What kind of festival can visitors expect this year? 

J: Visitors can expect to be surprised. People don’t often watch short films in the cinema, and when they do, they realise how cinematic and captivating they can be. This year you’ll encounter filmmakers you might already know from their feature films, but also completely new voices. Even filmmakers from your own backyard here in Nijmegen. And once you start watching, you’ll want to see more.

What’s exciting is that, within the short runtime, there are no limits. You might participate in a live performance inside Red Dead Redemption 2, try a VR experience, channel-surf on an analogue TV simulation, or even make your own short film during a workshop where you animate directly on 35mm film and later see it projected on the big screen.

M: It’s a very wide variety. We screen over 300 films every year, and we see ourselves as the leading short film festival in the Netherlands. Therefore we really try to show the full spectrum: from experimental to very audience-friendly, across genres, live performances, videogames. Anything audiovisual that we find interesting.

And because the financial stakes are lower, short film is a space where filmmakers can experiment and find their voice. That’s why you often see trends here first, before they move into feature films. 

Are there themes that stand out this year? 

J: Definitely. A lot of films reflect urgent global themes, especially in our Reflections program line. For example, we have programs like Digital Warfare and Livestreaming War, which look at new technologies in automated warfare and how war can be witnessed today through our phones and social media. Films like Viet Flakes (in: Livestreaming War) show how war has been entering our domestic spaces through screens for decades, which feels even more relevant now.

We’re also really interested in imagining alternatives. So not just looking at problems, but at possible solutions. For example through the revolutionary potential of music. In the program Sounds From the Underground (curated by Aileen Ye) filmmakers explore the sound of freedom. The films show how sound can defy authority, preserve culture, and imagine worlds otherwise impossible.

M: Another big theme is streaming culture. So much of our lives revolves around streaming -music, films, reels, tiktoks - and we look at that critically. What does it do to us, and to our environment? In programs like Feelings and Streamings and We're Streaming Ourselves to Death in our Refresh program line, we explore how these new ways of consuming and creating content are impacting our environment and changing cinema itself.  

We also have a Film & Talk with our special guests Nienke ‘s Gravemade, Aafke Romeijn and Joep Bos-Coenraad called Social Media Democracy, which looks at how social media influences politics and whether democracy still works in this online age. And if not, how we can fix it. 

Are there developments in short film you clearly see this year? 

M: Video games and film have long been in conversation with each other, and many of the works in our program sit right at that intersection. There are clear similarities between short film and the indie video game scene: budgets are relatively low, teams are smaller, and that creates space for experimentation. You often get projects with a very personal, sometimes eccentric vision.

What makes video games especially interesting is how they tell stories differently. As a player, you’re part of the narrative. You make choices and you move through the world from a first-person perspective. That creates a kind of immersion that’s very powerful, especially for personal or socially engaged stories.

We see that reflected in the work of artists like Kara Güt, one of our Filmmakers in Focus. She moves between games and film, exploring themes like intimacy and human connection within digital, often violent environments. In Digital Intimacy, she looks at how closeness can exist in online spaces, and in My Desert Heart, audiences take part in a live performance inside Red Dead Redemption 2.

J: Another big development is the use of genre. Filmmakers are using horror, sci-fi and fantasy to explore political topics. For example, in our Horror Shorts you’ll find a Palestinian revenge film (Coyotes). We’ve also expanded our Late-night programs with Sci-fi and Dark Fantasies, where films explore themes like food insecurity or systemic racism through genre storytelling.  

What can visitors experience outside the cinema? 

 J: We have Inside Outside Around, an expanded cinema performance in the chapel at the Mariënburgplein, with live analogue projections and immersive sound. It’s free and open to everyone. There’s also a Video Game & VR Expo, where you can try indie games and VR works.

M: And there are workshops, like animating directly on 35mm film, or creating your own NPC’s (Non Playable Characters) for a game world. There’s also a kind of living room installation where you can just sit down and browse through a modern interpretation of daytime television. Perfect if you need a moment to relax. 

For first-time visitors: where should they start? 

M: I’d recommend VPRO Cinema Live, with our other Filmmaker in Focus Gala Hernández López, where you watch a short film and get a deep dive into a filmmaker’s mind. It’s a great way to understand how these films are made.

J: The competitions are always a great starting point. They give you a strong overview of what’s happening in short film right now, with a mix of accessible and more surprising films. 

What are you personally looking forward to? 

 J: The Short Film Classics program. It’s our own response to the idea of a short film “canon” with some of the most significant short films of all time are. Some of these films are rarely shown in cinemas, so it’s a special chance to see them on the big screen.

M: I’m really looking forward to Streaming Ourselves to Death. This program explores the history, present, and future of streaming: from early video transmissions via telephone (1980) to contemporary ‘sleep streamers’ who broadcast their lives even when asleep. This negatively impacts our climate since streaming takes a lot of energy. Some of the films also explore possible solutions for this, like storing data on DNA and small file films.  

See you in Nijmegen! 

From April 7 to 12 you’ll discover the best that short film has to offer in Nijmegen. From a VR & Game expo to current documentaries, and from comedy to a film concert; the festival showcases the full spectrum of short film. Check out the full festival program, get your tickets and enjoy a week filled with shorts.