The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) is a leading institute for documentary filmmakers and enthusiasts around the globe. IDFA provides makers with a unique centre stage while supporting them from idea to premiere.

An authority to the in-crowd and the public, IDFA is the hallmark for high-quality documentary films since 1988. However, their capabilities hardly found the spotlight outside the twelve days of IDFA’s annual festival.

While IDFA maintained its excellent reputation, its digital presence fell behind. Utilising the lack of a go-to channel for documentaries in the entertainment-focused landscape, we started our mission: to enable IDFA to be the expert guide they are at their festival, all year round. And to create a website that presents IDFA as an outspoken ambassador, inspiring all to watch movies that matter.

Aiming to draw people in regularly, we created a platform that lives and breathes cinema. We put IDFA’s collection front and centre, mirroring the cinema experience by using full-screen images and video supercuts that blend into their dark surroundings.

To add IDFA’s distinctive voice, we adapted the brand identity for digital and created an animated iconography and the spotlight backdrops inspired by the logo.

To guide users through IDFA’s extensive collection, we provide context. We designed entry points that align to user preferences and open up the collection: thematic sets, curator’s picks, top-lists, most recent additions, and free & featured.

On the film page, trailers, synopsis, stills, and quotes give each documentary a proper podium, while showing IDFA’s often essential role in the film’s realisation and offering related content to dive deeper. The latter sparked a collaboration between IDFA and our very own journalism platform De Correspondent.

IDFA serves first-time festival visitors and seasoned film professionals. Aiming to give all audiences the same qualitative experience, we created an intelligent design that easily copes with adding production details when logged in as a professional or changing the focus of the homepage to program and tickets during the festival. Equally, the site adapts to all devices, allowing people to hit play and immerse at all times.