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11.04.2026

Personal stories and in-depth perspectives win at Go Short 2026

Winning films show in an intimate and poignant way how diverse and layered our world is.

During the 18th edition of Go Short, the coveted Go Short Awards were presented this evening during a live show. The prizes serve as an important stepping stone for the Oscars, BAFTA, and European Film Awards, among others. From a packed hall at LUX in their home city of Nijmegen, the jury announced to the filmmakers who won the awards. 

In the Dutch Competition, Dreams for a Better Past by Albert Kuhn walked away with the top prize. The award for best European fiction film was awarded to Blue Heart by Samuel Suffren, while Orla by Marie Lukacova was named best student film.
Within the same competition, Chrysanthemum by Jingyuan Luo received an honorable mention. The youth jury chose Far From Beyrouth by Mon Dewulf as their winner. For the second time, the Senior Jury designated Shutterspeed by Jasper De Maeseneer as their favor
On Sunday, the winning films and the audience favorites can still be seen at LUX in the Jury Winners & Audience Favorites programs. 

Dutch competition

According to the jury, Kiriko Mechanicus uses the online presentation of her own body in How to Catch a Butterfly to conduct research, thereby managing to reverse power dynamics. With striking dialogue and visual richness, the film demonstrates the influence projections and stereotypes have on individuals. Consequently, she received a special mention.
Albert Kuhn received the Vevam/Go Short Award for Dreams for a Better Past. In this film, the director delves into the past of his father and grandfather, searching for how and why silence is passed down from generation to generation. Through diverse aesthetic explorations of photographs, letters, and home videos, he brilliantly succeeds in finding a form that is respectful and concise. With his film, he gives a voice to the voiceless and breaks the transmission of transgenerational trauma.

New Arrivals competition

Chrysanthemum by Jingyuan Luo received a special mention from the professional jury. Using cinematic means, the filmmaker reconstructs a very recent past in order to fathom it. In doing so, she mourns the dead and reveals how the oppressive methods of an authoritarian regime influence the lives of individuals.
The award went to Marie Lukacova, who made the film Orla, about a rebellious and sarcastic heroine who turns the established order of a medieval kingdom upside down. A remarkable rap fairy tale in three acts about justice, and therefore, according to the jury, a deserving winner.

European Film Awards

The candidate for the 2026 European Film Awards is L’mina by Randa Maroufi. An outstanding contribution to recent European cinema from North Africa, partly due to the admirable solidarity and community building, and the attention to workers' rights

European competition 

The award for Best European Fiction went to Blue Heart by Samuel Suffren. The film combines fiction and documentary in an organic and compelling way, where one form complements and challenges the other. The film explores themes such as home, relationships, belonging, and rituals with great care and nuance, while sketching a beautiful portrait of Haiti.
God is Shy by Jocelyn Charles was awarded the prize for Best European Animation. According to the jury, this film elevates animation to a higher level and is both unsettling and compelling. It weaves a rich tapestry of imagery and symbolism that gets under the skin with an effectiveness usually only found among the great directors of the horror genre. A special mention in this category went to I’m Not Sure by Luisa Zürcher of Switzerland.
Maryam Tafakory created the beautiful documentary Daria's Night Flowers and received the award for Best European Documentary for it. The jury decided to do so, among other reasons, because the director has a skillful and poetic approach to film language that is unique and unmistakably her own.

Music Video Competition

At a time when some European governments are shifting increasingly towards authoritarian policies, and police violence is rising worldwide, the expert jury honors a project that feels like a powerful form of resistance. With a clear stance against oppression and censorship in the country, Béla Tarr by Jakob Ladanyi Jancsó is a work that speaks out loud and convincingly. For this, he received the award for best music video. A special mention went to the clip for Punk Rocky by Nijmegen-based Simon Becks and Folkert Verdoorn.

Youth Award 

A special youth jury from New Rootz threw itself into the task of choosing the most appealing film for young people. The Youth Award went to Far from Beyrouth, a film that stood out for its urgent and unfiltered portrayal of contemporary realities. In a time shaped by misinformation and media overload, the film serves as a powerful reminder of the fragility of safety and the importance of staying engaged with the world around us. A Special Mention was given to How to Catch a Butterfly by Kiriko Mechanicus, recognized for its sensitive and visually compelling storytelling, and its meaningful message for young audiences.

Senior Award

The Senior Award went to Shutterspeed, a film that stood out for its emotional impact and layered storytelling. The film resonated for the way it reveals the lasting effects of personal experiences, particularly highlighting the vulnerability of young people today in a world shaped by social media. The jury was especially impressed by the powerful performance of its young lead, which gave the film its depth and urgency. A Special Mention was awarded to Because Today is Saturday, recognized for its striking visual language, in which colour and shifts in tone are used to move between dream and disillusion, reinforcing the story in a compelling way.

Audience Award 

The audience also made its voice heard, thereby declaring Oxygen by Vanessa, a collective of interdisciplinary artists, as the winner of the audience award.

Dutch Short Film Pitch

During the Dutch Short Film Pitch, several emerging filmmakers were awarded for their projects’ originality and vision. The Best Film Plan award, presented by CineSud in collaboration with Screen Talent NL, went to At the Edge of the Woods by Sophie Olga de Jong, earning a spot in the Dutch Film Talents to Cannes delegation. The jury, Wouter Jansen, Lorenzo Meloni and Dorien van de Pas, also gave a Special Mention to Chonkels by Thomas Bos. The Most Innovative Film Idea award went to Selling Fantasy by Perla Vita Beerens, while The Child is The Mother of The Child by Sonja van Hamel received the Second Best Pitch award. The Best Pitch award was presented to There is an End by Sep Friesema.