Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam opens with an ode to the curious nature lover

Rotterdam-based filmmaker Rik van der Linden's new film The Amazons gives an insight into the lives of nature lovers who have an eye for nature nearby. It is the opening film for the tenth edition of Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam (WFFR). The world premiere will be at Cinerama on 4 November.

Filmmaker Rik van der Linden previously made the series Grey Green, in which he rediscovers the city as a national park. The Amazons is his first nature documentary for the big screen. Rik van der Linden: "In 2020, I decided to put myself at the service of nature as a filmmaker. Out of urgency about the loss of life as well as out of enthusiasm, because I became increasingly aware of the nature in my immediate surroundings that is constantly transforming. I gradually learned that we owe our knowledge of biodiversity in the Netherlands to the amateur, which literally means 'enthusiast': people like you and me. The amazers in this documentary lent their binoculars and magnifying glasses and showed me the wonders they see."

Freshwater, wolves and butterflies

The full programme of this anniversary edition of WFFR will be online from 1 September. There is the world premiere of In De Biesbosch: Nature in Motion (Netherlands, 2024). Bas Kakes' film shows what is going on in De Biesbosch. After centuries of industry in the region, the area became a national park in 1994. Now De Biesbosch is a freshwater tidal area that is unique worldwide. In Among the Wolves, artists Yves and Olivier dream of getting to know the wolf better. They patiently hide in a small hut for weeks so they can admire the pack and eventually identify each individual. Butterfly Journey centres on the mystery of butterflies. The film shows the journeys of blue tigers in Australia and monarch butterflies in North America and Mexico.

The tenth edition of Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam will take place from 4 to 10 November 2024 at
Cinerama. Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam (WFFR) annually screens the best and most impactful films about nature from home and abroad. With the special Flamingo Award, the festival recognises outstanding achievements in 11 categories. The winners will be announced at the Flamingo Award Ceremony on 9 November 2024 at the Arminius Church in Rotterdam. The jury will be announced shortly.

WFFR Local

In honour of the special anniversary year, there is a new programme feature: WFFR Local. From 4
October until 10 November, the festival brings the most beautiful nature films to all film houses, community centres and district theatres in the various neighbourhoods, making WFFR more accessible to all Rotterdammers.