SOON!-competition 2025

In the SOON! competition, a professional youth jury – the Young Talents – chaired by a Belgian film professional, awards new filmmakers who have made a significant impact with their first or second film at prestigious international festivals, or gems that we have discovered ourselves.

Our Young Talents are five young creators (directors, but also actors) who have recently presented notable work or who are about to release a brand-new project into the world.

Winnaar

'Loveable' by Lilja Ingolfsdottir wins the Best Film Award in the SOON! competition! The film, an intimate portrait of a woman and her relationships, was praised for its sharp observations and the strong performance by Helga Guren. The film is expected to hit theaters later this year, and the distributor receives a cash prize of €5,000.

Read the article

Director-screenwriter Lilja Ingolfsdottir proves to be a master of micro-storytelling. She zooms in so closely on the inner lives of her characters that it can sometimes feel slightly uncomfortable for the viewer. With her razor-sharp observations, no detail goes unnoticed. Despite—or perhaps because of—this highly specific narrative style, it is remarkably easy for the audience to feel connected to the story.

Jury

Emilie De Roo

Emilie De Roo shines at the festival this year both on and off screen. She stars in 'Dood Spoor', the latest series by Malin-Sarah Gozin and Hans Vercauter, and chairs the SOON! jury. She broke through at the age of forty and has since proven herself as a versatile actress in productions like 'Beau Séjour and 'Nonkels'. In 2025, we look forward to her debut as a director with the dark comedy 'Vero Forever'.

Joes Brauers

The Dutch actor Joes Brauers made an impact at a young age with roles in award-winning films such as 'Patser', 'Hardcore Never Dies', 'Do Not Hesitate, 'De Oost', and 'Quo Vadis, Aida?'. His performances have garnered international acclaim, with selections at prestigious film festivals like Tribeca.

Wendy Huyghe

Screenwriter and author Wendy Huyghe portrayed people from all over the world for more than 15 years in reports and mini-documentaries for newspapers and humanitarian organizations. Her debut feature film 'Zeevonk', directed by her brother Domien Huyghe, had the honor of opening the Generation section of the Berlinale Film Festival (2023) and received a special mention. She is currently working on the script for her second feature, 'Amari'.

Ferre Van den Broeck

Ferre Van den Broeck is a Belgian actor known for his roles in series such as ‘FOMO’ (2022), ‘Billie vs Benjamin’ (2024) and ‘2DEZIT’ (2022-2024). In addition to his work on screen, Ferre also has experience in theatre. This year, he also released the podcast 'Night Flights' on VRT Max.

Leni Huyghe

Leni Huyghe is an independent filmmaker and a Berlinale Talents alumna. Her five award-winning short films, including 'Seascape', have been showcased at festivals such as Cinéfondation, Visions du Réel, and FFO. She directed the second season of 'Hacked’, a web series for young audiences, and made a documentary about the COVID crisis in nursing homes for Canvas. She is currently collaborating with producer Mirage on her debut feature film, 'Real Faces'.