Social responsibility

The diversity of the festival program is tested and monitored annually. To offer a more diverse and inclusive program, the research area was expanded and programmers visited festivals in non-Western countries. The selection team has been expanded with experts from South America, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. 

In 2019 and 2020, the percentage of non-Western films increased from 25% to 40%. In the period between 2021–2023, this percentage has remained consistent at approximately 40%. The aim for the upcoming period is to keep this percentage stable and/or increase it to 50% where possible. At IDFA Forum, 59% of the selected projects represented the above-mentioned regions. 

IDFA additionally strives to have 50% of the films and new media projects included in the festival program be by women filmmakers—2023 reported 44% of the filmmakers behind the IDFA selected films to be women filmmakers. IDFA Forum reported 48% women filmmakers and producers. Docs for Sale reported 39.5% women filmmakers and producers. 

IDFA strives to be a diverse and inclusive organization. Recently, the Supervisory Board, the board, the staff, the selection committees, and the team of scouts has become increasingly diverse. The HR Manager has dedicated specific attention to inclusion and the well-being of employees. When filling new vacancies, the organization pays explicit attention to diversity. To this end, IDFA has been advised on drafting inclusive job vacancy texts, developed a style guide for inclusive language use, and works with an introduction program.

IDFA is working to remove several access barriers in our programming and services, to be as accessible as possible to all members of the audiences and our professional guests. Numerous points of improvement have been acknowledged, and many concrete steps have since been taken. Location accessibility of all festival locations is communicated clearly on the website, including how to reserve spaces for wheelchairs at screenings. In addition, the website specifies which cinemas offer screenings for visitors who are Deaf or hard of hearing, the selection of sensory-friendly screenings, and overviews of films with closed captions or audio descriptions, (English) subtitles, or are without dialogue. In 2023, 35 screenings within the festival program offered accessible options. 

This edition, DocLab made almost all installations and performances wheelchair-accessible. In addition, all films that were available online had various subtitle and audio description options available. Finally, IDFA has developed a teaching program for children with visual impairments together with a special education institution, a pilot of which took place during IDFA 2023. Based on the feedback received, this will be further developed in 2024. 

Next to the audience program, a lot of attention went towards our communication about accessibility. This refers to providing information about the accessibility of each festival location, the language spoken in a film, and overviews of films with subtitles, closed captions, or audio descriptions. For both communication and programming, IDFA has worked together with Stichting Audiovisuele Toegankelijkheid, Stichting Welzijn Doven Amsterdam, and IederIn. 

Next to presenting films, Talks and new media projects that provide insight into how we can live in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way, IDFA is committed to reducing our CO2 footprint and shaping a more sustainable industry. This includes taking steps to mitigate our environmental impact by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, combating other forms of pollutions, and improving our resource efficiency. 

IDFA proactively promotes alternative modes of travel and only compensates flight tickets for professional guests who must travel over 500 kilometers to attend the festival. Guests are actively encouraged (in collaboration with Choo-Choo) to travel by train. In addition, IDFA works with suppliers who use recycled materials and the festival catering for festival staff and volunteers is vegetarian. To minimize printing, guides and magazines are additionally offered online. Film transport and audience award votes are taken care of online. 

When moving to the Vondelpark Pavilion, measures were taken to make the building more sustainable by reusing existing parts and investing in insulation and more energy-efficient infrastructure and equipment. An energy scan was carried out by an expert from the municipality, after which additional sustainability measures were taken. A follow-up process will be drawn up together with the municipality. A baseline measurement was taken at the end of 2023 to provide insight into where IDFA can achieve the most profit. For this purpose, a partnership has been entered into with the Green Producers Club (GPC). In 2024, these results will be used for a roadmap towards a sustainable approach to festival management, ultimately aiming to be completely climate neutral by 2050.