Velvet Room

Ghent International Short Film Festival 2026 Concludes with Awards Announcement
Ghent, Belgium — The 2026 edition of the Ghent International Short Film Festival concluded on March 22 at the Velvet Room after a week-long celebration of independent and daring short cinema. From March 16 to 22, the festival presented a curated selection of 46 short films spanning narrative, documentary, animation, experimental and underground cinema. The festival welcomed a number of special guests, including Maximilian Nita, Hiroyuki Nishiyama, Klara Schmickler, Catarina Couto Gonçalves, Nina Pinzarrone, Luka Galle, Helena Taghon and Romane Eilahtan, whose presence contributed to a week of engaged screenings and enriching post-screening discussions with audiences.

Reflecting on this year’s edition, curator Kris De Meester described the festival as “a privilege to meet so many talented filmmakers and to experience the enriching conversations that followed the screenings.” Continuing its mission to support independent filmmakers, the festival awarded all selected filmmakers The Tarkovski Grant, valued at €500, to support their journey on the international film festival circuit.

Award Winners — Ghent International Short Film Festival 2026

Best Film
Mom Dances (Switzerland) by Mégane Brügger — 23:00
A powerful and intimate reflection on what remains of a mother after years of domestic violence — her body, dignity, strength, and the gestures and memories that can still be passed down.

Best Narrative Film
An Excess Baggage (France) by Myriam Garcia Marienstras — 16:20
A subtle portrait of a mother struggling with emotional dependency when her daughter leaves for summer camp, revealing how love can sometimes become too heavy to carry.

Best Documentary Film
Greetings from Seaside Heights (Germany) by Klara Schmickler — 14:30
A portrait of a seaside town caught between consumerism and quiet decay, where residents reflect on identity, purpose, and the cost of calling a place home.

Best Animated Film
Une Fugue (To the Woods) (France) by Agnès Patron
A poetic and fragile story of memory and loss, following a sister who recalls her brother with vivid tenderness.

Best Experimental Film
Kiesler’s Body (Austria) by Ganaël Dumreicher
An experimental exploration of architect Frederick Kiesler’s visionary cinematic space, where architecture and film merge into a boundless visual experience.

Best Underground Film
Tenez (Germany) by Maximilian Nita
A psychological portrait of a young tennis player confronting the trauma of past abuse on the eve of an important championship.

Best New Filmmaker
This Between Us (Belgium) by Helena Taghon
A fragile and intense portrait of the complex bond between a daughter and her mother over the course of a single night.

Best Connecting Cultures Film
NŪR (Congo) by Ryan Youngblood
A powerful reconstruction of life inside an Islamic State camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo, following a young man torn between survival, faith and the hope of returning home.

Best Belgian Narrative Film
The Catcher (Belgium) by Luka Galle
A surreal and melancholic story about a lonely government worker tasked with catching invisible birds, until he decides to bring one home.

Best Belgian Documentary Film
Dans un Souffle (Belgium, Hungary, Portugal) by Catarina Couto Gonçalves
A poetic black-and-white portrait of figure skater Nina Pinzarrone and her fragile yet relentless pursuit of perfection.

Best Dance Film
Kielo (Finland) by Janina Rajakangas & Sinem Kayacan
A dance film exploring imagination, neurodivergence, and the emotional world of young people through movement.

Best Music Video
Millenium (Belgium) by Melisa Gammarota

Best Super Short Film
20:15 Mexico DF (Argentina) by Alejandro Di Meglio
A tender encounter between two women in Mexico City becomes a reflection on memory, love and the passage of time.

Audience Choice Award
Ice Breath (Romania) by Leonard Alecu
A hypnotic black-and-white cinematic poem filmed among the melting icebergs of Greenland, reflecting on climate change, time and extinction.

The Ghent International Short Film Festival continues to position itself as a platform for bold cinema and meaningful exchange, where emerging and established filmmakers meet an engaged audience in an intimate setting dedicated to cinema as an art form.

Call for Entries — 2027 Edition
Submissions are now open for the 2027 edition of the Ghent International Short Film Festival. Filmmakers can submit their films via FilmFreeway: https://filmfreeway.com/GhentShortFilmFestival

Ghent International Film Week 2025 Awards Its Standout Films

The Ghent International Film Week is a one-of-a-kind film event bringing bold and original cinema to the heart of Ghent. Taking place during Ghent Art Week, it offers a full week of challenging, innovative films from around the world—ranging from underground gems and experimental shorts to striking documentaries and daring feature films.

Formerly known as Obskuur, the festival has always focused on films that push boundaries. We believe cinema should not just entertain, but also provoke, inspire, and spark conversation.

With an eclectic official selection comprising over 30 films from across the globe, this year’s festival was a resounding success. Audiences embraced the diverse programming, from the absurd recycling project Dead, Red & Blue, through the terrifying underworld of Giant’s Kettle, to the deadpan hit The Accident.

Festival curator Kris De Meester reflected on this year’s edition:
“We were deeply moved by how strongly these films resonated with our audience. From absurdist humor to chilling explorations of the unknown, every screening sparked conversations long after the credits rolled. That’s exactly what we strive for—a festival where audiences aren’t just watching, but feeling, questioning, and engaging with the work.”

The Ghent International Film Week is proud to announce the winners of its 2025 awards, as determined by the jury:

Best Narrative Feature Film:
The Accident (Italy) by Giuseppe Garau

Best Documentary Feature Film:
Yalla, Baba! (Belgium, Lebanon, Netherlands, Qatar) by Angie Obeid

Best Experimental Film:
Giant's Kettle (Finland) by Markku Hakala, Mari Käki

Best Narrative Short Film
Scenario (Japan) by Kazunori Miura

Best Documentary Short Film
In My Body (Netherlands) by Annelien Nijland

Best Underground Film:
Dead, White and Blue (United States) by Mike Davis

Best Minimalist Film:
You Can't Find Love (United States) by Tom Bessoir

Best Installation Film:
Becoming (United Kingdom) by Shelley Hopkins

Best Animated Film:
Staircase Stomp by The Clamor (United States) by Aaron Louis

Best Music Video:
Tic Tac (Belgium) by David Perreard

Best Dance Film:
Jellymama (Finland) by Hertta Kiiski & Karolina Ginman

Best Connecting Cultures Film:
Knife, Chocolate (Iran) by Hooshmand Varaei

Best Super Short Film
Flesh Wish (United Kingdom) by Timothy Benjamin Slessor

Best Belgian Film:
Pluto in Aquarius (Belgium) by Hippolyte Laveix

https://www.ghentfilmweek.com