Awards & jury

Flemish Competition

The awards were presented on Saturday 6 December. In the Flemish Competition, the jury awarded Loynes by Dorian Jespers the Prize for Best Fiction and the overall Prize for Best Short Film in the Flemish Competition. The latter also earned him a place on the longlist for the Oscar for Best Live-Action Short Film. He made the film with the budget from the VAF Wildcard he received in 2019.

The jury describes Loynes as a unique film that significantly expands and reshapes the boundaries of what a short film can be. Jespers' commitment to experiment translates into an exceptional visual style and a layered narrative.

Shutterspeed wins the award for Best Debut (Fiction) and the award for Best Cinematography. The jury defends its choice as follows: "Story, image, camera work, acting and sound work together in perfect symbiosis to emphasise a complex power relationship. They describe the camerawork as a perfect translation of the story in the film: it seduces and disturbs, making the film all the more powerful. DOP Arthur Moelants takes home the award.

Finally, lead actor Lou Goossens wins Best Acting Performance in the Flemish Competition. The jury praises Goossens' complex performance and emphasises his leading place in the story.

The Audience Award in the Flemish fiction competition goes to Koffie in Lourdes by Kyoko Scholiers.

The jury chose Marieke twijfelt by Maura De Troyer as Best Short Documentary in the Flemish Competition. ‘A fragile portrait of two friends searching for their place in the world,’ according to the jury.

In the Flemish Animation Competition, the jury awarded Cold Bathroom by Eleni Aerts. The jury justified its choice as follows: "the inner conflict of the main character is perfectly portrayed by the raw animation style, which perfectly reflects the dark theme of the film".

The audience chose Klonter by Levi Stoops as their favourite in the Flemish Animation Competition.

European Competition

In the European Competition, the jury awarded the prize to Dieu est timide by Jocelyn Charles. Thanks to this award, the film is automatically selected for Academy Award qualification. The jury praised the ‘striking storyline that seamlessly transitions from banality to colourful horror’. 3XMina by Nans Laborde-Jourdàa takes home the EFA qualification, which means the film will be added to the longlist for the European Film Award for Best Short Film.

The audience in the European Competition fell head over heels for The Swimming Pool by Santiago Cardelús Ruiz-Alberdi and Pablo Manchado Cascón.

The Peer Award is being presented for the sixth time this year. The jury for this award consists of all the selected directors in the European Competition. Skin on Skin by Simon Schneckenburger was the absolute favourite among peers.

Guest prizes

Several guest prizes were also awarded. On Wednesday 3 December, the Humo audience chose Shutterspeed by Jasper De Maeseneer as the winner of the Humo Award.

The Press Award in the Flemish fiction competition goes to J'ai perdu mes clés by Audrey Bruyninckx.

The winners of the Pitch Your Script Award are Emma De Poot and Guus Tijssen. They managed to convince the jury and producers with their pitches.