At the Kortfilmfestival in Leuven, the VAF Wildcards were awarded, the annual prizes for the best final works at Flemish film schools. The winners of the VAF Wildcards 2024 are “tussen oud en nieuw / entre deux” by Jasmine Issa, “JUDY1964” by Marie-Hélène Van Thuyne, “Tijgerstrepen” by Florence Boone, and “Touch Me With Your Eyes” by Anaïs Kabore. With a total value of over 200,000 euros, the VAF Wildcards are the country’s biggest film awards and a springboard to a career as a professional filmmaker or screenwriter.

Jasmine Issa , tussen oud en nieuw / entre deux, BE, 2023, DCP, 12′
In ‘tussen oud en nieuw / entre deux’, 10-year-old Amir and Amira end up in a refuge with their mother during the Christmas holidays. On New Year’s Eve, they are determined to ensure that the gig they have been planning for weeks can still go ahead. This brings them into contact with other residents, numerous challenges and unusual circumstances. The presence of the children also makes the adults do everything they can to make sure their party goes well. A beautifully intimate film about a mother struggling to make ends meet, with fine acting.

 Marie-Hélène Van Thuyne, JUDY1964, BE, 2023, DCP, 5’
‘JUDY1964′ tells the story of young Judy who falls under the spell of an advertisement for a new toy gun in the 1960s. But when she discovers her parents’ real firearm, the line between playful fantasy and real threat blurs. This beautiful stop-motion short film is an impressive one-shot production with an eye for detail and craftsmanship.

 Florence Boone, Tijgerstrepen, BE, 2023, DCP, 20′
‘Tijgerstrepen’ takes the viewer into the thought stream of young woman Bettina, who looks back on the period when she was mentally struggling and cutting herself. Through a voiceover by Bettina and the maker, we try to get closer to her and the path she has taken as she immerses herself in the search for an extinct animal. Fracture lines in the environment reflect personal scars of Bettina, revealing a universal and intrinsically human story about insecurities and human understanding.

 Anaïs Kabore, Touch Me With Your Eyes, BE, 2023, DCP, 27’
‘Touch Me With Your Eyes’ explores young love as a mysterious phenomenon and captures how two girls learn to understand intimacy. Blurring the boundaries between documentary and fiction, the story creates an atmosphere that reveals both the beauty and complexity of love and life. The film invites the viewer to reconsider the sensory and physical dimensions of cinema.