- Seventh annual Indy Film Library festival ends with awards distributed at event at Supermercator, Amsterdam
- ‘Le Sous Sol’ claims Best Short Narrative Film while ‘Bubbling Baby’ takes Best Short Documentary Film
- Veerle Sara Anna Meijaard also picks up Best Director for her work on ‘Le Sous Sol’
- ‘Nur Geträumt‘ scoops hard-fought Best Cinematography category
- Isis Caljé triumphs in Best Actor category for bitter-sweet mental health drama ‘Nachtwolken’
Over the 2nd and 3rd of May 2026, Indy Film Library (IFL) has been showcasing some of the best independent films it has received for review over the last year. The movies were selected on the basis of both their storytelling and the technical skills exhibited by their cast and crew, before being screened digitally and in cinemas over the course of three days.
This year, the event featured an expanded programme of both global and local cinematic talent, across two venues.
For a fifth consecutive year, the event was able to return its spiritual home of Amsterdam’s punk-arthouse venue, Filmhuis Cavia. There, IFL’s first ever in-theatre international selection was screened, as well as two short programmes of the best films from filmmakers in the Netherlands and Belgium. The winner of Best International Film was also crowned.
But the festival weekend concluded at Supermercator – which has become Indy Film Library’s second home since hosting its Halloween showcase there. Screening a feature documentary, followed by three more programmes of top films from the Benelux, the night concluded with laurels and medals being distributed to the best-of-the-best – in front of a full house.
Over the last month, an international jury of experts and friends of IFL has been voting for winning films from the selection. On the 3rd of May, IFL announced the triumphant films from that process in 13 categories.
After announcing the winners at the event, IFL Chief Editor Jack Benjamin said in his closing speech,
“As Day Two draws to a close, the curtain comes down on our 2026 festival. I’d like to thank all of our artists for helping to make this edition of the Indy Film Library Awards so special, and to thank the audiences who joined us across both nights.
“Over the course of events, I always look for the themes which run through these films. This year, across both days, I think that theme has been ‘the things which make life worth living’.
“In the Netherlands, in Britain, the US, and many other places, we are all footing the bill for a new age of militarised neoliberalism. We have governments making it harder for everyone to access healthcare and education to live happy and healthy lives; cutting funds to art and film that speak about our lived experiences, or dream of a better life; and rolling back the right to protest, when we stand up for the communities coming under attack from their policies. The things that make life worth living – things that bring us joy, and allow us to exist in peace and dignity – are scheduled for demolition. All so the world’s leaders can piss away 5% of GDP on the related costs of dropping shells, on schools and hospitals and cinemas, somewhere beyond the sea.
“But as Tony Benn often said, if you have money to hurt people, then you have money to help people. These films remind us of the importance of independent cinema – not just as an art form, but as a way of profiling the best of humanity; and encouraging us to defend it, to fight for what makes life worth living, outside of the theatre, in our homes, our communities and our streets.
“In 2027, I look forward to reflecting on that – and the further lessons I learn from the artists submitting to Indy Film Library. I will see you then.”
Individual Awards
Best Score
Bart Delissen (Pepita)
Special commendation: Max Abel (Onderaards)
Best Sound Design
Ricardo Barrileiro (Alles is OK)
Special commendation: Dennis Sanders (Onderaards)
Best Editing
Daniel Götz (Narcissus)
Best Cinematography
Boris Peter (Nur Geträumt)
Special Commendation: Frank Evenhuis (Narcissus)
Best Actor
Isis Caljé (Nachtwolken)
Special commendation: Lieke Witteveen (360°)
Best Screenplay
May Bresser (Wat we achterlaten)
Special commendation: Veerle Sara Anna Meijaard (Le Sous Sol) & Nikya Esselink (Nachtwolken)
Best Director
Veerle Sara Anna Meijaard (Le Sous Sol)
Special commendation: May Bresser (Wat we achterlaten)
Overall Awards
Best International Film
The Last Goodbye
Special commendations: HUNGER, The Last Rehearsal & Do Not Disturb
Best Music Video
Écht?
Best Experimental
Zeevonk
Best Feature Documentary
Threads of a Revolution
Best Feature Narrative
Raging Midlife
Best Short Documentary
Bubbling Baby
Best Short Narrative
Le Sous Sol
IFL’s 2026 Jury:
Federico Petrini
Cult Cinema Expert, Netherlands
Katalin Fikkert
Filmmaker, Filmtheater Kriterion Programmer, Netherlands
Elisabeth van Vliet
Cinemercator Programmer, Netherlands
Maaike Hasselaar
Cinemercator Programmer, Netherlands
Andreas van Riet
Cinemercator Programmer, Filmmaker and Previous IFL Winner, Netherlands
Xousha Eisenhardt
Filmmaker and Previous IFL Winner, Netherlands
Kino Lee
Musician and Previous IFL Winner, UK
Thisen Umagiliya
Filmmaker, Sri Lanka
Yara Helgenberger
Cinema Expert, Netherlands