ROOTS Film Festival
A celebration of local talent, ROOTS shines a spotlight on filmmakers from across South Holland, bringing together emerging and established voices to share their work, connect with one another, and engage directly with audiences. Now in its ninth edition, ROOTS returns on 11 and 12 December 2026, offering a unique opportunity to discover the stories, perspectives, and creative energy flourishing across the region.
Created by Filmhuis Den Haag, ROOTS provides local filmmakers with a platform and a big screen while strengthening connections between makers, audiences, and the wider film community. By creating space for collaboration, exchange, and new encounters, the festival helps nurture a vibrant and supportive film culture throughout South Holland.
The festival is proudly supported by the Municipality of The Hague.
Opening Night
We'll kick off the ninth edition of ROOTS with an evening of film, conversation and celebration. After a warm welcome and a few opening words, we'll screen three films that offer a first taste of this year's festival programme: GekkigGeit by Daan Bunnik, Casa Amarela by Marina Anjos Hardy and Dad Said by Livia May. Together, these films offer a first glimpse of the diverse stories and perspectives that make up this year's festival programme.
After the screenings, the filmmakers will join us for a Q&A, offering an opportunity to hear more about the stories behind their work. We'll wrap up the evening with an Opening Night drinks reception, accompanied by a live DJ set by FABEL. Everyone is welcome to join us, so don't wait too long to get your tickets – availability is limited!
Festival Program
ROOTS 1: what do we inherit?
13:30 - 14:30 | ZAAL 5
Exploring the ways family histories, inherited memories and distant homelands shape our sense of identity and belonging, including De Rok van Mijn Oma (Jos Mauro Witteveen Villagómez) and Imagine Me Like a Country of Love (Thana Faroq).
ROOTS 2: place to be
14:00 - 15:00 | ZAAL 2
Reflecting on the memories, encounters and personal histories embedded in the spaces we inhabit, including How Now, House? (Tess Martin) and Tuinhuis (Finn van den IJssel & Elze van Houtum).
ROOTS 3: making a difference
15:15 - 16:05 | ZAAL 5
Exploring how individuals and communities challenge the status quo through activism, creativity and different forms of self-expression, including Prullenpaleis (Roos Spruijt), Tomatensoep (Ömer Akgün) and Kleur Bekennen (Ruben van Rijn).
ROOTS 4: structures of control
15:30 - 16:30 | ZAAL 2
Exploring the struggle for independence and self-determination in a world shaped by expectations, power dynamics and the pressure to conform, including Last Day of Season (Andreea Ilinca), Geselecteerd (Selected) (Fito Pinzon Narvaez) and Dad Said (Livia May).
ROOTS 5: how did we get here?
16:00- 17:15 | ZAAL 1
Finding humour and meaning in life's strangest encounters, unexpected twists and absurd situations, including At Wilberts End (Nick Mooijekind), Mr. Procházka (Elliot Falces), Third Time's the Charm (Renee Riebeek) and GekkigGeit (Daan Bunnik).
ROOTS 6: best of ROOTS in Motion
16:45- 17:30 | ZAAL 5
Celebrate emerging filmmaking talent from across South Holland through the three audience award winners of ROOTS in Motion, including The Motion (Lisa Danilkovych), Those Who Write, Know (Sibrich Wijnia) and I Looked Outside and Saw Us All (Gradiva Verdeil Novara, Anna Lou Valentini, Lisa Wagemakers & Jelle Wernik).
ROOTS 7: break the norm
17:15 - 18:00 | ZAAL 2
Exploring the ways movement, creativity and subculture become powerful expressions of individuality, resistance and belonging, including How to Dance (Aileen Ye), The Bar (Joaquin de Graaff) and ARIE (Sterre van der Spek).
ROOTS 8: in other worlds
18:00 - 19:10 | ZAAL 1
Moving between folklore, personal histories and imagined realities to explore how the stories we inherit shape our understanding of identity and the world around us, including The Shapeshifting of El Silbón (Fabianna Flores Sanchez), Sanctification (Yasamin Zeinalizadeh), Atlas María (Flora Reznik) and Casa Amarela (Marina Anjos Hardy).
ROOTS 9: something is not right
18:15 - 19:20 | ZAAL 5
Uncovering the fears and contradictions lurking beneath everyday life through stories of isolation, conformity and encounters with the uncanny, including Slaap Zacht (Annelies Maltha & Tim Klooster), Girls, We're Killing It! (Ioana Ioancea) and De Magistraten (Jop Emonts).
ROOTS 10: how does the future look?
18:45 - 19:35 - ZAAL 2
Questioning the ethical consequences of technological progress, corporate control and unchecked consumption through dystopian visions of the future, including Slopmachine (Raúl Struik), Adventum (Ion Adrian) and The Endless Voyage (Rada Skumova & Suzanne Lub).
PRIZES AND AWARDS
This year, five awards are up for grabs: the Audience Award, three Jury Awards and the QISSA Award. After each screening, audience members can cast their vote for the Audience Award and help decide the winner. The Audience Award and three Jury Awards each come with a €1,000 cash prize, while the QISSA Award offers a tailored coaching trajectory. Additionally, all winning films will also be featured on streaming platform PICL for an entire year, giving them the opportunity to reach new audiences beyond the festival.
Join us for the Award Ceremony on Saturday, 12 December at 9:00 PM in Zaal 1 to celebrate this year's filmmakers and discover the winners!
ROOTS events on Friday
ROOTS workshop: Getting Your Short Film Seen
15:00 - 16:30 | Zaal 5
Learn how to get your short film seen, from developing a distribution strategy to navigating the international film festival circuit, in this exciting workshop by Emilia Mazik, Head of Industry at Go Short – International Short Film Festival in Nijmegen and selection committee member at Film Fest Gent.
ROOTS masterclass by Lukas de Kort and Ibrahim Karatay
17:30 - 19:00 | Zaal 5
A screening of Mother: Shadow of Injustice followed by a masterclass by cinematographer Lukas de Kort and director Ibrahim Karatay exploring artistic vision, cinematography and the realities of filmmaking.
ROOTS x Open Lab
Curious about what happens at OPEN LAB? Join us for the OPEN LAB Showcase and get a taste of the creative playground of Filmhuis Den Haag!
During this showcase, our film educators and OPEN LAB alumni will present a selection of projects created at OPEN LAB and share their experiences. Discover what OPEN LAB is all about, hear how it supports emerging filmmakers and find out how you can take your own first steps into the film industry. Admission is free and no ticket is required. Just drop in at Studio C on Saturday at 3 PM.
Filmmakers breakfast in collaboration with Scope
Want to connect with fellow filmmakers from The Hague or get guidance from industry professionals? Scope, the talent hub for film and media makers in South Holland, joins forces with ROOTS Film Festival to create new opportunities for filmmakers.
On December 12, all filmmakers selected for ROOTS Film Festival are invited to kick off the day with a breakfast meet-up, followed by the opportunity to ask industry professionals your burning questions and discuss project challenges. Participating organisations include New Producers Academy, Rotterdamse Producenten Alliantie, QISSA, Scope and more.
Want to support ROOTS?
At Filmhuis Den Haag, we are passionate about creating space for emerging talent and supporting local filmmakers in bringing their ideas to life. Through initiatives like ROOTS, we offer new voices a platform, connect filmmakers and audiences, and help nurture the next generation of cinema.
Want to help new voices find their way to the big screen? Your donation helps us continue this work and ensures that fresh perspectives and independent voices have a place on the big screen.
