Lineup of special guests revealed for IFFR Talks

Hélène Louvart, Albert Serra, Steve McQueen, ICFR and Girls on Film amongst IFFR Talks lineup.

International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) welcomes a lineup of special guests for the IFFR Talks programme at its 52nd edition. The lineup includes: celebrated French cinematographer and recipient of the Robby Müller Award 2023, Hélène Louvart; Pacificition director Albert Serra; Steve McQueen, who presents his latest artwork Sunshine State at IFFR; the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk; and a discussion hosted by Girls on Film, a film review podcast from a female perspective.

Festival director Vanja Kaludjercic: “Aside from bringing filmmakers and artists together with our audiences for in-depth discussions, our programme of IFFR Talks this edition creates a vital space for dialogue on important issues facing today’s society at large. We’ll reflect on recent and not-so-recent developments in Indian politics, address labour rights and resource scarcity in collaboration with De Balie, and discuss the important work of the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk which continues to advocate for filmmakers in places like Turkey and Iran.”

IFFR Talks

The art of filmmaking is the topic of discussion with some of the world’s most creative cinematic minds. IFFR 2023 presents a programme of Talks including with this edition’s Focus programme filmmakers Stanya Kahn, arc, and Yuasa Masaaki. Steve McQueen and the artist-duo Semiconductor, whose artworks are presented in Art Directions, are also part of the lineup, alongside filmmakers from the programme including Albert Serra and Robby Müller Award 2023 recipient Hélène Louvart.

Girls on Film will record a live podcast on Friday 27 January as host Anna Smith is joined by Superposition director Karoline Lyngbye and Die middag director Nafiss Nia. Hungarian filmmaker Judit Elek will be present at the launch of a retrospective publication titled Judit Elek: The Lady from Budapest, on Sunday 29 January at Donner bookstore.

Filmmakers from the Focus: The Shape of Things to Come? programme will take part in a panel and lecture on Sunday 29 January, where they will assess the current cultural climate in India and shine a light on their subjects and films.

IFFR will also host an update from the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk on Tuesday 31 January, on the increasing persecution and incarceration of filmmakers around the world, with a special focus on Turkey and Iran.

Harbour title Mayday! May day! Mayday! is at the centre of a discussion in collaboration with De Balie in Amsterdam on Wednesday 1 February. The film’s director Yonri Revolt and a panel of experts discuss the politically committed documentary, which delves into one of the longest strikes of the 21st century: by the miners from the Grasberg copper mine in Indonesia.

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