The Origins of WFFR

Every year, beautiful and impactful wildlife films are made around the world that do not reach mainstream cinemas in the Netherlands. WFFR was therefore founded to give these films a platform in the Netherlands and to give filmmakers the recognition they deserve. The films showcase the beauty of nature while raising awareness of our collective responsibility to preserve it.

The first edition of the festival took place in 2015 at Cinerama Film Theatre and attracted 2,100 visitors. This number has grown every year, reaching a record of more than 32,000 visitors in 2025.

From 2015 to 2024, all editions took place at Cinerama Film Theatre, Rotterdam’s oldest cinema, located in the heart of the city and consisting of seven screens. Since 2025, LantarenVenster has also been part of WFFR.

Since 2020, WFFR has also included an online festival, introduced as a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns. This allows audiences to enjoy almost all of the films shown at Cinerama from home for an entire month.

Satellite Editions

WFFR also organizes annual satellite editions in Wageningen and Tilburg, featuring a selection of films from the WFFR programme. In Wageningen, the satellite edition takes place at Visum Mundi under the name Wageningen Wildlife. In Tilburg, WFFR has been working with Cinecitta Film Theatre since 2025, under the name Tilburg Wildlife.

Education

In addition to its regular programme, WFFR also runs an education programme for primary and secondary school students. Each year, more than 2,000 students attend the programme during the festival in Rotterdam. After the festival, the programme is made available online to students throughout the Netherlands.

Professionals

Every year, WFFR welcomes both national and international filmmakers to Rotterdam. They attend screenings of their films and participate in Q&As or post-screening discussions.

In addition to being a film festival for the public, WFFR is also a meeting place for wildlife film professionals. Under the name Industry Days, WFFR organizes a two-day programme of workshops and talks for professionals from the wildlife film industry at the Natural History Museum Rotterdam.

WFFR also presents awards to filmmakers in recognition of their work, across a total of 11 categories. The Flamingo Awards are presented each year during a festive ceremony on Saturday evening at the Arminius Church in Rotterdam.