Het Documentaire Paviljoen
In the summer of 2023, IDFA moved to the Vondelpark pavilion—since named Het Documentaire Paviljoen. The organization has its office here, but also oversees three spaces for audiences: a cinema, a studio, and a salon space. In addition, the building hosts a publicly accessible café and social space.
Het Documentaire Paviljoen in Vondelpark (Picture: Bernard Kalu)
Move and renovation
Before the building could be moved into and officially opened, a renovation took place. The aim was to work as sustainably as possible and use recycled materials. The renovation was co-financed with contributions from het Cultuurfonds, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the Municipality of Amsterdam, the Province of North Holland, Fonds 21EXTRA, BPD Cultuurfonds, and Brook Foundation.
Moving to Vondelpark (Picture: Coen Dijkstra)
Visitors during the screening of I Heard It Through the Grapevine (Dick Fontaine, 1982) (Picture: Bernard Kalu)
Program and festival location
From October 2023, films have been shown weekly in the cinema under the name IDFA Vondelpark Under Construction. The program was created in close collaboration with cultural partners in the city. For example, film expert Maan Meelker gave an introduction to the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam's solo exhibition This Will Not End Well by Nan Golding (October 2023–January 2024) in Het Documentaire Paviljoen. Audiences could also see the recently restored film I Heard it Through the Grapevine (1982) in collaboration with Black Achievement Month and Pepr. And The Last Year of Darkness (Benjamin Mullinkosson) was shown as part of the Amsterdam Dance Event together with DARKMATTER Collective. This resulted in a program rooted in diverse collaborations both before and after the festival.
During the 36th edition of IDFA, the pavilion functioned as an official festival location. It was the home to, among others, the six-day Contagious & Queer program.
Touria Meliani (Deputy Mayor Art and Culture“It’s excellent that IDFA will be finding a new home in Vondelpark Pavilion. Our city will gain a new, accessible stage for documentary film, with screenings available to a broad and diverse audience throughout the year. I am also extremely enthusiastic about IDFA’s plans to dedicate space to talent development and educational programs”
Performance during the screening of "The Last Year of Darkness" (Benjamin Mullinkosson) in collaboration with DARKMATTER Collective. (Picture: Roger Cremers)
New connections and new programs
Having its own building offers IDFA the opportunity to further shape the institute it has grown into. This way, IDFA can be visible all year round and make new and deeper connections in Amsterdam. All IDFA activities can come together in Het Documentaire Paviljoen and new programs and initiatives can be developed. It has the potential to grow into a new and accessible cultural space the city dedicated to documentary art, with both a national and international appeal.
The new location in the Vondelpark also offers the opportunity to deepen the relationship with current audiences and to attract new audiences to IDFA. Not only with new initiatives and (program) collaborations, but also by presenting successful festival programs to a young audience, such as the new media program DocLab. IDFA expects to receive approximately 20,000 visitors annually in Het Documentaire Paviljoen.
Het Documentaire Paviljoen officially opened in March 2024.
Filmmakers about IDFA in Vondelpark: "Finally, a home for documentaries."
