Film & Architecture Studio 2023 – Hot in the City
A renowned course focused on understanding the city through the language of film led by architect, curator and filmmaker Jord den Hollander. Taking place on 02, 03, 07, 09 & 10 June 2023, including the possibility to present your short film at the Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam in October 2023. – Fully Booked!

The Independent School for the City and the Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam (AFFR) have joined forces again to organize the next edition of the famous Film and Architecture Studio, supervised by architect, curator, and filmmaker Jord den Hollander.
The Film and Architecture Studio has proved itself in the past years as one of the most acclaimed courses on film and architecture in the world. It is a one-week course that offers and in-depth introduction to understanding the language of film as a way to explore the relationship between film, cities and architecture. The course focuses on learning and understanding the narrative of filmmaking as a research tool to better understand your urban surroundings. Participants in this course are introduced to the essential elements of filmmaking and learn how to relate these to architecture and the city. The focus of the studio is not so much on the technical aspects of filmmaking and postproduction, but rather on making a script and using film as a tool to structure your thoughts and to develop a narrative. The central topic of this year’s edition is urban heat stress and how this influences both life in the city as well as spatial developments.
COURSE STRUCTURE
The Film and Architecture Studio is a one-week course, with collective activities in Rotterdam spread over two subsequent Fridays and Saturdays and one Wednesday evening in between. During this week, participants analyse how urban heat influences life in the city, what it means for people and the environment, and what is being done against it. In this period, you will develop a concept for a short film of around two minutes; you work out a script, shoot footage and make a first draft. Filmmaker, curator Jord den Hollander and the team of the Independent School will provide you with input and inspiration, and together with the other participants we’ll discuss everyone’s progress.
Participants get the opportunity to present their short films at the Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam and to attend the opening of the Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam in October 2023. In preparation to the festival, we offer one more (online) opportunity to receive feedback on your progress on the 26th and 28th of June.
TUTOR
Jord den Hollander
After having finished his master’s in archi- tecture at the Technical University of Delft, Jord den Hollander followed a course in scenario writing at the Filmschool in London. Throughout his career he has often combined both disciplines. He has made documentaries about art and architecture, has written and directed internationally acclaimed television series for children about art and science and is curator of the Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam (www.affr.nl), the world’s biggest architecture film festival, which he co-founded in 2002. In addition, he has designed a unique oeuvre that includes an architecture center for children in Almere, a mobile kid’s library, a floating hotel and a tensegrity bicycle bridge.
PROGRAMME
Friday 2 June
10:00 – 10:30 Welcome & Introduction
10:30 – 12:30 Introduction on Film & Architecture by Jord de Hollander + conversation
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch break
13:30 – 14:30 Presentations on the effects of urban heat.
14:30 – 17:00 Participants work on a concept for their 2-minute film
17:00 – 18:00 Conversation on first ideas
Saturday 3 June
10:00 – 12:30 Further development of concept and script
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch break
13:30 – 14:30 A selection of short videoclips by Jord den Hollander
14:30 – 16:00 Further development of script
14:30 – 17:00 Presentation of concept and script
Sunday 04 – Tuesday 06 June
Go out in the city, continue your research and start filming
Wednesday 07 June
18:00 – 20:00 Discuss progress and receive feedback
Thursday 08 June
Go out in the city, continue your research and continue filming
Friday 09 June
10:00 – 15:40 Go out in the city, continue your research and continue filming
15:30 – 17:00 Discuss progress and receive feedback
17:00 – 18:00 Dinner break
18:00 – 19:30 Public Conversation with Director of Photography (DOP) Thomas Kist. Tickets and more info here
Saturday 10 June
10:00 – 14:00 Go out in the city and continue filming
14:00 – 17:00 Jord den Hollander available for tutoring
17:00 – 20:00 Dinner break
20:00 – 23:00 Screening of Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, Maashaven – Rotterdam Architecture Month (optional)
Mon 26 June / Wed 28 June (online)
18:00 – 20:00 Discuss progress and receive final feedback
October
Film screening of short films at Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam
FILMS MADE DURING THE PREVIOUS EDITIONS