Internship New Media Department

IDFA 

IDFA is a leading documentary film festival, which annually showcases documentary films and new media projects to 280,000 visitors over 10 days in November. Additionally, since the fall of 2023, it has its own home for documentary in The Documentary Pavilion in Vondelpark in Amsterdam. IDFA also organizes activities for professionals, attracting 3,000 international professionals. The organization is based in Amsterdam and consists of 50+ employees year-round. 

IDFA DocLab 

IDFA's New Media program DocLab is an interdisciplinary platform for interactive documentary art and immersive non-fiction. Founded in 2007, DocLab pushes the boundaries of how we perceive and engage with non-fiction narratives by blending art, reality and technology. During the festival, DocLab presents an exhibition and series of live events. From an international perspective, DocLab is seen as one of the most significant premiere platforms for interactive documentaries. It fulfils a pioneering role in the development of digital storytelling, virtual reality and live performance.   

About the internship 

IDFA DocLab is looking for an enthusiastic student to join our team for 3-4 days per week from the beginning of June until mid-December. During this internship, you will support the team in the production of the upcoming festival edition.  The internship offers a good opportunity to see a festival program come to life, and be part of realizing the event during IDFA in November. The DocLab team is also open to supporting you to conduct research that matches your professional interests and education, or to work with you to create time for university-related assignments. 

 

Interns from outside of the EU are welcome to apply, provided that they are currently studying at a Netherlands-based university.

 

What are you going to do? 

As an intern in the New Media department, you get to be part of IDFA’s out-of-the-box creative team DocLab and learn about the ins and outs of creating a festival program, from the selection of interactive and immersive documentary projects to their exhibit during the festival. 

 

Before the festival: 

• Contribute to outreach to artists;

• Assist with processing project entries;

• Install new media entries (e.g. games, apps and VR films on different devices (e.g. Oculus Quest, HTC Vive);

• Contribute to exhibition and program production;

• Contact artists connected to festival entries and selected projects;

• Support the development of the festival schedule;

• Assist with communications for the DocLab exhibition (e.g. website and printed materials);

• Create content for social media;

• Take notes during meetings;

• Help maintain our internal database (Fiona).

 

During the Festival 

• Provide on-site support in the exhibition; 

• Assist during live events and industry gatherings;

• Help manage guestlists and coordinate access for invited attendees.

 

After the Festival 

• Support wrap-up tasks such as documentation, evaluation, and archiving.

 

About you 

• You are nearing the end of your course of study (usually related to New Media, Media & Culture, Digital Media and Creative Industries, Experience Design, Presentation & Preservation of the Moving Image etc.) and have the time to take up an internship;

• You are communicative, curious and are not afraid of asking questions;

• You are a quick learner when it comes to new software and have an interest in art and technology;

• You have a good eye for detail and like to research festival programs, events and shows online;

• Social media content skills a plus;

• Video editing skills is a plus;

• You speak English fluently, Dutch a plus. 

What do we offer you? 

• A part-time internship of 3 to 4 days per week starting from beginning of June to mid-December 2026 (dates in consultation);

• Working partly from home is negotiable;

• Daily free fruit and lunch at the office;

• An internship allowance of € 300 (for a 4-days-per-week internship);

• Laptop on loan;

• Possible travel allowance. Interns can claim their travel expenses to and from their home within the Netherlands if living outside of Amsterdam based on the cheapest second-class rate charged by NS (Dutch Railways). Travel costs to Amsterdam from outside the Netherlands cannot be reimbursed. 

 

Diversity 

IDFA is a collection of passionate, driven people with different experiences and personalities. IDFA wants to be an organization that offers space to everyone. Talent as the basis, diversity as the strength to achieve better results. At IDFA, we believe it is important that you can simply be yourself. That is why we are curious who you are!