Rotterdam Festival Leaders Share Exciting Plans with Cate Blanchett and Focus on Indonesia!

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In their second year under the co-leadership setup at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Vanja Kaludjercic (festival director) and Clare Stewart (managing director) are optimistically planning for the future. They are now preparing for the festival’s 54th edition, scheduled from January 30 to February 9. With funding secured for the upcoming four events, they are brainstorming ideas to strengthen their ties with local spectators and a global network of filmmakers.

Over the past 1.5 years, Stewart has firmly established herself as a local resident in Rotterdam and deepened her understanding of the city’s essence and how the festival fits within it. In the last year, she and Kaludjercic have been developing a five-year plan based on the triumph of the 2024 edition. Despite undergoing significant business restructuring, this strategy has successfully addressed all financial hurdles without making the changes noticeable or tangible to filmmakers and festival attendees.

Alongside collaborating on the business plan with Stewart, Kaludjercic has been occupied with a year-long series of activities aimed at boosting audience growth. “We organize film club projects in partnership with various city organizations, catering to diverse groups such as street culture enthusiasts and the Buddy Film Foundation, which champions refugee filmmakers,” shares the festival director with EbMaster.

Kaludjercic is working on strategies for expanding the festival audience together with Stewart. They’re doing this by setting up film club initiatives in collaboration with city organizations, targeting diverse groups like street culture fans and refugees who make films (through the Buddy Film Foundation). The director spoke about these efforts to EbMaster.

She mentions that we host events regularly to keep our team engaged in developing the program and foster conversations about the films and the upcoming festival. She emphasizes that Rotterdam, being one of the most diverse cities not just in the Netherlands but in Europe, is a crucial factor for us when planning the festival. As the largest film event in the Netherlands, it’s essential that our program reflects a wide variety of people.

The bond between the city and the countryside is further reinforced this year, as the festival kicks off with a Dutch production titled “Fabula” by Michiel ten Horn. Kaludjercic expresses joy over having a Dutch film open the event, adding that it brings a sense of celebration among the Dutch community. Ten Horn is an exceptional storyteller who can resonate with both casual and discerning viewers alike.

She mentions that if you examine the entire program, there are numerous talented Dutch filmmakers represented. By focusing on the Netherlands, we’ve aimed to showcase their diverse filmmaking abilities within our selection. In addition to multiple Dutch films, IFFR also organizes the RTM Day, which highlights top-notch Rotterdam filmmaking and features a variety of talent from the city’s vibrant creative industry.

2025’s program showcases several countries prominently, with Malaysia and Indonesia being among them. Malaysia has continued to make a strong impact in the festival, as evidenced by its significant presence in 2024. Indonesia, too, is a key player, contributing 17 pieces to this year’s lineup, including the closing film, “This City Is a Battlefield,” directed by Mouly Surya and co-produced by both Indonesian and Dutch teams, with financial backing from IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund.

For several years, our focus has been on expanding a larger space within the festival to highlight Indonesia’s abundant film production,” states the festival director. “Similarly, we have devoted years to India, and today, we proudly claim that IFFR is the leading international film festival for Indian cinema.” It’s worth mentioning that last December, an audiovisual co-production agreement was signed between the Netherlands and Indonesia during the first JAFF Market in Yogyakarta. This treaty classifies qualifying co-productions as national productions in both countries, granting access to subsidies such as those from the Netherlands Film Fund and potentially a 35% cash rebate through the Netherlands Film Production Incentive.

Regarding the difficulties festivals encounter during periods of political turmoil, Stewart emphasizes that the concept of establishing an ethical foundation for the operational aspects of the event is a primary concern for her.

Additionally, there’s a political and financial transformation in the Netherlands, she notes. This year, our financial situation has evolved such that we’ve ensured funding for the next four events, but the budget for cultural activities is becoming stricter, and there are talks about reducing funding for other cultural institutions. The Netherlands boasts a robust philanthropic heritage, yet foundations are also experiencing increased demands to support more organizations. To some extent, this major shift seems to mirror the political climate.”

(Or)

“She also points out that the Netherlands is witnessing both political and financial changes. Our budgetary situation this year has transformed in a way that we’ve secured funding for the next four events, but the cultural budget is being reduced, and discussions are ongoing about cutting funding to other cultural organizations. The Netherlands possesses a rich philanthropic history, but foundations are also under growing pressure to fund more organizations. This substantial shift, to an extent, mirrors the political developments.”

(Or)

“She mentions that there’s a dual transformation in the Netherlands – politically and financially. Our financial situation this year has changed such that we have secured funding for the next four events, but the budget for cultural activities is tightening, and there are discussions about reducing funding to other cultural institutions. The Netherlands has a strong philanthropic heritage, but foundations are also experiencing increased demands to fund more organizations. To some extent, this significant shift seems to echo the political climate.

In terms of talent, last year Stewart and Kaludjercic compared Debbie Harry and Marco Belocchio to Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet. This year, the festival director excitedly exclaims, “Cate Blanchett is our very own Cate Blanchett!” upon welcoming the Academy Award-winning actor for a discussion with “Rumours” director Guy Maddin at the festival. Notably, Blanchett has also teamed up to establish the Displacement Film Fund – a short film grant aimed at refugees in partnership with IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund.

Cate Blanchett is a great champion of independent films, and her conversation with Guy Maddin holds significant value to us as he’s one of the filmmakers we backed early in his career. Kaludjercic made this statement. Additionally, Cheryl Dunye, Alex Ross Perry, Miike Takashi, and Oscar-nominated cinematographer Lol Crawley (“The Brutalist”) are among other guests joining us for these in-depth discussions.

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2025-01-30 00:49