Eight films will compete for the two awards during the upcoming festival.
The following films have been selected for the Hivos Tiger Competition:
- Arábia, Brazil, 2017, Affonso Uchoa, João Dumans
- The Burglar, Israel, 2017, Hagar Ben Asher
- Columbus, USA, 2017, kogonada
- Demonios tus ojos, Spain, 2017, Pedro Aguilera
- Light Thereafter, Bulgaria/Belgium, 2017, Konstantin Bojanov
- Quality Time, Netherlands/Norway, 2017, Daan Bakker
- Rey, Chile/France/Netherlands/Germany/Qatar, 2017, Niles Atallah
- Sexy Durga, India, 2017, Sanal Kumar Sasidharan
Of the eight nominated directors, one will leave at the end of the festival with a Hivos Tiger Award and a cash prize of € 40,000. In addition, a special jury award worth € 10,000 will be presented for an exceptional artistic achievement within the competition. The international recognition and attention a Hivos Tiger Competition nomination brings is just as important as the money. So in this respect, there are no losers in this competition – only winners. For many filmmakers, the Hivos Tiger Awards represent that bit of essential support that can often be the decisive factor in getting a financier on board to make a follow-up project possible, for example.
This year, the professional jury consists of filmmaker, author and publisher from Malaysia Amir Muhammad; Colombian producer and artistic director Diana Bustamante Escobar; award-winning Belgian director Fien Troch; filmmaker, screenwriter and producer Michael Almereyda from the United States and the photographer/artist from Iran Newsha Tavakolian.
Arábia
Brazil, 2017, Affonso Uchoa, João Dumans 
In an old aluminium factory in Ouro Preto, a young man finds the diary of a worker who died in an accident. Reminiscent of the way Westerns use anonymous drifters, driven by survival instinct, as the story's hero, Arábia focuses in on the life of a marginalised worker in contemporary Brazil.
The Burglar
Israel, 2017, Hagar Ben Asher 
Alex, an 18-year-old woman, lives with her mother in the small town of Arad in the middle of the desert close to the Dead Sea. One day, her mother disappears without any explanation and Alex is left to her own devices. After her home is broken into, she decides to become a burglar herself and thus finds a way to deal with life, even finding love and passion.
Columbus
USA, 2017, kogonada
In the enchanting Modernist city of Columbus, architecture enthusiast Casey – who is caring for her recovering addict mother – and Korean-American Jin have both reached a dead-end. A father in a coma brings about change in this American drama with an Asian flavour.
Demonios tus ojos
Spain, 2017, Pedro Aguilera
Oliver, a young film director, discovers on an erotic Web site one night that the protagonist of one of the videos is his younger half-sister Aurora. In the process of finding out what she was doing there, Oliver will become fascinated by Aurora. Even if you close your eyes, you'll still be watching.
Light Thereafter
Bulgaria, Belgium, 2017, Konstantin Bojanov
Light Thereafter follows the emotionally unstable and otherworldly young man Pavel, who criss-crosses Europe in search of his idol, the mysterious painter Arnaud. Desperate, lonely and adrift, Pavel tries to clamp on to the characters he meets along the way.
Quality Time
Netherlands, Norway, 2017, Daan Bakker
Quality Time presents a series of short narratives about young quaint men who are struggling, and their concerned parents. Through a wondrous combination of film styles, a loving portrait is sketched of human beings as the playthings of life.
Rey
Chile, France, Netherlands, Germany, Qatar, 2017, Niles Atallah
In the nineteenth century, a French adventurer sets off to establish a kingdom in the inhospitable South of Chile, uniting the feared Mapuche under him. The response of the Chilean army is devastating. Rey is both an intricately designed adventure film as well as powerful textural experiment.
Sexy Durga
India, 2017, Sanal Kumar Sasidharan
During a nocturnal ride, a young woman and her lover come across a cross-section of Indian male society. What starts out as an attempt to escape descends into a journey through hell – from which no escape seems possible.