Mei
| Vr. 01 | | International Workers' Day: No one way works |
| Za. 02 | | Indy Film Library Festival |
| Wo. 06 | | Brazil Unfiltered: My Foreign Land |
| Za. 09 | | WTO/99 |
| Do. 14 | | Brazil Unfiltered: Paid in Blood |
| Vr. 15 | | Rocky Horror Picture Show Interactive screening with performance by Frank’s Freaks |
| Za. 16 | | VHS Archive Jam Session |
| Zo. 17 | | In This Together |
| Wo. 20 | | VHS Session: Digna Sinke’s Private Archive |
| 22 t/m 24 | | Greek Film Festival: First edition |
| Wo. 27 | | Gertrud |
| Do. 28 | | A Luminous Passage: Ryan Marino 16mm retrospective |
| Vr. 29 | | Misha Kosmos Festival: Afijn, short films and live music |
| Za. 30 | | Kissable Screens: Phantom Love by Porn Film Festival Amsterdam |
Vrijdag 1 mei, 18:00 - 23:00
SPECIAL
International Workers' Day
No one way works
Three movies, food and drinks
NL Ter gelegenheid van de Internationale Dag van de Arbeid vertonen we drie films die ingaan op het werk dat we samen doen en de gemeenschappen die we opbouwen. We beginnen de avond met soep en brood, en de vertoning van twee hedendaagse Nederlandse documentaires: In This Together (2026) en The Mukhtar’s Chair (2024). Daarna volgt onze tweede vertoning van Robina Rose's speelfilm Nightshift (1981), en we sluiten de avond af met een drankje in de foyer. MEER→
EN In honour of International Workers' Day, we'll show three films that explore the work we share and communities we build. We start the evening with soup and bread, and the screening of two contemporary Dutch documentaries: In This Together (2026) and The Mukhtar’s Chair (2024). After that, we have our second screening of Robina Rose' feature film Nightshift (1981), and we end the evening with drinks in the foyer. MORE→
Zaterdag 2 mei, 16:00 - 23:00
FILM FESTIVAL
Indy Film Library Festival
Four screenings
EN Indy Film Library (IFL) is hosting two days of film screenings, celebrating the very best work from artists around the world. Forming the first part of the organisation’s yearly awards shortlist, a selection of international shorts will kick off the event at Amsterdam’s Filmhuis Cavia, on Saturday May 2nd 2026.
Two programmes of shorts from Benelux-based filmmakers will follow, as the seventh annual event looks to introduce audiences to films which they will not find anywhere else, by filmmakers who represent the future of the film industry in the Netherlands and beyond.
Among the movies featured, cinema lovers will have a chance to witness breath-taking experimental, documentary and narrative shorts. These include May Bresser’s heartfelt coming of age drama Wat we achterlachten; Sando Heijnen’s unnerving experimental thriller Eindewerk; and Lisa Hukker‘s rip-roaring musical documentary Glock ’45: The Movie.
All films come with English subtitles for international viewers.
IFL Chief Editor Jack Benjamin said of the selection, “This announcement seems to get harder every year – we have been overwhelmed by the quality of work we received this season. But whittling down a programme to the very best of the best is exactly the kind of headache we want at Indy Film Library. I am truly excited to introduce these artists to our audiences this May.”
Tickets:
€8 per block / €12 for two blocks (Cineville valid)
International shorts / Benelux shorts
Woensdag 6 mei , 20:30
DOCU
Brazil Unfiltered
My Foreign Land (Minha Terra Estrangeira)
Coletivo Lakapoy, Louise Botkay, João Moreira Salles | 2025 | Brazil | 99’ | EN subtitles
EN The film captures a critical moment in Brazilian history: the 2022 presidential election. The survival of Brazil's democracy was at stake, since the incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro, an unabashed admirer of the country's past military dictatorship, was rallying openly for a break from institutional order. For many Brazilians, then, this would be a choice between democracy or authoritarianism.
But for the Indigenous peoples of Amazonia, what these two rounds of voting would decide was even more consequential: the mere possibility of a future. The forest, home to countless Indigenous peoples, was being laid waste by the Bolsonaro administration. The film follows two figures, a father and daughter, during the 40 days of the campaign. The father, an Indigenous leader running for Congress in one of the most pro-Bolsonaro states in the country; and the daughter, a young environmental activist who has dedicated her life to trying to save the forest.
My Foreign Land is a collaboration between a collective of Indigenous filmmakers and director João Moreira Salles. The collective films the father, while Moreira Salles films the daughter. The resulting film is the combination of these two perspectives, as well as the contrast between them.
Brazil Unfiltered brings together, from 14 March to 14 May, six urgent documentary films confronting social injustice in Brazil, offering unvarnished perspectives from the frontlines of resistance. Centering territorial struggles, the program moves from indigenous land defense to grassroots activism against urban violence and marginalisation.
Zaterdag 9 mei, 20:30
DOCU
WTO/99
Ian Bell | 2025 | USA | 102’ | English with EN subtitles
NL Een aangrijpende documentaire over de vierdaagse veldslag tussen de World Trade Organization (WTO) en de meer dan 40.000 deelnemers aan straatprotesten in Seattle, gemaakt van archiefmateriaal uit 1999. De demonstranten protesteerden tegen de negatieve gevolgen van mondialisering en de verslechtering van mensenrechten en arbeidsomstandigheden door het werk van de WTO.
EN An immersive archival documentary that depicts the four-day clash between the then-emerging World Trade Organization (WTO) and the 40,000+ people who took to the streets of Seattle in 1999 to protest the WTO Conference and the WTO’s impact on human rights, labor, and the future effects of continued globalization.
Donderdag 14 mei, 20:30
DOCU
Brazil Unfiltered
Paid in Blood (Pau d’Arco) + Q&A
Ana Aranha | 2025 | Brazil | 89’ | EN subtitles
NL Na het overleven van het bloedbad waarbij de politie tien landloze landarbeiders doodde, vechten de belangrijkste getuige van de misdaad en zijn advocaat voor gerechtigheid en het recht op land. Tijdens hun zevenjarige reis door de regio Pará in het Amazonegebied wijzen schokkende gebeurtenissen op een mogelijke poging om de misdaad in de doofpot te stoppen.
Brazil Unfiltered brengt van 14 maart t/m 14 mei zes urgente documentaires samen die sociale onrechtvaardigheid in Brazilië laten zien en onverbloemde perspectieven bieden vanaf de frontlinies van verzet. Met territoriale strijd als centraal thema beweegt het programma zich van de verdediging van inheemse landrechten naar grassroots-activisme tegen stedelijk geweld en marginalisering.
EN After surviving the massacre in which the police killed 10 landless rural workers, the main witness to the crime and his lawyer fight for justice and the right to a land. Following their journey through seven years in the Pará region of the Amazon, shocking events suggest a possible attempt to cover up the crime.
Brazil Unfiltered brings together, from 14 March to 14 May, six urgent documentary films confronting social injustice in Brazil, offering unvarnished perspectives from the frontlines of resistance. Centering territorial struggles, the program moves from indigenous land defense to grassroots activism against urban violence and marginalisation.
Vrijdag 15 mei, 20:30 [SOLD OUT]
SPECIAL
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Interactive screening with performance by Frank’s Freaks
Jim Sharman | 1975 | USA | 110’ | EN subtitles
NL Deze maand in Cavia: een speciale interactieve vertoning van The Rocky Horror Picture Show! Bereid je voor op een avond vol camp en chaos met Frank's Freaks: verwacht optredens, rekwisieten, dansen en nog veel meer verrassingen. Trek je netkousen en je beste Rocky Horror-kostuum aan en neem je maagdelijke vrienden mee.
Betreden op eigen risico!
[Neem GEEN rijst en waterpistolen mee]
Over de film: Nadat ze midden in de woestijn een lekke band krijgen, stuiten de pas verloofde Brad en Janet op het griezelige landhuis van de flamboyante, verleidelijke Dr. Frank-N-Furter en een scala aan excentrieke personages. Door middel van uitgebreide dans en rockmuziek onthult de gestoorde wetenschapper zijn nieuwste creatie: een perfecte, gespierde man.
EN Introducing a special interactive screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Cavia! Get ready for a night of camp and chaos with Frank's Freaks: expect performances, props, dances and many more surprises. Get into your fishnets and your best Rocky Horror costume and bring along your virgin friends.
Enter at your own risk!
[do NOT bring rice and water guns]
About the film: After getting a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, newly engaged couple Brad and Janet encounter the eerie mansion of the flamboyant, seductive Dr. Frank-N-Furter and a variety of eccentric characters. Through elaborate dance and rock music, the mad scientist unveils his latest creation: a perfect, muscular man.
Tickets:
€10 / Cineville
Zaterdag 16 mei, 16:00
SPECIAL
VHS Archive Jam Session
EN Over the past twenty years, Cavia has built up a wonderfully chaotic VHS archive: festival submissions, homemade tape compilations, experimental films, commercial releases, underground oddities, and even some adult titles, all sitting side by side on the shelves. Together they show how VHS not only brought cinema into living rooms, but also made it possible for low-budget and far-flung productions to travel, circulate, and find audiences outside official circuits.
This event is an experiment in bringing that archive back to life. Instead of a fixed program, the afternoon begins with a 40-minute collective exploration session. The audience is invited to climb the archive ladder and explore the shelves, selecting tapes that catch their attention through a title, a cover, or sheer curiosity. In small groups, participants can then watch their chosen tapes using one of the many TVs with VHS players installed throughout the space. Together, we decide which tape fragments should make it onto the big screen. The session evolves into a “jam session” screening shaped in real time by the people in the cinema room.
Tickets: Donation-based or Cineville
Zondag 17 mei, 20:30
DOCU
In This Together
Lisette Olsthoorn | 2026 | Netherlands | 60’ | Dutch, EN subtitles
NL In This Together is een experimentele documentaire die aan de hand van reconstructies en een collaboratieve werkwijze de frustraties en verslechterende arbeidsomstandigheden van Uber-chauffeurs in Nederland belicht. Het project richt zich op gesprekken tussen chauffeurs en kantoormedewerkers tijdens de aanhoudende protesten bij het hoofdkantoor van het bedrijf in Amsterdam.
EN In This Together is an experimental documentary that uses reenactment and a collaborative working method to explore frustrations and deteriorating labour conditions facing Uber drivers in The Netherlands. The project focuses on discussions between drivers and office-based workers during ongoing protests at the company's Amsterdam headquarters.
Woensdag 20 mei, 20:30
CLASSIC
VHS Session
Digna Sinke’s Private Archive
Various | 65’
EN VHS didn’t just bring cinema into living rooms; it also allowed low-budget and far-flung productions to travel, circulate, and reach audiences beyond official circuits. These VHS Archival Sessions are an experiment in bringing that experience back to life.
This particular evening offers a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the personal VHS archive of Dutch filmmaker Digna Sinke, recipient of the prestigious Golden Calf for Film Culture award. A key figure in independent cinema, Sinke has built a rich body of work that moves between documentary and fiction, focusing on overlooked stories and shifting landscapes. In this intimate session, she presents a curated selection of personal recordings from the 1990s, mixing personal memories with reflections on her filmmaking practice.
Tickets: Donation-based or Cineville
Vrijdag 22 t/m zondag 24 mei
FILM FESTIVAL
Greek Film Festival – First edition
Various | Contemporary | Greece | EN subtitles
EN The first edition of the Greek Film Festival is here!
The Greek Film Festival in the Netherlands (GRFFNL), exclusively at Filmhuis Cavia and the Kempernaerstudio, is a new cultural initiative dedicated to showcasing Greek cinema to audiences in the Netherlands. The festival presents a curated selection of films by Greek directors, including fiction, documentaries, and other cinematic forms that reflect the diversity and creativity of Greek storytelling.
The first edition of GRFFNL aims to establish a platform for cultural exchange through cinema, connecting filmmakers, film professionals, and audiences from Greece and the Netherlands. By presenting both contemporary and classic works, the festival highlights the evolving voice of Greek cinema and its place within an international context.
Taking place in Amsterdam, GRFFNL offers film screenings alongside discussions and special events that invite audiences to engage with cinema beyond the screen. The festival is open to all film lovers and does not require prior knowledge of Greek language or culture. Films are presented in Greek or English with English subtitles.
GRFFNL is organised by a dedicated team with a passion for film, culture, and cross-cultural dialogue, and aspires to grow into a recurring meeting point for Greek cinema in the Netherlands.
For more information check out the WEBSITE→
Ticket pre-sale will start on the 1st of May. Stay tuned!
Woensdag 27 mei, 20:30
CLASSIC
Gertrud
Carl Th. Dreyer | 1964 | Denmark | 115’ | EN subtitles
EN The final film of the legendary Danish filmmaker brings the ultimate focus on themes such as human integrity, total devotion to ideals and tragic isolation, all of which he pursued throughout his entire career. Gertrud is based on the Hjalmar Söderberg’s play from the year 1906 but here Dreyer transforms the story leaning more into an abstract contemplation on love and tragedies intertwined with it.
Main protagonist, Gertrud is strong and resilient, she stands behind her beliefs and defends them in an underterred manner. For her, the only love that truly exists is the absolute form of it, and she will accept nothing less under any circumstances, no matter the cost. This unwavering conviction elevates her beyond a conventional romantic figure, positioning her instead as a philosophical embodiment of idealism in conflict with the limitations of our reality.
Dreyer’s characteristic style of long shots and purified visual language creates the ambiance that feels theatrical and dignified. Consisting of only 89 shots this film brings the viewers in and where attention is drawn to the rhythm of dialogue, the weight of silence, and the emotional tension between characters rather than to action or visual spectacle.
Donderdag 28 mei, 20:30
EXPERIMENTAL
A Luminous Passage: Ryan Marino 16mm retrospective
Ryan Marino | various | USA | 51’ | no subtitles
NL Bij Cavia vinden we het altijd leuk om de magie van 16mm terug te brengen in ons filmhuis. Deze keer zijn we extra enthousiast, want we mogen de in New York gevestigde kunstenaar en filmmaker Ryan Marino verwelkomen met zijn koffer vol 16mm-films! In samenwerking met wysiwyg in Den Haag hebben we Ryan over de Atlantische Oceaan gehaald en vertonen we een retrospectief van zijn werk, zorgvuldig samengesteld door onze partners van wysiwyg. De maker zal zelf aanwezig zijn om zijn eigen films te vertonen.
EN At Filmhuis Cavia we are always happy when we can bring the magic of 16mm back to our cinema. This time we are even more excited, as we will be hosting New York-based artist and filmmaker Ryan Marino with his suitcase full of 16mm prints! Having coupled up with wysiwyg in Den Haag to bring Ryan over the Atlantic, we will be screening a retrospective of his work carefully curated by our partners of wysiwyg. The author will be present in the cinema to play his own prints. MORE→
Vrijdag 29 mei, 20:00
SPECIAL
Misha Kosmos Festival:
Afijn (Jellie Dekker, 2006), short films and live music
EN Welcome to the wacky and wonderful musical world of composer, pianist and philosopher Misha Mengelberg (1935-2017). Misha himself may have passed away but his music is alive as ever and continues to inspire musicians all over the world. From May 25th until June 6th, Mishakosmos celebrates the musician and makes a stop in Filmhuis Cavia. We will first watch some short films and concert excerpts of Misha and friends, after which there will be a break with live music at the bar. We conclude the evening with Afijn (2006), a beautiful documentary by Jellie Dekker. MORE→
Zaterdag 30 mei, 20:30
SEX POSITIVE
Kissable Screens: Phantom Love
by Porn Film Festival Amsterdam
Various | 79’ | EN subtitles
EN Kissable Screens, a monthly sex positive screening of Cavia, will recall films that were presented at Porn Film Festival Amsterdam 2026. It is a favourable moment to gain a new perspective on Pornography which can be artistic, political, moving, thought-provoking and a catalyst for self-discovery.
Can you desire someone who isn’t there? Ghosts of the past, people we never met in person, someone who only lives in our memories, frozen in time. Separated from us by oceans, borders, death, break-ups and other foul plot twists of life. How to love them in the face of their silence? Are we still allowed to imagine them naked, continue the conversation, look through the traces they left behind? A smell on our skin, scribbles in the sidelines of a book, a song, a hair, a voice note. Phantom loves we still feel near in their absence.
Untie
Oat Montien | 2023 | USA / Thailand | 5’
Shot on Super8 camera in Death Valley, this film documents the grieving ritual of Oat Montien as “The Gay Asian Cowboy”. He reimagines shibari (asian rope bondage) in a Western cowboy aesthetic as tribute to his late father.
Lost Belongings 유실물
Jaewon Kim | 2025 | South Korea | 10'
This film draws the experiences of gay men who have experienced chemsex by focusing on the objects left behind or used by members of the group. Through the objects, it explores the traces of memory, illness, and even specific experiences, where emotions and time remain embedded.
Les fantômes du hard
Lazare Lazarus | 2025 | France | 28’
The film is made from the archives of the Mineshaft’s founder, preserved at Mémoire des Sexualités, a queer archive center based in Marseille and explores how we might build lines of kinship and continuity with the queer generations that came before us.
Fluister voor me
Silkyway’s Universe | 2025 | Netherlands | 3’
The film plays with the eroticism of poetry. In our overstimulating reality, the whispered beat of a poem can guide you into a retreat of your own, into fantasy more real than reality.
Annihilation
Cris Noon | 2023 | USA | 5’
In an abandoned church, a man enacts a violent sexual fantasy with a masked stranger, unraveling his sense of self.
Unraveling Pleasure On Distance
L_i_l_a_k_i & Vili XG | 2024 | Greece | 6’
It is a single-channel short film exploring the erotic tension and emotional intimacy of long-distance lovers. Shot mainly in vertical format, the film draws its material from mobile phone screens, screen recordings, video calls, and digital performances captured in moments of vulnerability and desire.
Embrasse-moi du Regard
Diamonds Bitch, Saphir Cocks | 2024 | Belgium | 22’
In a world in decay, Regis roams around. Torn by loneliness, it is in a heap of garbage that he discovers love, until he is swept away by it.