The competitions are the beating heart of the festival. Besides the European Competition, there are Flemish competitions for fiction, animation and documentary. The perfect chance to find out which young directors will be making waves in the coming years. Additionally, the highly sought after VAF Next Generation competition will be awarding her winners at the festival!

Popular programmes like Shorts for children, Animation Nations and Virtual Reality are indispensable at the festival. Immerse yourself in the Labo programme or be amazed by short films from famous directors in Big Names, Short Films. This year, you can get a quick film history class thanks to the Short Film History programme or dive into the humerous compilation Kitchen Chaos.

This year, the country in focus is the Netherlands. This includes a master talk by none other than Oscar winner Victoria Warmerdam and a masterclass by short film veteran Douwe Dijkstra. The Nijmegen short film festival Go Short will also present two compilations. On the Belgian side of the border, Cato Kusters will be the Artist in Focus. There will also be a focus on militant cinema, restorative justice and the female gaze.

Series featuring award-winning or acclaimed short films that are a must-see for every film fan: Oscar Shorts, Best of European Film Awards, Best of Peer Award and the winners of this edition.

During the guest screenings, local partners of the festival show their favourites: VRT CANVAS, Humo, Kortfilm.be and Sabam. You can also enjoy a live concert with visuals in the festival café, in collaboration with STUK. And of course, the festive opening and the legendary closing night are an integral part of the festival too.

Kortfilmfestival Leuven does not only show short films, the festival is also synonymous with a wide range of activities for filmmakers and other professionals. You can get to know the makers during the Q&As, but there are also workshops and networking opportunities for scriptwriters, film critics and other professionals.