Still: Truly Naked - Muriel d'Ansembourg

Focus Netherlands brings together stories about communities slowly falling apart, families in crisis, characters consumed by their own obsessions, and worlds in which the absurd seems perfectly normal.

Joining the selection is Truly Naked**, the debut feature by Muriel d’Ansembourg, which premiered in the Berlinale Perspectives Competition and is now part of the TIFF.25 Official Competition. Produced by Isabella Films and sold internationally by m-appeal, the tender coming-of-age story follows Alec, who works in the adult film industry alongside his father until he meets Nina, who challenges him to seek genuine intimacy. SEE NL spoke to Muriel d’Ansembourg about the film in a special Ferry Tales interview. Watch it here.

The programme further showcases some of the strongest Dutch films of the past year:

Nanouk Leopold’s Whitetail**, produced by Circe Films and Kaap Holland Film, celebrated its world premiere in the Centrepiece programme at Toronto International Film Festival in 2025. The film follows Jen, who has carried the guilt of a tragic accident since her teenage years, until the past finally catches up with her. SEE NL interviewed Leopold about her seventh feature in another Ferry Tales episode. Watch it here.

One of the standout Dutch debuts of 2025, Sven Bresser’s Reedland** premiered in competition at Critics’ Week in Cannes. Produced by Viking Film, the atmospheric drama centres on reed cutter Johan, whose discovery of a girl’s lifeless body triggers an increasingly unsettling search for evil and redemption. SEE NL spoke to Bresser about presenting his debut at Cannes. Read the interview here.

Balancing melancholy with warmth and humour, Aaron Rookus’ Idyllic was selected for IFFR’s Big Screen Competition in 2025. Produced by Studio Ruba, the ensemble drama follows six characters searching for fulfilment while struggling with the impossible expectations they place upon life and themselves. SEE NL caught up with Rookus on the ferry to Eye Filmmuseum to discuss the making of the film. Watch the interview here.

With Fabula**, filmmaker Michiel ten Horn delivered a wildly imaginative crime comedy steeped in Limburg folklore, absurdism and dark humour. Produced by New Amsterdam Film Company, the film opened IFFR 2025 and screened in the festival’s Limelight section. Following a failed drug deal, the desperate Jos embarks on a chaotic journey through the Dutch south, increasingly convinced that his family is cursed. SEE NL spoke to ten Horn about the film in another Ferry Tales interview. Watch it here.

Also screening is I Shall See** by Mercedes Stalenhoef, produced by Labyrint Film and selected for IFFR’s Limelight section. The film tells the story of 17-year-old Lot, whose life changes completely after losing her sight in an accident. SEE NL met Stalenhoef for a Ferry Tales interview about creating the film. Watch the interview here.

Equally bold and unforgettable is Dan Geesin’s A Messy Tribute to Motherly Love, previously selected for the IFFR Tiger Competition 2026. Produced by Geesin’s One Day Film, the film creates a bizarre yet strangely recognisable world in which people literally explode from emotional pressure. SEE NL also hopped on the ferry with Geesin to discuss his work. Watch the interview here.

Alongside these new films, the programme pays tribute to Dutch cinema history with screenings of classics including The Vanishing (Spoorloos, 1988) by George Sluizer and Paul Verhoeven’s Spetters (1980), two landmark films that continue to influence filmmakers worldwide.

Dutch film professionals are also represented in the festival juries. Sandra den Hamer, CEO of the Netherlands Film Fund and longtime IFFR team member, joins the Official Competition Jury, while René Wolf, former longtime film programmer of Eye Filmmuseum, serves on the Romanian Film Days Jury.

The programme lastly includes the cine-concert Beyond Sleep (Nooit meer slapen) by Boudewijn Koole, featuring a live performance of the film’s award-winning score by two of the musicians involved in the original recording, Alex Simu and George Dumitriu.

Focus Netherlands at TIFF.25 is made possible with the support of SEE NL, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Romania and the Consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Cluj-Napoca.

For more information about the festival and programme, visit Transilvania IFF.

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*Film is supported by the Netherlands Film Fund
**Film is supported by the Netherlands Film Fund and Production Incentive