<\/p>\n
The International Film Festival Rotterdam<\/a> (IFFR) on Thursday revealed further selections for the Harbour\u00a0and\u00a0Bright Future\u00a0strands<\/a> of its 2026 edition, including world and international premieres, and the first\u00a0titles for its Limelight\u00a0program, which showcases highlights from the past year\u2019s festival circuit. IFFR also unveiled its two Shorts\u00a0Focus\u00a0programs for its upcoming 55th edition, running Jan. 29-Feb. 8. <\/p>\n The newly picked features set for IFFR 2026 include the world premieres of experimental 3D-rendered comedy\u00a0The Misconceived<\/em> from James N. Kienitz Wilkins (The Plagiarists<\/a><\/em>), debut features\u00a0IAI<\/em>\u00a0from Sakai Zenzo and\u00a0Why Do I See You in Everything?<\/em>\u00a0from Rand Abou Fakher, and the performance-based film from the Chto Delat collective with this title (take a breath!):\u00a0Songs of Hope and Despair. Performed by Bundschuh, Fish, Fox Tail, Rainbow, Dead Drummer, Muse-Leaving Germany and by Other Agencies<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Among the international premieres will be Paul Urkijo Alijo\u2019s dark Basque fairy tale\u00a0Gaua<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Gamer Girls<\/em>\u00a0from directors Veronica Bassetto and Sophie Yang.<\/p>\n The shorts\u00a0Focus\u00a0programs will centre on the ensemble of Belgian and Congolese artists\u00a0in the Collectif Faire-Part\u00a0and the Japanese multidisciplinary artist\u00a0Tetsuya Maruyama.<\/p>\n More from The Hollywood Reporter<\/strong><\/p>\n Collectif Faire-Part\u00a0explores \u201cBelgium\u2019s colonial history, contemporary power dynamics and collective resistance rooted in decolonization,\u201d organizers said. \u201cThrough a multidisciplinary practice encompassing film, photography and performance, founding members Anne Reijniers, Paul Shemisi, Nizar Saleh and Rob Jacobs seek to articulate new narratives about Kinshasa, Brussels, and the complex ties that continue to bind them.\u201d Maruyama, based in Rio de Janeiro, works mostly in analogue film, but his works range from performance to installation and text to found sound compilations. <\/p>\n \u201cAt IFFR, we want every audience member to feel welcome and inspired to explore fresh perspectives. This new selection of premieres and shorts reflects the creative energy and curiosity that define our festival,\u201d said Vanja Kaludjercic, festival director at IFFR. \u201cThe two Shorts Focus programs each open up their own space: one through\u00a0Tetsuya Maruyama\u2019s tactile, analogue approach to performance and image-making; the other through\u00a0Collectif Faire-Part\u2019s ongoing reflections on how we address colonial histories and the questions they continue to raise. Both offer bold, distinctive voices that we\u2019re proud to bring to Rotterdam.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Find the new feature film selections for IFFR 2026 and more about them below.<\/p>\n HARBOUR<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cEchoing Rotterdam\u2019s port city identity, Harbour offers a safe haven to the full range of contemporary cinema that the festival champions.\u201d<\/p>\n Gaua\u00a0<\/em>(International Premiere) The Misconceived<\/em> (World Premiere)<\/em> Ripples in the Mist\u00a0(European Premiere)<\/em> Isan Odyssey <\/em>(International Premiere)<\/em> Mergen<\/em>\u00a0(International Premiere) Songs of Hope and Despair. Performed by Bundschuh, Fish, Fox Tail, Rainbow, Dead Drummer, Muse-Leaving Germany and by Other Agencies<\/em>\u00a0(World Premiere \u2013 Festival) BRIGHT FUTURE<\/u><\/strong> IAI<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>(World Premiere) Why Do I See You in Everything?\u00a0(World Premiere)\u00a0<\/em> Gamer Girls<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>(International Premiere) LIMELIGHT<\/u><\/strong> Tokyo Taxi<\/em>\u00a0(European Premiere)<\/em> Quezon\u00a0(European Premiere)<\/em> Best of The Hollywood Reporter<\/strong><\/p>\n Sign up for THR’s Newsletter<\/a>. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) on Thursday revealed further selections for the Harbour\u00a0and\u00a0Bright Future\u00a0strands of its 2026 edition, including world and international premieres, and the first\u00a0titles for its Limelight\u00a0program, which showcases highlights from the past year\u2019s festival circuit. IFFR also unveiled its two Shorts\u00a0Focus\u00a0programs for its upcoming 55th edition, running Jan. 29-Feb. 8. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2154323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[412444,412447,370001,412442,34395,412445,412440,412441,412443,412446,343356],"class_list":["post-2154322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-bright-future","tag-chto-delat","tag-european-premiere","tag-focus-programs","tag-hollywood-reporter","tag-international-premiere","tag-james-n-kienitz-wilkins","tag-rand-abou-fakher","tag-sakai-zenzo","tag-tetsuya-maruyama","tag-world-premieres"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rotterdam-Film-Fest-Adds-\u2018The-Misconceived-and-Absurdist-Musical-Road.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2154322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2154322"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2154322\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2154324,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2154322\/revisions\/2154324"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2154323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2154322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2154322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2154322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Director: Paul Urkijo Alijo<\/em>
Spain<\/em>
This dark Basque fairy tale is a witches\u2019 brew of macabre fantasy, folk horror and sexual liberation. Kattalin is caught between duty and desire, people and parish \u2013 at the mercy of judgments both sacred and profane.<\/p>\n
Director: James N. Kienitz Wilkins<\/em>
United States\u00a0<\/em>
A failed filmmaker turned single dad tries to make a living while retaining his sense of self, in James N. Kienitz Wilkins\u2019 experimental 3D-rendered home renovation comedy, which doubles as an acidic treatise on working conditions for the contemporary creative.<\/p>\n
Director: Clara Law<\/em>
Australia\u00a0<\/em>
With an independent spirit, Clara Law\u2019s new film is an essayistic observation of grief, friendship and artistic regeneration, through the parallel stories of two Hong Kong women in exile. A melange of cinematic styles \u2013 including documentary, stage performance and opera \u2013 permeates both form and content in this impressively understated drama.<\/p>\n
Director: Thunska Pansittivorakul<\/em>
Thailand<\/em>
Isan, the largest and most impoverished region of Thailand, has long been a thorn in the kingdom\u2019s flesh with its legacy of pro-democratic movements.\u00a0Isan Odyssey<\/em>\u00a0takes viewers on an enlightening, music-filled journey through the forgotten pages of Thailand\u2019s political history.<\/p>\n
Director: Chingiz Narynov
Kyrgyzstan
<\/em>In this atmospheric neo-noir, a police officer investigating a death in the snowy Kyrgyz mountains uncovers a web of violent corruption in a remote former gold-mining town. As the plot thickens, personal demons, Soviet legacies and local superstitions collide with devastating consequences.<\/p>\n
Director: Chto Delat
Germany
A group of strangely costumed heroes set out on a journey to find a miracle in this absurdist lo-fi musical road movie by the politically engaged art collective Chto Delat. Their experimental flashmob, staged in the former German mining town of Hettstedt, channels the political anxieties of our times.<\/p>\n
\u201cBright Future is a selection of feature-length debuts characterised by original subject matter and an individual style, representing the cutting edge of contemporary filmmaking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Director: Sakai Zenzo<\/em>
Japan<\/em>
After her father\u2019s death, Kana returns home to care for her ailing mother. Soon, she begins experiencing vivid dreams and strange premonitions, suggesting a dark curse looms over her family. With masterfully built suspense, this debut feature balances psychological horror and family drama.<\/p>\n
Director: Rand Abou Fakher<\/em>
Belgium<\/em>
Two lifelong Syrian friends, Qusay and Nabil, spend a day in their Berlin apartment, drifting through dreams, archival footage and present-day events to confront the shifting faces of political violence. Together, they hold on to love and care as the most radical acts of resistance.<\/p>\n
Director: Veronica Bassetto, Sophie Yang<\/em>
Hong Kong\u00a0<\/em>
They thought rebuilding their all-female esport team would be the toughest thing to do. Now, the Gamer Girls face the gaming authority and must find a way to restore all Hong Kong players\u2019 accounts just a few weeks before team trials.<\/p>\n
\u201cLimelight features avant-premieres and cinematic highlights of this year\u2019s festival circuit: eagerly anticipated audience favourites and international award-winners.\u201d<\/p>\n
Director: Yamada Yoji<\/em>
Japan<\/em>
With the audience as his passengers, Yamada Yoji\u2019s Tokyo Taxi<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>takes us on a ride of reminiscence and realization. Our guides are a cabbie and his 85-year-old customer, who helps reframe the troubled driver\u2019s hardships through her own journey through the Japanese capital.<\/p>\n
Director: Jerrold Tarog<\/em>
Philippines<\/em>
As the Philippines prepares for independence from American rule, suave, smooth-talking politician Manuel Quezon ascends to presidential office through persuasion and propaganda. With irreverence and biting wit,\u00a0Quezon<\/em>\u00a0dissects a myth, revealing the timeless thirst for power animating a hallowed historical figure.<\/p>\n