After a four-year absence, FotoFestival Naarden (FFN) returns for its 18th edition. From Friday, June 13 through Sunday, July 6, 2025, the historic fortified town will once again provide the setting for this leading photography event. FFN gives young, experimental creators and established photographers a platform and invites them to show their work to a broad and curious audience.
FFN Is Back
“We are proud of FotoFestival Naarden’s comeback,” says board member Saskia Wesseling. “Since the previous edition in 2021—and the hiatus in 2023—we have deliberately taken the time to reflect on the role and impact of photography in an age when images are everywhere. How do you reach an audience that is inundated with visual stimuli every day?
We are emphasizing a more tactile experience, and Róman Kienjet, curator of the main exhibition (formerly a curator at the Nederlands Fotomuseum and H’ART Museum and now a photo historian at the Rijksmuseum), is uniquely qualified to deliver it. His fresh, inquisitive perspective and sensitivity to nuance make him the ideal curator to assemble a program that invites visitors to look and experience.
One special collaboration this year is with QISSA, which supports the new generation of visual storytellers from the very start of their careers and provides a safe, inspiring community. Especially for this edition of FFN, QISSA and curator Guinevere Ras (a curator at institutions including the Nederlands Fotomuseum Rotterdam) are mentoring talented alumni photographers.
There will also be an extensive and varied festival program packed with talks, workshops, and activities where photography professionals, amateurs, students, and enthusiasts can celebrate photography.”
Erwin Olaf
FotoFestival Naarden will present four of the final photos taken by Erwin Olaf for the first time. Erwin took them on the set of the film A Beautiful Imperfection, based on the book by Arthur Japin. Because Erwin Olaf was already too ill to continue, Michiel van Erp completed the film as director, while Erwin was still able to take these four photos on set.
2025 Theme: Home
What does “home” mean? Is it a physical place, a smell, a memory, a sense of togetherness—or something cultural? FFN curator Róman Kienjet has selected eleven photographers living in the Netherlands who depict the idea of “home” in surprising and personal ways.
A Festival Program Full of Stories and Imagination
The supporting program adds an extra dimension to the festival. There is always something to do. Highlights include an extensive photo book market; a talk by Self Publishers United on the importance of photo books; an inspiring talk by Sacha de Boer; portfolio reviews in partnership with DuPho; coaching sessions on online visibility and print sales with Kiekie Academy expert Denise Woerdman; and a talk for FFN’s corporate supporters by Tabo Goudswaard on what organizations can learn from creative professionals. There is also a lively audio tour, with much more still to come.
Naarden Home in Pictures Photography Competition
Naarden residents are also being actively involved in the festival. The Naarden Home in Pictures project invites them to capture their own vision of “home.” The submitted photos will be printed and displayed behind windows around town, creating a unique visual route through Naarden.
About FotoFestival Naarden
FotoFestival Naarden has been held in the fortified town of Naarden since 1989, making it the oldest photography festival in the Netherlands. Over more than thirty-five years, the festival has grown into one of the country’s most important photography events.
The driving forces behind FFN are its curators, participating photographers, many volunteers, the municipality, and its active board, supported by public- and private-sector partners.
For more information, visit www.fotofestivalnaarden.nl
