Discover the full program for the eighteenth edition

With more than 100 films, series, events, talks, masterclasses, and networking opportunities, it promises to be an inspiring, enriching, and above all, connecting edition. Belgian filmmakers are not only reaching new heights internationally, they are also deservedly in the spotlight during FFO. This year, Master Ruth Becquart chose the theme ‘The stories that connect us’ and is also looking for connections that extend beyond the cinema walls. Once again, we can look forward to a wide range of titles in the LOOK!, COOP! and SOON! competitions. Visually stunning films, strong international co-productions, and debuts by promising filmmakers will be given pride of place in Ostend for nine days.

Programme & tickets

General Director Peter Craeymeersch and General Coordinator Henry Disotuar see the selection as a clear reflection of FFO's vision:

A home for Belgian talent

FFO26 opens with Kat Steppe’s feature debut film ‘Zondag de Negenste’. On Friday February 6th, Koen Van Sande’s  first feature  film, ‘Clean’ will have its world premiere during the closing weekend. Vincent Van Sande and Tibo Vandenborre play the roles of the brothers Mathieu and Timo, with Master Ruth Becquart in a third role - a perfect link with this edition’s Master theme. 

We remain in Brussels for Leni Huyghe’s intimate debut film. With ‘Real Faces’, she brings an authentic portrait about personal growth and self-reflection. Growing up also forms the backbone of Cecilia Verheydens' fragile coming-of-age film ‘Skiff’. Young actress Femke Vanhove (‘Radioman’) shines in the role of Malou, a talented rower who is searching for her own identity during a bumpy summer. 

As is tradition, FFO also features prestigious Flemish series. VRT is releasing a new, heartwarming series called ‘Time:out’ (David Verhaeghe) starring newcomer Elisabeth De Weerdt and Jonathan Michiels (‘Oh, Otto’), a new season of the police drama 'Juliet 2' (Caroline de Maeyer), starring Charlotte De Bruyne, and a sequel to ‘De Twaalf’ (Brecht De Groot). This time, the court case is about ‘The Botox Murders’ and the cast includes Natali Broods, Jennifer Heylen, Bruno Vanden Broecke, Ruth Beeckmans, and Flor Van Severen. Streamz is also coming out with a new Original series: ‘BOHO’ (Olympia Allaert) tells the story of friends Kima, Nawal, and Alex, three women in their thirties from the diverse Antwerp neighborhood of Borgerhout. The leading roles are played by stand-up comedian Serine Ayari, actress Ikram Aoulad, and hip-hop artist Miss Angel, who is making her acting debut. 

In addition to feature films and series, FFO's program also includes plenty of room for documentaries such as ‘Eat More Trees’ (Arne Focketyn), ‘Helmut’ (Annabel Verbeke), ‘Parasisi’ (Zaïde Bil, Sebastien Segers), and the experimental mix of documentary, fiction, and livestream ‘Play me’ (Spencer Bogaert). 

There is room for home-grown talent outside the traditional cinema too. In the VR & Installations section, ‘A Long Goodbye’ (Kate Voet & Victor Maes), ‘The Great Escape’ (Joren Vandenbroucke) and ‘Perfect IM perfect’ (Theateracademie Oostende & De Studio) take the audience on three immersive journeys that balance poetry, humor, and social engagement.

Moments of connection: dancing, singing, and writing with Ruth

This year, Master Ruth Becquart chose the theme 'The stories that connect us'. She’s also looking for connection outside the movie theater:

She created an intimate photo exhibition that focuses on meeting and connecting. The exhibition consists of portraits in which Ruth dances with people of different ages and backgrounds, each with their own story. You can admire the exhibition from Wednesday, January 14, to Wednesday, February 11, in the Nieuwe Gaanderijen. Visitors can also become part of this project by writing a letter, just like the Ostend residents in the photo reportage, about a film that has left a deep impression on them. All letters will be displayed at Kinepolis Ostend, where they will form a collage full of testimonials about what cinema can do: touch, inspire, and connect.

The theme is also reflected in eight unique postcards illustrated by Flore Deman. Festival-goers can use the cards to invite someone to go to the movies with them, send a message, or share a moment of connection, both inside the theatre and far beyond the silver screen. 

As the daughter of a professional dancer, Ruth Becquart quickly decided that she wanted to incorporate dance into her Master's program in various ways. In collaboration with actress and musician Liesa Van der Aa and dancer Nora Monsecour, she invites a hundred festival visitors to learn the chorus of ‘Like Foxes Do’ (from the series ‘Putain’) and a simple choreography in one afternoon. The project culminates at the Ensors Gala, where the pas de deux comes to life on the big stage.

Every festival day between 6.30 p.m. and 7 p.m., we will provide a fantastic DJ set to get everyone dancing. Together with Master Ruth Becquart, everyone can kick off the festival evening. The red carpet will then become our shiny dance floor for a little while!

LOOK! - Visual signature at full power

Thanks to unique cinematography and innovative style, the visually striking titles in the LOOK!-competition are best appreciated on the big screen. The jury, presided over by director and producer Gilles Coullier, and with Ikram Aoulad (actress), Charlotte Willems (costume designer) and Ena Sendijarević (director and screenwriter), will cast their visually trained eyes on this ten-part selection. 

International hits that have already won numerous film awards at major festivals are setting the tone this year. These include Alberto Rodríguez's ‘Los tigres’, which won the jury prize for Best Cinematography and the Acento Award for Best Spanish Director in San Sebastián. The costume drama ‘Magellan’ (Lav Diaz), about the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, won the Golden Spike in Valladolid. László Nemes previously won an Oscar for his debut film ‘Son of Saul’. With ‘Orphan’, he once again delivers a visually stunning gem. Harry Lighton wants to break stereotypes about BDSM with his debut film ‘Pillion’. The film won the award for Best Screenplay in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ section at the Cannes Film Festival. The crime film ‘Dead Man's Wire’ (Gus Van Sant) is based on true events and has already won awards at the Chicago and Miami film festivals.

Our northern neighbors also have some impressive work to offer. Morgan Knibbe's ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ is being praised for its intense camerawork and the way it exposes the relationship between the West and its former colonies. Nanouk Leopold's thrilling thriller ‘Whitetail’ shows how easily the lines between guilt, grief, and anger can blur.

Following the success of ‘The Brutalist’, director Mona Fastvold is once again collaborating with her partner Brady Corbet. ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ tells the story of a Christian Shaker movement and its leader, played by a fiery Amanda Seyfried. Oliver Hermanus's understated but epic ‘The History of Sound’ depicts a romance between two male students (Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor) in Boston in 1917. Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi's ‘Silent Friend’ is a profound scientific epic about a centuries-old ginkgo tree. 

COOP! - Strong productions from the Low countries

Stronger together: that’s the motto of all the films that are selected for the COOP!-competition. These international collaborations, or “COOPerations,” extend beyond financial arrangements to combine the strengths of craftsmanship and creativity from the Low countries The public jury, led by Mu.ZEE director Bruno Verbergt, will determine which film will be awarded the title of Best Co-production.

Belgian director Micha Wald returns to the 16th century with ‘L’île de la demoiselle’, drawing the true story of Marguerite de la Rocque. The Second World War also remains a recurring theme. With her debut film ‘Silent Rebellion’, Marie-Elsa Sgualdo pays tribute to the women who resisted in silence. Meanwhile, ‘Frontera’ by Judith Colell, with the previous master Kevin Janssens, is based on true events that unfolded on the border between Spain and France in 1943.

Complex domestic situations prove to be a universal theme across the globe. Jeanette Nordahl based the screenplay of ‘Beginnings’ on the personal story of her own parents facing divorce. In ‘Donkey Days’, Rosanne Pel focuses on fragile family dynamics, layered with a veil of dark humor. The Belgian co-production ‘The Good Daughter’ (Júlia de Paz) is a moving coming-of-age film about a girl who is only permitted to see her father under the supervision of a social worker.

The Dutch film and documentary director Karin Junger explores the world of youth soccer. With ‘The Pupil’, she tells the story of abuse within the sports world. ‘The Wolf, the Fox and the Leopard’ , by David Verbeek, is a poetic film where science fiction, dystopia and atmosphere cinema about identity and climate activism, comes together.  

Finally, several compelling documentaries have been included in the COOP! competition. ‘2m²’ is the result of a Turkish, German, and Belgian collaboration. Director Volkan Üce (‘All-In’) investigates fundamental questions of identity and belonging across two cultures through the eyes of a Turkish undertaker based in Genk. In ‘Last Letters from My Grandma’, we follow filmmaker Olga Lucovnicova as she explores a box given to her by her father, filled with letters exchanged between him and his late Russian mother.

SOON! - Debuts that linker

The SOON!-competition celebrates new filmmakers with their first or second film. The jury is led by actress Jennifer Heylen and consists of actors Willem De Schryver, Nadège Iris Bibo-Tansia, Felix Heremans and director Michael Abay.

The filmmakers in this selection have made an immediate impact, securing major awards at international film festivals. Journalist and filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov joined a group of Ukrainian soldiers for the documentary ‘2000 meters to Adriivka’. Following its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the film was honored with the Directing Award for World Cinema Documentary. The family drama ‘Gioia mia’, the feature debut of Margherita Spampinato, won the Special Jury Prize CINÉ+ at the Locarno Film Festival. ‘Les filles du ciel’ marks the directorial debut of actress Bérangère McNeese; this story of sisterhood within a social housing project took home the Grand Prix and the Youth Jury Award at the Saint-Jean-de-Luz Film Festival. Furthermore, ‘Los domingos’ (Alauda Ruiz de Azúa) dominated San Sebastián, winning five awards, including the prestigious Golden Shell for Best Film.

In ‘Broken Voices’, the documentary director Ondřej Provazník explores the fragile boundary between innocence and abuse of one's own power. The film is inspired by the true story of the Bambini di Praga-case, a scandal about a Czech girls’ choir. Joel Alfonso Vargas also stays very close to reality. ‘Mad Bills to Pay’ describes an authentic portrait of the Dominican-American community in the Bronx. David Bim makes an intimate portrait of a poor family in Cuba with his black and white documentary ‘To the West, in Zapata’.

Rounding out the SOON!-selection is ‘Ky Nam Inn’ by Leon Le, a film exploring the longing for connection, beauty, and liberation, reminiscent of the classic ‘In the Mood for Love’. ‘Plainclothes’, the debut of Carmen Emmi, explores queer themes and the boundaries of morality, masculinity, and identity within a nostalgic '90s setting. Finally, the understated Norwegian drama ‘Solomamma’ (Janicke Askevold) centers on the dilemmas of modern parenthood.

World cinema in Avant-première

FFO presents a broad spectrum of national and international titles in Flemish avant-première. From unconventional experimental works to acclaimed masterpieces, these are films designed to leave a lasting impression.

In ‘The President's Cake’ (Hasan Hadi), we travel to the Iraq of the nineties, where the 9-year-old Lamia has to bake a birthday cake for leader Saddam Hussein. Cherien Dabis’  'All That's Left of You' describes a portrait of the Palestinian teenager Noor against the violence and protest on the West bank in 1988.

‘I Swear’ by Kirk Jones, which garnered no fewer than nine BIFA nominations, is inspired by the life of Tourette activist John Davidson, who brought global attention to the condition in his home country. The Italian period drama ‘Primavera’ (Damiano Michieletto) tells the story of Cecilia, who grows up in the Ospedale della Pietà. Her life takes a dramatic turn when the institution hires none other than composer Antonio Vivaldi. Finally, ‘Broken English’ (Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard) is a hybrid documentary reflecting on the memories of icon Marianne Faithfull, who collaborated closely on the film until shortly before her passing in January 2025.

Following the success of ‘Decision to Leave’, the South Korean director Park Chan-wook returns with a new dark comedy. In ‘No Other Choice’, the protagonist Man-Su devises an absurd plan to eliminate his competition after a series of failed job interviews. The Chinese-Hong Kong co-production ‘The Shadow's Edge’ (Larry Yang) is a true treat for martial arts enthusiasts. Superstar Jackie Chan, who is now in his early seventies, continues to perform his own stunts in the impressively choreographed action sequences.

In his feature debut ‘Wolves’, director Jonas Ulrich shines a light on the fictional black metal band WLVS, featuring a very special guest appearance by the Belgian band AMENRA. Shifting from fiction to reality, the documentary ‘It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley’ (Amy Berg) offers a poignant look at the legendary musician, featuring never-before-seen footage from Buckley’s personal archives and intimate stories from those closest to him.

‘Is This Thing On?’ shows, with humor and humility, what takes place when love, friendship and personal growth come together after ending a long-term relationship. The film is written and directed by actor Bradley Cooper. The Japanese director Hikari wrote a powerful film about the meaning of human connections in a world full of facades. Starring the actor Brendan Fraser (‘The Whale’) in the leading role,  ‘Rental Family’ gets lots of good criticism all over the world. ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ (Mary Bronstein) examines what happens when one reaches a breaking point. Rose Byrne stars as Linda, a therapist, mother, and wife struggling to keep all the balls in the air, a performance for which she earned the Silver Bear for Best Acting Performance at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Short film competition - the filmmakers of tomorrow

A short film is the ideal format for young directors to experiment. FFO gives an unique platform to these makers to take their first professional steps into the film world. In the short film competition they get the chance to show their surprising production to a big audience.

The selection this year includes ‘Nothing Grows on Salt’ (Fernando Vandekeybus), ‘Pietje’ (Jef Claes), ‘SǒN’ (Micha Volders), ‘Sound of the Somme’ (Michaël Vermaercke), ‘Still Life’ (Natasja Briers), ‘The Catcher’ (Luka Galle) and ‘The Masque of the Red Death’ (Rune Callewaert).

Industry

FFO brings the audiovisual sector together with masterclasses, talks, and networking opportunities.

During the Streamz Academy Finale, FFO and Streamz will present a new generation of writers, who have been coached by experienced professionals over the past year. The participants will show a scene from their Streamz Original project, after which the winner of Streamz Academy 2025 will be announced.

On  Sync’ day, professionals will delve into the use of music in audiovisual productions, with keynotes, practical cases, and in-depth sessions for creators and users. From Book to Screen brings authors, directors and producers together for the translation from literature to film and tv scripts,  based on recent Flemish adaptations.  In addition, the Author Talks offer daily opportunities for inspiring conversations with professionals about themes that are close to their hearts. 

New this year is the Benelux-day. This day is organised by the Flemish Audiovisual Fund, the Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, the Dutch Film Fund and the Luxembourg Film Fund. Together, they are launching a co-development. This is a two year pilot project for the development and production of high-quality feature films from the Benelux-region. Producers of animation and fiction projects will have the opportunity to meet each other and discuss possible collaborations here.

During the Cinemasterclass, actors can hone their skills under the guidance of casting directors Cassandra Han (‘The Weight’, ‘She Said Maybe’, ‘The German’), Yngvill Kolset Haga (‘Sentimental Value’, ‘The Worst Person in the World’) and Belgian casting director Sien Josephine Teijssen, co-organiser of the initiative. 

And finally, professional makers get the chance to pitch new ideas to a jury and  compete for career-enhancing prizes in Sabam Pitch for Professionals.

Ostend celebrates with us

During FFO, Ostend comes alive, day and night. Those who want to linger in the festival atmosphere after a screening can visit numerous hotspots: cafés, restaurants, and shops that join the festival celebration with cinema-themed activities and promotions. Throughout the whole city, film quizzes, DJ sets, exclusive discounts, and other special events ensure that the festival's energy extends outside of the cinema walls. Local businesses and hospitality venues warmly welcome you, turning the festival into a shared experience. Ostend celebrates along, and the festival feeling is felt over streets, neighborhoods and meeting places all over the city. 

Ticket information

Ticket sale starts Friday December 19 at 11 AM.

Do you want to fully enjoy FF026? You can put your own film adventure together with the festival pass at the affordable price of 69,00 EUR. Younger than 26? Then you only pay 39,00 EUR. The pass gives you unlimited access to the entire selection of films at the festival. 

More information via filmfestivaloostende.be/nl/ticketinfo.