Winners of the Euregion Film Forum 2026 announced

Eleventh edition celebrates cross-border filmmaking talent.

Geplaatst op 22 maart 2026

The eleventh edition of the Euregion Film Forum (EFF) has come to a successful close. Over three days, the forum celebrated cinematic storytelling across the border region of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, combining screenings, talent development, and industry exchange. Awards were presented in  the Euregion Shorts Competition, Student Competition and the CineSud Talent Film Pitch. Here are the winners of the 2026 edition.

Euregion Shorts competition

This year’s Euregion Shorts Competition showcased a selection of standout short films from across the region. The jury - editor Axel Skovdal Roelofs, distributor Zahra Benasri, and filmmaker Marco Bolla - awarded the following prizes:

Best Film: Merantau by Jalu Glissenaar.

When 18-year-old Nova has just arrived in the Netherlands, she can’t call her worried mother as promised. What should have been a simple run to the store turns into a long journey in search of connection.

Special Mention: Crescendo by Sem Dingemans

Music teacher Esther struggles to keep control of her chaotic class, until she impulsively slaps Menno, a disruptive student. To her surprise, order returns, and her authority grows. The new peace in the classroom gives her satisfaction and makes her act more strict, which culminates in a confident performance during the open day. But when Menno suddenly bursts in and the chaos flares up again with accusations, Esther stubbornly continues to conduct, while reality slowly catches up with her.

Audience Award: Dusted Off by Ayby Cetin 

Two grandsons of miners enter a talent show. Their act about mining history runs up against a lack of knowledge, but through humor and self-deprecation, it evolves into a sensitive story about identity, beyond the clichés.

Additional awards

During the Makers Day on Friday, two additional prizes were presented:

  • Best Talent Pitch
    Everything is Shifted – Sina Guntermann
    (€2000 production budget)
     
  • Best Euregion Student Film
    We laten nog wat horen – Team de Visfilmers
    (€500 production budget)

Strong edition with growing impact

EFF 2026 featured a diverse programme including avant-premières of new Limburg-based productions, a dedicated Makers Day, masterclasses, and residency programmes such as ShortsLab, DocLab, and Directors Village. The forum also hosted several industry gatherings, including meetings of Screen Talent NL and the Film in Limburg Alliance.

The event welcomed over 600 visitors, with approximately 50 emerging filmmakers participating in its talent development programmes and 100 in the Makers Day.

With increasing attendance and a strong presence of filmmakers from across the Euregio, the Euregion Film Forum continues to strengthen its position as a platform for cross-border collaboration and talent development within the film industry.