1 Girl Infinite
Language: Mandarin | English subtitles

A colorful portrait of obsessive teenage love and unfulfilled desire, inspired by a true story. Set against the backdrop of vibrant Changsha, China, we follow Yin Jia and Tong Tong, whose complex relationship unfolds between tenderness, passion and destructive choices. With intimate handheld camera work, dreamy sound design and a keen eye for emotion and aesthetics, Hu delivers a striking visual and powerful debut.

Bitter Gold
Language: Spanish | English subtitles

Suspenseful Western with a modern twist, in which we follow 16-year-old Carola who lives with Pacifico, her father, in the middle of the Atacama Desert. Together with a small group of miners, they work in the artisanal Cobra gold mine to survive. However, father and daughter hide a treasure from the others: a vein of gold that they secretly work on at night. Like everyone else, they want to change their fate, which adds tension to their secret activities. One day, a miner discovers their secret and violently breaks into the gold mine. Carola decides to challenge the patriarchal structures and laws of the jungle, as well as her own immaturity, to cling onto the image of her future.

Sugar Island
Language: Spanish | English subtitles

A hypnotic and gripping look at the social and political realities of the sugarcane industry in the Dominican Republic. The story follows Makenya, a teenager whose unwanted pregnancy abruptly ends her childhood, while her community is threatened by automation and precarious working conditions. The film interweaves tradition, spirituality and colonial heritage with a visually stunning approach, enhanced by Alván Prado's cinematography. With loving close-ups and images that move between the visible and the invisible, the film not only exposes social pitfalls, but also offers a glimpse of possible liberation through spiritual and ancestral wisdom. Combining political engagement with poetic realism, Sugar Island makes a deep impression without being pedantic.

Where Olive Trees Weep
Language: English, Arabic and Hebrew | English subtitles

A gripping documentary that provides an insight into the lives of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. Both Palestinian and Jewish journalists, scholars and activists share detailed accounts of themes of loss, trauma and the struggle for justice. We are for example introduced to the story of renowned Hungarian-Canadian physician and Holocaust survivor Dr. Gabor Maté, who offers trauma healing to women tortured in Israeli prisons. The film shows the deep scars of oppression, but also calls for mutual solidarity and justice.

Writing Hawa
Language: Persian | English subtitles

Afghan Hawa is thirteen years old when she is married off to her much older husband. Forty years later, now that her children are grown and her husband is elderly, Hawa finally has more freedom to empower herself: she learns to read and write, and wants to start her own business. But these dreams soon fall apart when the Taliban takes over in 2021. Najiba Noori seamlessly intertwines this geopolitical issue with the personal stories of her own family in this empathetic, confrontational and loving documentary.

Yasmeen's Element
Language: Urdu | English subtitles

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Hunza Valley in northern Pakistan, Yasmeen's Element takes viewers on a moving journey. Twelve-year-old Yasmeen loses her homework after an unexpected military intervention at school and begins an adventurous search for her professor. Along the way, she encounters both obstacles and unexpected kindness. Through minimalist cinematography and long takes, director Amman Abbasi highlights not only the majestic surroundings, but also the joys and challenges of education. Inspired by Jeffrey E. Stern's The Last Thousand, and with an opening referencing Malala Yousafzai, this short but powerful film is an intimate ode to growth, resilience, and learning.

Eager to discover the next generation of filmmakers? We’re passionate about showcasing fresh talent at our festival. In KersVers and Noordsterren, our short film competitions, we present a curated selection of some of this year’s finest short films. Additionally, you can attend engaging workshops, visit masterclasses and connect with professionals from the film industry. The perfect opportunity to discover new talent and get inspired.

A Table for Two - KersVers Selection
Language: English and Dutch | English subtitles

53-year-old Barbara is on holiday in Ibiza when she is unexpectedly confronted with a world that is not designed for singles, making her feel personally and financially disadvantaged by her environment. What should have been a relaxing holiday quickly turns into a week of Barbara struggling to be happy by herself.

Barlebas - KersVers Selection
Language: Dutch | English subtitles

When the headstrong Heylken (28) is accused of witchcraft, she resists, inspiring the young Griet (12) with her free spirit and powerful voice.

Fuck-A-Fan - KersVers Selection
Language: English | Dutch subtitles

Click counts, fan “likes” and subscription rates – welcome to the new world of porn. Chloe Cam, the hottest viral adult star in the UK, posts a Fuck-a-Fan contest to bump those numbers. Meanwhile, Thomas, an awkward young man from Amsterdam whose heart was recently broken enters on a whim, and wins. When the lights go on and the camera starts rolling, Thomas and Chloe find themselves as they never expected: vulnerable, and accountable to each other. What is intimacy in an age where you swipe from date to date, sexting is the new flirting, and social media is the global playground? “Fuck-A-Fan” explores what it means to be real in these very unreal times.

Nobody Home - KersVers Selection
Language: Dutch | English subtitles

Eighteen-year-old student Isra embarks on a final weekend trip to one of the Wadden Islands with her depressed father. She has just received the news that she will be able to move into a student room. While she feels relief, she is also anxious about sharing the news with her father and leaving him alone with his depression. She hopes to see him happy during this last weekend together, so she can move out without worrying about him. However, when Isra shares her plans, it takes them both time to grasp what this change means. Amid feelings of guilt and fear, they search for a new way to redefine their relationship. Eventually, Isra realizes that letting go might be as much an act of loving, as staying.

The Anatomy of a Mermaid - KersVers Selection
Language: Dutch | English subtitles

Peer (18) and his father Ivo are the last remaining people on earth. They live in isolation deep in the woods, hiding from bloodthirsty mermaids. When Peer disobeys Ivo’s orders and ventures out to explore, he sees a mermaid for the first time in his life. He flees home but can't resist returning to see her again. In this graduation film, cracks slowly begin to form in their father-son relationship as Peer starts to question all the doomsday stories he was raised to believe. A psychological thriller with a surreal touch.

Baarch - Noordsterren Selection
Language: Frisian | English subtitles

After serving his sentence for a sex offense, Nanne’s son Arnout returns home to the farm in the north of Friesland. Consumed by a toxic mix of grief, hatred, and searing self-reproach, and set against the rigid norms of a conservative Frisian rural community, Nanne struggles to rediscover his compassion for Arnout.

De Boot van Klaveren - Noordsterren Selection
Language: Dutch | English subtitles

This documentary graduation film follows 70-year-old Rita, a retired klaverjas player, a traditional Dutch card game. For years she has organized klaverjas competitions on her houseboat Kareltje, anchored in the heart of Groningen. The boat carries a tragic past yet remains a unique and communal space with a carefully curated playlist. Everyone is welcome to join the game, but good sportsmanship is a must, and you have to be able to handle a bad hand.

Roze Bubbel - Noordsterren Selection
Language: Dutch | English subtitles

In the documentary Roze Bubbel, filmmakers Afra Rijkhoff and Marleen Danhof explore why rainbow families do not receive equal treatment and are therefore constantly forced to adapt in order to fully participate in society. Afra herself grew up with two mothers. For her, childhood felt like a big pink bubble - warm and full of love. But when she learned about the societal obstacles her parents had to overcome to have a child, that bubble burst, making her determined to share the story of rainbow families. Roze Bubbel reveals what happens when you don’t fit into the mold of a ‘standard’ family.

Three Women Named Svetlana - Noordsterren Selection
Language: Serbian | English subtitles

On a sunny spring day, three women, all named Svetlana, wait at a small train station somewhere in the south of Serbia. One longs to leave the country, another is visiting for family, and the last Svetlana will most likely never leave Serbia or the station at all.

Vaders Zijn Ook Zonen - Noordsterren Selection
Language: Dutch, English and Arabic | English subtitles

After losing his father, Sammy embarks on a profound and emotional journey to better understand him. Along the way, he meets different men, each sharing unique and valuable stories about fatherhood. Through their experiences, Sammy not only gains deeper insight into his father but also discovers more about himself and the complex bond between fathers and sons. Fathers Are Sons Too is a visual testament to this deeply personal journey of connection and understanding.

Become our Friend!

As Friend of IFA you not only support the festival, but every year you’ll get some great perks, too. In 2025 you will receive:

• A €2,50 discount on every IFA film ticket (including IFA Presents)
• A goodie bag
• Two free tickets for the specially selected Friend's Film
• One free ticket for IFA Presents
  
• An invitation to an exclusive Friends' gathering

The more great friends we have, the greater the festival gets! Interested in becoming ‘Vriend van IFA’? Please e-mail us at vrienden@filmfestivalassen.nl. IFA ♥ her Friends!