Film & Architecture Studio 2025

An introduction to the language of film as a way to explore the relationship between film, cities and architecture, supervised by architect, curator, and filmmaker Jord den Hollander. Taking place between 05 September and 09 October 2025.

Each year, the Independent School for the City organises the Film and Architecture Studio, supervised by architect, curator, and filmmaker Jord den Hollander. It is a multi-day course that offers an in-depth introduction to film as a tool for exploring the relationship between cities, architecture, and storytelling. This year's edition was focused on the Right to the City, exploring how struggles over the Right to the City appear in buildings and public spaces? What actions are people taking to reclaim that right? How does it affect daily life? And what influence does it have on the way the city is designed?

Over the span of five weeks, participants learned how to use filmmaking as a research method to better understand urban environments. The course focused on crafting narratives that connect architecture and the city, culminating in the creation of a short, two-minute film by each participant. Rather than emphasising the technical aspects of filmmaking or post-production, the studio prioritises scriptwriting and the development of a clear narrative. The aim was to use film as a medium for organising ideas and conveying stories about the built environment.

About Jord den Hollander
Jord den Hollander is an architect, curator, and filmmaker, who has made documentaries about art and architecture, has written and directed an internationally acclaimed television series for children about art and science and was one of the founders of the Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam, 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.