Leiden Essay Film Festival is a joint initiative of the Discursive Film Foundation, Leiden University’s Academy of Creative and Performing Arts and the lectorate FILM of the University of the Arts The Hague. The festival is produced in cooperation with Cinema Kijkhuis / Bioscopen Leiden and Museum De Lakenhal. We are a partner of the Days of Art & Science and collaborate with We Are Public, Cineville, LIFF (Leiden International Film Festival) and Leiden Global to reach a broad audience.
leff 2026 is made possible thanks to contributions from the Municipality of Leiden and a large number of other supporting partners. We would like to thank the members of our international advisory board and also Alexander Horwath, Vienna, and Nguyễn Trinh Thi, Hanoi, for their advice, and all the participating filmmakers, rights holders and distributors for their dedication and support.
TEAM
- Lelani Antar – Programming, film descriptions, social media
- Georgie Brinkman – Programming, visual communication
- Anna Chatzioti – Programming, film descriptions
- Pyotr Goloub – Website
- Roosmarijn Hompe – Finances, fundraising, coordination
- Margot Stoppels – Communications
- Michela Meliddo – Visual Identity Design, website, printed matter, trailers
- Ellen Owens – Visual Identity Design, Website, Printed Matter
- Rosalien van der Poel – Fundraising
- Gabriel Paiuk – Programming sound essays
- Michel Rensen – Film transport
- Gert Staal – Texts and Fundraising
- Erik Viskil – Programming, fundraising, coordination
- Bo Wang – Programming
- Thijs Witty – Programming, film descriptions
BOARD MEMBERS
- Matthew Barrington – Researcher at Birkbeck Institute of the Moving Image, Curator Essay Film Festival London
- Janilda Bartholomeu – Filmmaker, programmer, researcher
- María Palacios Cruz – Director Open City Documentary Festival, London
- Joost Daamen – Head Programmer IDFA, Amsterdam
- Stijn De Cauwer – Assistant Professor Film and Literary Studies, Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society
- Guiseppe Di Salvatore – film critic, co-founder and editor-in-chief Filmexplorer, Basel
- Linda van Deursen – Designer, lecturer KABK The Hague, Yale School of Art, New Haven, Connecticut
- Babeth Mondini-VanLoo – film and TV director, producer and media-artist, Amsterdam
- Julia Morandeira Arrizabalaga – Director of Studies, Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid
- Francesco Ragazzi – Associate Professor, Institute of Political Science and co-director ReCNTR, Leiden University
- Julian Ross – Head of Programming and Distribution, Eye Filmmuseum Amsterdam
- Ali Shobeiri – Assistant Professor Photography and Visual Culture, Leiden University Center for the Arts in Society
- Ingrid van Tol – Documentary Film Advisor and Coach
- Barbara Visser – Visual artist, former Director IDFA and Chair of the Royal Academy of Arts KNAW
TEAM
- Matthew Barrington – Researcher at Birkbeck Institute of the Moving Image, Curator Essay Film Festival London
- Janilda Bartholomeu – Filmmaker, programmer, researcher
- María Palacios Cruz – Director Open City Documentary Festival, London
- Joost Daamen – Head Programmer IDFA, Amsterdam
- Linda van Deursen – Designer, lecturer KABK The Hague, Yale School of Art, New Haven, Connecticut
- Julia Morandeira Arrizabalaga – Director of Studies, Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid
- Francesco Ragazzi – Associate Professor, Institute of Political Science and co-director ReCNTR, Leiden University
- Julian Ross – Head of Programming and Distribution, Eye Filmmuseum Amsterdam
- Ali Shobeiri – Assistant Professor Photography and Visual Culture, Leiden University Center for the Arts in Society
- Ingrid van Tol – Documentary Film Advisor and Coach
- Barbara Visser – Visual artist, former Director IDFA and Chair of the Royal Academy of Arts KNAW
BOARD MEMBERS
- Lelani Antar – Coordination of Film Descriptions
- Georgie Brinkman – Programming
- Anna Chatzioti – Film Descriptions
- Pyotr Goloub – Website Development
- Emma de Looij – Communications
- Annemarie Montulet – Fundraising
- Michela Meliddo – Visual Identity Design, Website, Printed Matter
- Veronica Munteanu – Film Descriptions
- Ellen Owens – Visual Identity Design, Website, Printed Matter
- Rosalien van der Poel – Overall Coordination
- Gabriel Paiuk – Programming
- Merel Pol – Film Descriptions
- Gert Staal – Texts and Fundraising
- Frederique van Staveren – Film Descriptions
- Erik Viskil – Programming and Overall Coordination
- Esmee de Vette – Film Descriptions
- Bo Wang – Programming
- Thijs Witty – Programming and Overall Coordination