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This year also sees the return of BIFFF PARTICIPATIFFF after a successful first edition in 2022. Once again the festival organizes three film workshops in which young people from Brussels with little to no film experience each create a short film in a fantastic theme in the span of a few months. In this they’re guided by three renowned international directors and aided by Belgian specialists in digital and practical special effects.
The three youth groups creating their short film under the BIFFF constellation this year are Studio Steph (GC Kriekelaar), Genius_harmony (GC Pianofabriek Citylab) and The Chicken King Bros. Under the guidance of Birgit Möller (‘Franky Five Star’), Fernando González Gómez (‘The Elderly’), and Anders Klarlund (‘The Last Client’), they started the creative process in February. The directors, along with Belgian FX specialists like Squidlab and the HELHA CG Academy, assist the participants at every step of the process, from pitching and developing the script to filming and editing.
Last December we also set up three fantastic film workshops with youngsters from Montevideo in collaboration with ACAU, Uruguay’s film institute. Under the guidance of Belgian director Véronique Jadin (‘Employee of the Month’), three shorts were made: ‘Android’, ‘The House Below’ and ‘In The Cards’. One of the youngsters, Valentina Rossi, won a prize for her exceptional work as executive producer on ‘The House Below’ and will be heading to Brussels in April to help out the BIFFF and BIF Market.
Both the Brussels and Uruguayan shorts will be screened at the BIFFF on Wednesday, April 17th at 4:30 pm in Cine 2.
Birgit Möller
From camera assistant to director is only a step, and the self-taught Birgit Möller is a proof of that. The filmmaker made her directorial debut in 2006 with VALÉRIE, starring Agatha Buzek. 18 years later, she is presenting her new feature FRANKY FIVE STAR at BIFFF. It’s clear that her passion for ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND is reflected in the way she tackles the deepest emotions, the most introspective reflections and the complexity of the human experience in her cinematic works.
Fernando González Gómez
Fernando González always knew that he wanted to tell stories. Although he went to university for Aeronautical Engineering, his short films soon became the vehicle for taking us out of this world. In 2004 he co-founded Fanda Films in Spain, through which he has produced over thirty short films, known for his eccentric characters, energetic dialogue and curious settings. His short films “Downunder” (2017) and “27 Minutes” (2019) have won multiple awards in Spain and have been shown all over the world. In his first ever feature film “Estandar” (2020) he let the world know he was onto something by winning the Comedy Vanguard Award at the Austin Film Festival. His next films “La Pasajera” (2021) and “Viejos” (2022) have proven that horror, thriller and subtle comedy are his specialty. FILMO: Estándar (2020), Downunder (2017), The Elderly (2022)
Anders Klarlund
Danish director Anders Klarlund has been a welcomed member of the BIFFF on previous occasions. He is a firm believer that the purpose of fiction movies is to make you forget your own life for a while. This belief has been transmitted into his filmwork as a director and scriptwriter. His works such as POSSESSED (1999) which has won many awards, like the Silver Mélies prize at the BIFFF (2000) and STRING (2004), the first ever full feature puppet movie. His latest film THE LAST CLIENT (2022) is a psychological thriller like no other and participated at the BIFFF in 2022. He has also created some works under the name A. J. Kazinski, because who doesn’t have fun having a secret identity? FILMO: Strings (2004), Possessed (1999), Den Attende (1996)