Photo: Lotje Kerckhaert (source: nieuwsuitnijmegen)

With the Dutch short film industry still basking in the glow of Victoria Warmerdam’s recent Oscar winner for her brilliant I'm Not a Robot, the 17th Go Short Film Festival, running April 1-6 and located in eastern Dutch town of Nijmegen, will this year present a dynamic programme of 300 new films. Ninety-four of these will play across the festival’s four Competition sections: European, Dutch, New Arrivals and Music Video. From socially engaged documentaries to innovative animations and ground-breaking experiments: everything under 30 minutes has a place at Go Short, the festival underlines.

“This year was a record in that we had approximately 3,500 films sent to us,” incoming Festival Director Lotje Kerckhaert tells SEE NL. “It's amazing that you have so many filmmakers that know and trust your festival. We have a very good and experienced programme team and selection committee, so the quality of our short films is truly excellent. We really find the new pearls in Europe.”

The 20 new films selected for Dutch Competition, ranging from animation to fiction to documentary, will compete for the VEVAM prize for Best Dutch Film.

In addition to the competition programmes, the festival will delve deeper than ever into pressing contemporary issues such as the situation in Ukraine, the impact of facial recognition, and the rise of family vloggers. Go Short will also offer ample opportunity for in-depth conversations following the screenings.

Kerckhaert underlines the innovative nature of shorts and the inventiveness of the numerous talents that have graced past festivals. “We see the new makers and the new directors/screen writers at the most innovative time of their lives,” she says.

“You always see new things in short films, and then 10 or 15 years later you see them in features.”

Further highlights include cabaret superstar (and Nijmegen native) Sven Ratzke who will takes the audience on a journey to explain his fascination with film and storytelling, as connected with his own artistic practice. “Last year he won an award from the city. So it's very nice that we have him and together we make a program and talk about his career and the impact of film for him,” says Kerckhaert.

Music is in the frame as the electronic acts Betonkunst, Palmbomen II and Kaito Winse create a brand-new short film soundtrack that will be performed during Go Short. During VPRO day, audiences are invited discover a varied program of short films selected by VPRO while the ‘Behind the Scenes with Hein’ event enables audiences to explore the world behind the popular Dutch family series.

“I really love the Hein presentation because you can make children and older people really enthusiastic about how it is to be a filmmaker, or how it is to be an actor. I love that spirit,” says Kerckhaert.

From an Industry perspective, Go Short provides a dynamic platform for both emerging and established creators to present and further develop their talent and output. Throughout the year it supports talent with screenings, networking events and knowledge-sharing via its channels and professionals’ newsletter. Between April 2 and 6, the festival becomes the key Dutch and European hub for professionals working within the shorts sector - with speed dates, networking opportunities, workshops and panel discussions.

A particular highlight is the Dutch Short Film Pitch of ten homegrown short film projects, organized in co-operation with Screen Talent NL and made possible by the CFAP. Another core element is the Producers Campus during which six Dutch and six international producers look to explore opportunities for co-operation while gaining crucial knowledge about the business of (co)production. “They can learn about each other, but they also connect to each other and we hope that we'll bring their co-productions to the festival in the future,” Kerckhaert signs off.

Find out more about Go Short International Short Film Festival Nijmegen here.