This year’s International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), running from 29 January to 8 February 2026, presents a vibrant and wide-ranging selection of Finnish productions and co-productions, highlighting both emerging voices and established talent.
The line-up includes the world premieres of Earth Song by Erol Mintaș (Finland, Germany), Feeling Defensive (Part 1) by Pilvi Takala (Finland), I am a River by Heidi Piiroinen (Finland, France), A Letter from Elli by Elina Solaranta (Finland), Nox by Matti Harju (Finland), The Kidnapping of a President by Samuli Valkama (Finland, Czech Republic, Netherlands), Dancers Only by Siiri Selin (Finland), VITA by Mox Mäkelä (Finland) and Time Will Not Tell by Htoo Lwin Myo (Myanmar, Finland).
Out of Order by Antti Tuomikoski (Finland) will have its international premiere at the festival and The Wolf, the Fox & the Leopard by David Verbeek (Netherlands, Ireland, Luxembourg, Croatia, Taiwan, Belgium, Finland) will have its Dutch premiere.
I am a River has been selected for the prestigious Tiger Short Competition, whose jury this year includes Sammy Baloji, Anka Gujabidze, and Jukka-Pekka Laakso. Inspired by Pablo Neruda’s Book of Questions – a collection of lyrical, unanswerable poems written as paradoxical and playful interrogations of nature, life and the cosmos – this experimental miniature by Heidi Piiroinen weaves poetic inquiry with visual abstraction, through the rarely used mordançage technique. The veil-like formations it creates evoke the fluid, fragile, ever-changing essence of rivers, suggesting they are living entities, much like us.
Finnish talent is also represented on screen with Krista Kosonen starring in Accept Our Sincere Apologies directed by Juja Dobrachkous.
International Film Festival Rotterdam
29.1–8.2.2026
Rotterdam, Netherlands
https://iffr.com/
View selection of Finnish films.
IFFR presents a leading international film festival and year-round programme and actively supports new and adventurous filmmaking talent through its co-production market CineMart, its Hubert Bals Fund, Rotterdam Lab and other industry activities.
Cover image: Film still from I am a River, directed by Heidi Piiroinen. Provided by the IFFR2026 media kit.