Michiel van Erp directs *Downtown*, the opening film of the 2026 Netherlands Film Festival. The film follows three friends in the Amsterdam gay scene of the 1980s when AIDS creeps into their lives. Three decades later, they meet again during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Screenwriter Frank Houtappels wrote the script partly based on his own experience. Van Erp considers *Downtown* his most personal work. He made documentaries for over 25 years before switching to feature films. His debut, *Niemand in de stad*, was the opening film of that same festival in 2018. *Downtown* will be in cinemas from October 1, 2026.