_{Marit van den Elshout}

When asked what has characterized her tenure at IFFR Pro, and especially the successes that have underpinned it, Marit is typically generous, emphasizing how it is the people that she has worked with who have been the greatest contributory factor.

“The professionalism that everybody has shown, the warm atmosphere we have always managed to create in both our team and also the IFFR team at large,” she says. “But specifically the IFFR Pro team has always worked with sort of rebellious minds. Everybody was always willing to improve things and to improvise. And especially the last two years have shown that we're quite resilient,” she underlines.

“The things that we have organized, the matchmaking that we were able to do, the level of networking that we were able to offer, I think this kind of rebellious and open-mindedness and warmth and love for what we do I think that has been super crucial. And it helps that the IFFR Pro team has for a long time had a very good eye for talent and projects to support, and good cinematic taste,”

As is repeatedly (and justifiably) stated, the institutions of IFFR Pro have always been game-changing in restructuring the independent film business and its financial and support mechanisms. CineMart is considered the “mother of co-production markets” and the Hubert Bals Fund has supported hundreds of radical and brilliant projects from countries where financial support was rarely forthcoming. The annual Rotterdam Lab training workshop has enabled producers at the start of their career (up to 75 per edition) to build and develop their network, and their industry know-how.

These initiatives been successfully managed and built upon by Marit and her team over the past twenty years, but numerous other initiatives have been introduced to bolster the experience of the IFFR Pro attendee. These have included the BoostNL mentor programme, the Reality Check conference, the Propellor Film Tech for the development of new business models for production, distribution and experience of films, partnering in the Creative Producer Indaba year-long professional development programme for emerging African producers, and many other schemes designed to benefit global filmmakers, whether in business or creative terms.

All of which indicates how IFFR Pro has evolved into more than a co-production market, rather an all-encompassing and holistic support mechanism for the global independent film sector.

“Festivals and markets in general, I mean, we have to really now look at what is our responsibility? What is our mission? What is the vision at all levels of the festival? Showing films, bringing in press and distributors, but also doing markets and providing training and support and mentoring, and for IFFR and for other festivals this will continue to be an exciting challenge,” says Marit.

What the IFFR Pro boss has always appreciated is the non-hierarchical structure at the festival, whereby everyone has status and a good idea is encouraged. “There has been a freedom to experiment since the festival began,” says Marit, pointing to initiatives such as IFFR Live and  Unleashed. “And as such I have been able to work such as with Durban FilmMart or make the investment in Indaba.”

And then there’s all the behind-the-scenes professional sessions and meetings which are not so visible, but highly appreciated by filmmakers and mentors alike. “We are able to lean on an enormous network of loyal and IFFR-friendly experts and professionals who are always more than willing to help us support filmmakers and producers in our different programmes to develop and bring their films and projects further. This is very rewarding,” says Marit.

While Marit refrains from highlighting her favourite projects from the past twenty years, she underlines IFFR Pro’s influence by reminding of the caliber of filmmaker who has cut their market and festival teeth at Rotterdam, directors such as Carlos Reygadas, Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Ruben Östlund.

Post-IFFR 2021 Marit will be Head of Studies for the Rotterdam-based New Producers Academy which she describes as “a fellowship for producers from more diverse backgrounds to try to create a more inclusive and diverse production landscape in the Netherlands.” She will also be available for other projects.

So what advice does Marit offer to her successor? “I think to really bring in a fresh vision of how we can support the industry within this new [Covid] reality,” she responds. “How to do that while staying true to the heart of what Rotterdam is all about, that is going to be, I think, always challenging because they may not always be compatible.”

“Also to [adhere to] the values that we have worked with over the past years, so that Rotterdam stays a safe space. Ido (Abram, former CineMart director, now Deputy Director of Eye) once told me, ‘always be nice to the intern.’ And I always took that to heart. Also, never to be intimidated by the big players, but look to where the real stories are, and the new filmmakers who are always recreating this industry.”

For more information on IFFR 2022, click here.