International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) has lined up speakers including The Secret Agent director Kleber Mendonça Filho, US actor John Lithgow, Italian actress Valeria Golino and Egyptian filmmaker Marwan Hamed for the talks programme of its 55th edition, which runs January 29 – February 8 in the Netherlands.
It will take place across two strands: Big Talks, featuring dialogues between leading filmmakers; and Tiger Talks, addressing issues including feminism, the legacy of colonialism, and cinema’s sociopolitical role.
In the Big Talks strand, Mendonça Filho will be joined by Alcarràs director Carla Simón, while Lithgow will join the Dutch cast for a talk about IFFR title Jimpa.
Egyptian filmmaker Hamed – whose works are celebrated in IFFR’s 2026 retrospective – will sit down with director Yousry Nasrallah for an in-depth talk.
Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass, whose credits include Palestine 36 and The Arab, and Italian actress Golino (Fuori) will discuss their international careers, spanning arthouse cinema and television series.
Further talks will link French composer and sound engineer Nicolas Becker, winner of an Academy Award for best sound for Sound Of Metal, with actor, musician, and sound designer Simon Fisher Turner, known for his collaborations with Derek Jarman. Becker is behind IFFR title Krakatoa, while Fisher Turner’s credits include Heart Of Light – Eleven Songs For Fiji.
Additionally, Yorick Le Saux, cinematographer of The Wizard Of The Kremlin and Father Mother Sister Brother, will discuss his work and inspirations.
The IFFR Pro Dialogues programme of industry-focused discussions will also be held during the IFFR Pro Days, running between January 30 – February 4.
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