What makes PAFF so enjoyable: it's not a festival that rolls over you, but a city tour of stories. You start in the afternoon with a premiere and end sometime late with a Q&A where the creator lingers at the foyer. The ninth edition plays from October 8 to 12, 2025 at multiple locations, including Het Ketelhuis, De FilmHallen, Cinecenter, Rialto De Pijp, Kriterion and FC Hyena.
PAFF's authority is not just in titles, but in context. After the credits roll, the conversation continues: why this topic, why now, and what do you miss if you only follow the headlines? The programming feels broad yet personal; you pick up docu's you normally skip, a feature film that unexpectedly sticks, and a talk that opens your view.
For Amsterdammers, this is a gift: festival energy without the hassle. You walk, bike or streetcar it between venues and decide on the spot whether to grab another one. The tone is informal - lots of creators close by, little distance. It feels like using the city as a cinema together.
"PAFF is not a red carpet but a route: you discover film through the city itself."
The charm is in the stacking: a film that touches you, a conversation that opens something, audience that joins in. You leave the theater with a new story in your head and the next dot on your program. And exactly that, the combination of film and proximity, is why PAFF automatically rolls into the calendar every year.