IFFR and the Role of Cross-Cultural Dialogue Among Young Audiences

In an era of cultural polarization and algorithmic media consumption, it becomes increasingly important to encourage cross-cultural dialogue among young people. This thesis explores how the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) facilitates cross-cultural dialogue between young audiences (ages 18-25). While the literature is rich in examining programming and the festival industry, little is known about how young audiences experience cultural difference through film festivals. By acknowledging festivals as curated contact zones, this research highlights the ways in which young attendees engage emotionally, socially, and digitally with international cinema. Using a qualitative research methodology, this study featured ten semi-structured interviews with young IFFR attendees. The thematic analysis of the interviews illustrates the ability of IFFR's programming, filmmaker Q&As, and spatial arrangement to help facilitate cross-cultural dialogue by encouraging emotional identification and intercultural exchange. The participants reported how they connected with unfamiliar cultural contexts, engaged with peers through post-screening discussions, and broadened their dialogue into online spaces such as Instagram and Letterboxd. Physical and symbolic barriers to access were also present, including ticket prices, prioritizing festival industry representatives, and limitations regarding institutional outreach. Although they did have institutional outreach components and aimed to attract youth through student program participation and digital communication, structural inequalities and varying levels of engagement prevented equal access. Despite this, young audiences were found to be active cultural interpreters who reframed global cinema through personal experience, digital commentary, and social dialogue. This research contributes to festival studies through the lens of young audiences as co-creators of cultural meanings. The practical implications of this research refer to ways in which festivals can enable equal active participation and amplify diverse voices. On a social level, this research finds value in illustrating the transformative capacity that cinema has to generate opportunities for intercultural empathy, meaningful engagement, and youth agency in an increasingly polarized media landscape.