1995
In December 1995, 'Leuven Kort' took place for the first time, in a venue that was then still called Eden, but has since become the legendary Leuven concert hall Het Depot. A young filmmaker and his enthusiastic best friend, Jan Bosmans and Johan Van Schaeren, took the initiative for the festival. It turned out that there was a burning need on the cultural market for short film screenings; due to the great success of the first edition, a non-profit organisation was quickly established and the festival became an annual event.
1999
In 1999, the festival really took off: the poster image made national news and a new generation of filmmakers emerged: Fien Troch, Pieter Van Hees, Koen Mortier and Dorothée Van Den Berghe all showed their work at Leuven Kort.
2000
In 2000, the festival budget turned out too small to host it in real life. That's how the very first online festival in Belgium came about.
2002
After seven years, the festival finally settled in STUK, which was still a brand-new arts centre in 2002. The festival broadened its scope, the programme and competition expanded, the team grew, and more and more side activities and programmes were launched.
2005
In 2005, the festival was not only nominated for the Flemish Culture Prize (now the Ultimas), but against all odds, it won. What followed was broader recognition and fame in the cultural and media sector.
2012
2012 is a legendary year for the festival: it becomes the first in Belgium to become Academy Award Qualifying, which means that winners of the European and Flemish competitions will automatically be longlisted for the Oscar® for Best Short Film.
2014
The milestone of 10,000 visitors gets exceeded for the first time.
2016
Kortfilmfestival Leuven becomes BAFTA Qualifying.
2017
Every year, the festival focuses on a different country. In 2017, that country is Sweden, and voilà: a sauna in the STUK courtyard.
2018
Kortfilmfestival Leuven hosts the very first augmented reality exhibition in Belgium.
2020
Like everyone else in the cultural field, Kortfilmfestival Leuven was also affected by the Covid-19 crisis. In 2020, the festival took place online and was organised from a studio in Cinema ZED. Coincidentally, the festival held an online edition exactly twenty years earlier, at that time due to a lack of funds and in very different digital circumstances.
2024
Kortfilmfestival Leuven turns 30. There's a throwback programme featuring the best short films of the past 30 years, concerts and audiovisual DJ sets take place, and the very first benshi narration in festival history gets a stage. In short: the festival becomes a successful birthday celebration.
