49th International Film Festival Rotterdam

The 49th International Film Festival Rotterdam, the 2020 installment of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, took place on 22 January–2 February 2020.

The Cloud In Her Room by Zheng Lu Xinyuan won the Tiger Award, the top prize.

Ammodo Tiger Short

 * Nathanja van Dijk, filmmaker
 * Safia Benhaim, filmmaker
 * Greg de Cuir Jr., film curator and writer

Bright Future

 * Beatriz Navas, director of ICAA Spain
 * Zsuzsanna Király, head of development at Komplizen Film
 * Michel Lipkes, Mexican filmmaker and director of Festival Internacional de Cine Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Bright Future
The section highlighted work of young and emerging filmmakers, consisted of the Tiger competition, Ammodo Tiger Short competition, Bright Future competition, main, mid-length and short programmes.

Tiger
The following films were selected to compete for the Tiger Award. The line-up was announced on 18 December 2019.

Ammodo Tiger Short
The following films were selected to compete for the Ammodo Tiger Short Competition. The line-up was announced on 4 December 2019.

Bright Future
The programme highlighted first feature films by aspiring filmmakers.

The following films were selected to compete for the Bright Future Award. The line-up was announced on 18 December 2019.
 * In competition

The programme highlighted cutting-edge work of contemporary filmmakers and a selection of emerging talent.
 * Main programme

Voices
The section consisted of:
 * Big Screen Competition
 * Voices main programme, which showcased the work of future in arthouse cinema,
 * Limelight, which showcased international award-winners and festival favourites,
 * Rotterdämmerung, which showcased the work in hardcore film genres,
 * Scopitone, which showcased music documentaries, and
 * Voices Short.

Big Screen Competition
The following films were selected to compete for the VPRO Big Screen Award. The line-up was announced on 18 December 2019.

Voices Main Programme
The programme highlighted the work of future in arthouse cinema.

Limelight
The programme showcased international award-winners and festival favourites.

Rotterdämmerung
The programme showcased the work in hardcore film genres.

Deep Focus
The section highlighted work of compilations, retrospectives and other formats in cinema. The section consisted of:
 * Frameworks, which highlighted art films by emerging artists,
 * Signatures, which showcased new work of established filmmakers,
 * Regained, which showed restored classic films, films about filmmakers, experimental works and installations,
 * Beth B: War Is Never Over, which showcased the selection of work about female identity, power and sexuality, curated by Beth B,
 * Marion Hänsel, à la vie, which showcased the work of Marion Hänsel, and
 * Deep Focus Short, which paid tribute to Kiluanji Kia Henda and Leonardo Mouramateus.

Signatures
The programme showcased new work of established filmmakers.

Perspectives
The section presented the IFFR's thematic programme and showcased the relevant social and political issues in cinema. The section consisted of:
 * The Tyger Burns, which presented the contemporary work of old filmmakers,
 * Synergetic, which showcased the alternative histories of mainstream narrative in cinema,
 * Ordinary Heroes: Made in Hong Kong, which presented the political, social and economic tensions in Hong Kong,
 * Sacred Beings, which presented the notion of queer culture, gender fluidity and spiritualities outside the Western perspective, and
 * Wait and See, which showcased the work about patience.

Awards
The following awards were presented at the 49th edition:

Awards and competition

 * Tiger Award: The Cloud In Her Room by Zheng Lu Xinyuan
 * Special Jury Award: Beasts Clawing at Straws by Kim Yong-hoon
 * Ammodo Tiger Short Award:
 * Apparition by Ismaïl Bahri
 * Communicating Vessels by Maïder Fortuné, Annie MacDonell
 * Sun Dog by Dorian Jespers
 * Robby Müller Award: Diego García
 * Big Screen Competition Award: A Perfectly Normal Family by Malou Reymann
 * NETPAC Award: Nasir by Arun Karthick
 * Found Footage Award: My Mexican Bretzel by Nuria Giménez Lorang
 * IFFR Youth Jury Award: Les Misérables by Ladj Ly

Audience Awards

 * BankGiro Loterij Audience Award: Parasite (B&W Version) by Bong Joon-ho
 * Voices Short Award: Tabaski by Laurence Attali

Critics Awards

 * FIPRESCI Award: Only You Alone by Zhou Zhou
 * KNF Award: Kala azar by Janis Rafailidou