Rotterdam Festival World Premieres Include Malaysian Horror Movie and Nepalese Dostoevsky Adaptation

The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) has unveiled the first wave of world premieres for its 56th edition, running Jan. 28–Feb. 7. Ten films will screen in the festival’s Bright Future and Harbour sections. Harbour includes returning filmmakers such as Kiluanji Kia Henda with “Karl Marx, Luanda,” and Kyros Papavassiliou with “Yiannis,” plus Rita Hui Nga Shu’s “The Lapse.” New additions include the sibling comedy cannibal horror “Ali and Ben’s Spicy Meats” by Iskander and Feisal Azizuddin, and Omer Shamir’s documentary portrait “Waiting Room.” Bright Future highlights feature-length debuts, including a Dostoevsky adaptation titled “Portrait of a Young Criminal,” alongside “The Muglur,” “In the Name of Galeela,” and “Kids Go Free.” The full program launches Dec. 16.