Wat zijn de openingstijden?

Maandag 10:00 - 18:00 Dinsdag 10:00 - 18:00 Woensdag 10:00 - 18:00 Donderdag 10:00 - 18:00 Vrijdag 10:00 - 18:00 Zaterdag 10:00 - 18:00 Zondag 10:00 - 18:00

http://www.velvetroom.org/, http://www.velvetroom.be/

Velvet Room, Gent (2026)

23/03/2026

Ghent International Short Film Festival 2026 Concludes with Awards Announcement
Ghent, Belgium — The 2026 edition of the Ghent International Short Film Festival concluded on March 22 at the Velvet Room after a week-long celebration of independent and daring short cinema. From March 16 to 22, the festival presented a curated selection of 46 short films spanning narrative, documentary, animation, experimental and underground cinema. The festival welcomed a number of special guests, including Maximilian Nita, Hiroyuki Nishiyama, Klara Schmickler, Catarina Couto Gonçalves, Nina Pinzarrone, Luka Galle, Helena Taghon and Romane Eilahtan, whose presence contributed to a week of engaged screenings and enriching post-screening discussions with audiences.

Reflecting on this year’s edition, curator Kris De Meester described the festival as “a privilege to meet so many talented filmmakers and to experience the enriching conversations that followed the screenings.” Continuing its mission to support independent filmmakers, the festival awarded all selected filmmakers The Tarkovski Grant, valued at €500, to support their journey on the international film festival circuit.

Award Winners — Ghent International Short Film Festival 2026

Best Film
Mom Dances (Switzerland) by Mégane Brügger — 23:00
A powerful and intimate reflection on what remains of a mother after years of domestic violence — her body, dignity, strength, and the gestures and memories that can still be passed down.

Best Narrative Film
An Excess Baggage (France) by Myriam Garcia Marienstras — 16:20
A subtle portrait of a mother struggling with emotional dependency when her daughter leaves for summer camp, revealing how love can sometimes become too heavy to carry.

Best Documentary Film
Greetings from Seaside Heights (Germany) by Klara Schmickler — 14:30
A portrait of a seaside town caught between consumerism and quiet decay, where residents reflect on identity, purpose, and the cost of calling a place home.

Best Animated Film
Une Fugue (To the Woods) (France) by Agnès Patron
A poetic and fragile story of memory and loss, following a sister who recalls her brother with vivid tenderness.

Best Experimental Film
Kiesler’s Body (Austria) by Ganaël Dumreicher
An experimental exploration of architect Frederick Kiesler’s visionary cinematic space, where architecture and film merge into a boundless visual experience.

Best Underground Film
Tenez (Germany) by Maximilian Nita
A psychological portrait of a young tennis player confronting the trauma of past abuse on the eve of an important championship.

Best New Filmmaker
This Between Us (Belgium) by Helena Taghon
A fragile and intense portrait of the complex bond between a daughter and her mother over the course of a single night.

Best Connecting Cultures Film
NŪR (Congo) by Ryan Youngblood
A powerful reconstruction of life inside an Islamic State camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo, following a young man torn between survival, faith and the hope of returning home.

Best Belgian Narrative Film
The Catcher (Belgium) by Luka Galle
A surreal and melancholic story about a lonely government worker tasked with catching invisible birds, until he decides to bring one home.

Best Belgian Documentary Film
Dans un Souffle (Belgium, Hungary, Portugal) by Catarina Couto Gonçalves
A poetic black-and-white portrait of figure skater Nina Pinzarrone and her fragile yet relentless pursuit of perfection.

Best Dance Film
Kielo (Finland) by Janina Rajakangas & Sinem Kayacan
A dance film exploring imagination, neurodivergence, and the emotional world of young people through movement.

Best Music Video
Millenium (Belgium) by Melisa Gammarota

Best Super Short Film
20:15 Mexico DF (Argentina) by Alejandro Di Meglio
A tender encounter between two women in Mexico City becomes a reflection on memory, love and the passage of time.

Audience Choice Award
Ice Breath (Romania) by Leonard Alecu
A hypnotic black-and-white cinematic poem filmed among the melting icebergs of Greenland, reflecting on climate change, time and extinction.

The Ghent International Short Film Festival continues to position itself as a platform for bold cinema and meaningful exchange, where emerging and established filmmakers meet an engaged audience in an intimate setting dedicated to cinema as an art form.

Call for Entries — 2027 Edition
Submissions are now open for the 2027 edition of the Ghent International Short Film Festival. Filmmakers can submit their films via FilmFreeway: https://filmfreeway.com/GhentShortFilmFestival

02/03/2026

Ghent International Short Film Festival 2026: gratis inkom + drankje!
Van 16 tot 22 maart presenteert Velvet Room een internationale selectie kortfilms: van drama’s en docu’s tot experimentele films. Van prijswinnende films tot wereldpremières. Tickets zijn GRATIS, incl. een gratis drankje achteraf, want deze films kunnen niet zonder nabespreking!
Ontdek het volledig programma en reserveer snel je tickets: www.ghentshortfilmfestival.com
Naast deze cinemavoorstellingen presenteert het festival ook een kleine online selectie, beschikbaar voor streaming van 16 maart tot 15 april. Meer info op de website!

06/02/2026

CASTING CALL — THE AUDITION EXPERIMENT
A documentary project

Project type: Documentary / experimental film project
Working title: The Audition Experiment
Language: English (fluency not required)
Profiles: M / F / X — 18 to 60 years old

THE PROJECT
The Audition Experiment is a documentary project by casting director Kris De Meester, exploring the inner mechanics of the audition world from the inside out.

With more than 25 years of experience in casting for feature films, drama series, and thousands of commercials, Kris has worked with filmmakers such as Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, Terrence Davies, and Koen Mortier.

This project grows out of a long-term, firsthand relationship with the audition process — its rituals, power dynamics, and unspoken rules.

Set in a stark black box studio, actors are invited to audition for roles in a feature film in development. But the film is only part of the setup. What is really being documented is the audition itself — behavior under pressure, adaptation, compliance, resistance, and exposure.

This is not a prank.
Not a competition.
Not reality television.
It is a filmed process.
An observation.
An experiment.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We are looking for actors and performers (M / F / X, 18–60) who:
Are comfortable being on camera
Can work in English (accent welcome; fluency not required)
May or may not have professional acting experience
Have a strong desire to play meaningful roles
Are willing to be seen, tested, and observed
What matters most is hunger — not only for a role, but to take part in something that reflects the industry you are working in.

WHAT PARTICIPATION MEANS
By taking part, you are not only auditioning for a role in a film.
You are becoming a participant and subject in a documentary about the audition process itself.
You will be filmed during:
Scene work and repetition
Direction and adjustment
Conversation, waiting, uncertainty
Moments where acting may slip into something else

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Shooting location: Ghent (Belgium)
Shooting dates: Saturday 7 or Sunday 8 of March
Time commitment: Approximately 1 hour
Compensation: A small fee will be paid

WHY THIS PROJECT
Actors spend their lives being watched, judged, and selected — rarely documented on their own terms.
The Audition Experiment turns the camera toward that process.
This project is for those who want more than a line in a film —
for those who want to take part in a work that examines the system they are trying to survive.

HOW TO APPLY
Please send the following:
Your name and age + contact information
A short introduction (text or video)
At least one recent photo or video of yourself
Any acting experience (optional)
Your availability (which date(s) and time slot(s) are possible for you on March 7 or 8
One sentence answering the question:
“Why do you want to be part of this project?”
Send all applications to:
📩 [email protected]

14/12/2025

DOC.BERLIN Documentary Film Festival 2025: Award Winners Unveiled!

Over the past few days, the Doc.Berlin once again hosted its annual event at the historic Babylon cinema in Berlin. The festival was happy to welcome a number of artists: Nazanin Hafez, Zora Arose Ritz, Evgenia Chetvertkova, Kayu Yeung, Matias Dumas, Westley Hennigh-Palermo, Piotr Goldstein and many more.

Cherrypicked out of more than 2000 submissions, this year’s official selection included 23 wonderful films hailing from France, Iran, Lebanon, Mexico, United States, Poland, Belgium, Qatar, Canada, Estonia, and Germany.

We are pleased to share with you the 2025 Doc.Berlin award winners, chosen by the jury panel.

Best Feature Documentary Film
Inferior Shadows (Iran) by Ramin Khalighi

Best Short Documentary Film
To the embers (France) by Morgane Ambre

Best German Documentary Film
Spiegelberg - A german village (Germany) by Adrian Sagolla

Best Experimental Documentary Film
Blessed Are Those Who Grieve (Germany) by Zora Arose Ritz, Evgenia Chetvertkova, Kayu Yeung

Best Underground Documentary Film
Tokyo Toy Boy (Belgium) by Esli Balatova

Best Cinéma Vérité Film
Yalla, Baba! (Belgium, Lebanon, Netherlands, Qatar) by Angie Obeid

Best LGBTQ+ Documentary Film
Portraits In Drag – The Faces of Pinay Colada (Germany) by Stephan Schaar

Best Poetic Documentary Film
Voice Notes on Death (Germany) by Romy Persaud Drennan, Harry Crampton

Best Historical Documentary
Ottilie Moore – Heiress in the Resistance (United States) by Dana Plays

Best Super Short Documentary Film
Nathalie, Nathalie (Germany) by Matias Dumas

Congratulations to all!

About Doc.Berlin:
Doc.Berlin is part of Doc.World, a new global network of documentary film festivals, with festivals in London, Berlin, Ghent and Boston. As a celebration of the cinematic and visual arts, these documentary festivals will bring diverse international films to our community and showcase the best regional and international filmmakers.
https://www.docberlin.org

06/11/2025

Gratis naar de film tijdens het Brugge Film Festival op 15 & 16 november 2025
De vijfde editie van het Brugge Film Festival (officieel Bruges International Film Festival) vertoont een internationale selectie innovatieve onafhankelijke cinema van opkomend talent. Het filmfestival zal doorgaan op 15 en 16 november in Bieforf Theater Brugge, met vier filmvertoningen + online streaming van in totaal 28 kort- en langspeelfilms (Engels gesproken en/of Engels ondertiteld). Dankzij onze sponsors is toegang tot het festival gratis. Het volledige programma en meer informatie over het festival kan je terugvinden op: https://www.brugesfilmfestival.com

WANNEER?
Zaterdag 15 november 2025 om 18:00
Zaterdag 15 november 2025 om 20:15
Zondag 16 november 2025 van 18:00
Zondag 16 november 2025 van 20:15

WAAR?
Biekorf Theater
Sint-Jakobsstraat 8
8000 Brugge

GRATIS TICKETS
Toegang tot het festival is gratis! Reserveren kan via de website (https://www.brugesfilmfestival.com), maar is niet verplicht, ‘op is op’ natuurlijk.

OVER BRUGGE FILM FESTIVAL
Brugge Film Festival biedt een platform aan films met een unieke stem en boodschap, ongeacht van hun budget. Het doel: inspireren, motiveren en nieuw talent belonen. Het festival streeft ernaar kwaliteitsfilms van lokale en internationale makers buiten het mainstream circuit te introduceren, waarbij het accent ligt op de kunst van het filmmaken, eerder dan op de ‘box office’. Door het erkennen van de belangrijke rol van onafhankelijke films in de geschiedenis van filmmaken, van verhalen vertellen, van cultuur, wil het Brugge Film Festival een springplank zijn voor de volgende generatie kunstenaars.

06/11/2025

Gratis naar de film tijdens het Brugge Film Festival op 15 & 16 november 2025
De vijfde editie van het Brugge Film Festival (officieel Bruges International Film Festival) vertoont een internationale selectie innovatieve onafhankelijke cinema van opkomend talent. Het filmfestival zal doorgaan op 15 en 16 november in Bieforf Theater Brugge, met vier filmvertoningen + online streaming van in totaal 28 kort- en langspeelfilms (Engels gesproken en/of Engels ondertiteld). Dankzij onze sponsors is toegang tot het festival gratis. Het volledige programma en meer informatie over het festival kan je terugvinden op: https://www.brugesfilmfestival.com

WANNEER?
Zaterdag 15 november 2025 om 18:00
Zaterdag 15 november 2025 om 20:00
Zondag 16 november 2025 van 18:00
Zondag 16 november 2025 van 20:00

WAAR?
Biekorf Theater
Sint-Jakobsstraat 8
8000 Brugge

GRATIS TICKETS
Toegang tot het festival is gratis! Reserveren kan via de website (https://www.brugesfilmfestival.com), maar is niet verplicht, ‘op is op’ natuurlijk.

OVER BRUGGE FILM FESTIVAL
Brugge Film Festival biedt een platform aan films met een unieke stem en boodschap, ongeacht van hun budget. Het doel: inspireren, motiveren en nieuw talent belonen. Het festival streeft ernaar kwaliteitsfilms van lokale en internationale makers buiten het mainstream circuit te introduceren, waarbij het accent ligt op de kunst van het filmmaken, eerder dan op de ‘box office’. Door het erkennen van de belangrijke rol van onafhankelijke films in de geschiedenis van filmmaken, van verhalen vertellen, van cultuur, wil het Brugge Film Festival een springplank zijn voor de volgende generatie kunstenaars.

06/10/2025

Ghent International Film Week 2025 Awards Its Standout Films

The Ghent International Film Week is a one-of-a-kind film event bringing bold and original cinema to the heart of Ghent. Taking place during Ghent Art Week, it offers a full week of challenging, innovative films from around the world—ranging from underground gems and experimental shorts to striking documentaries and daring feature films.

Formerly known as Obskuur, the festival has always focused on films that push boundaries. We believe cinema should not just entertain, but also provoke, inspire, and spark conversation.

With an eclectic official selection comprising over 30 films from across the globe, this year’s festival was a resounding success. Audiences embraced the diverse programming, from the absurd recycling project Dead, Red & Blue, through the terrifying underworld of Giant’s Kettle, to the deadpan hit The Accident.

Festival curator Kris De Meester reflected on this year’s edition:
“We were deeply moved by how strongly these films resonated with our audience. From absurdist humor to chilling explorations of the unknown, every screening sparked conversations long after the credits rolled. That’s exactly what we strive for—a festival where audiences aren’t just watching, but feeling, questioning, and engaging with the work.”

The Ghent International Film Week is proud to announce the winners of its 2025 awards, as determined by the jury:

Best Narrative Feature Film:
The Accident (Italy) by Giuseppe Garau

Best Documentary Feature Film:
Yalla, Baba! (Belgium, Lebanon, Netherlands, Qatar) by Angie Obeid

Best Experimental Film:
Giant's Kettle (Finland) by Markku Hakala, Mari Käki

Best Narrative Short Film
Scenario (Japan) by Kazunori Miura

Best Documentary Short Film
In My Body (Netherlands) by Annelien Nijland

Best Underground Film:
Dead, White and Blue (United States) by Mike Davis

Best Minimalist Film:
You Can't Find Love (United States) by Tom Bessoir

Best Installation Film:
Becoming (United Kingdom) by Shelley Hopkins

Best Animated Film:
Staircase Stomp by The Clamor (United States) by Aaron Louis

Best Music Video:
Tic Tac (Belgium) by David Perreard

Best Dance Film:
Jellymama (Finland) by Hertta Kiiski & Karolina Ginman

Best Connecting Cultures Film:
Knife, Chocolate (Iran) by Hooshmand Varaei

Best Super Short Film
Flesh Wish (United Kingdom) by Timothy Benjamin Slessor

Best Belgian Film:
Pluto in Aquarius (Belgium) by Hippolyte Laveix

https://www.ghentfilmweek.com

23/09/2025

Gratis film en een drankje, de Ghent International Film Week (aka Obskuur) is terug!
Van 29 september tot 5 oktober 2025 kan je telkens om 20:00 terecht bij de underground cinema Velvet Room (Alpacastraat 29, Gent) voor uitdagende cinema. Er is ook een online streaming selectie beschikbaar van 23 september tot 13 oktober.
Obskuur is gericht op het ontdekken van nieuw filmtalent. Dit jaar brengt het festival een hele week lang innovatieve, experimentele, provocatieve en onafhankelijke films van zowel lokaal als internationaal talent. Ghent International Film Week geeft underground werken van opkomende filmmakers een publiek platform. Op het programma prijken dit keer wel meer dan 30 kort- en langspeelfilms uit alle hoeken van de wereld. Ontdek de volledige selectie: https://www.ghentfilmweek.com
Dankzij onze sponsors is toegang tot het festival gratis en wordt er een drankje voorzien. Reserveren kan: https://www.ghentfilmweek.com
In samenwerking met Ghent Art Week, https://www.ghentartweek.com

23/09/2025

Tweede editie van Ghent Art Week – 29 september tot 5 oktober 2025
Van maandag 29 september tot en met zondag 5 oktober 2025 vindt de tweede editie van Ghent Art Week plaats. Gedurende zeven dagen verandert Gent opnieuw in een bruisend kunstcentrum, waar het publiek gratis kan genieten van een rijk aanbod aan beeldende kunst, film en ontmoetingen met kunstenaars.
Meer dan 30 kunstenaars, verspreid over 10+ locaties, nemen deel aan deze inspirerende week. Op het programma staan ook meer dan 30 filmvertoningen tijdens de avonden, met hedendaagse cinema van over de hele wereld.

Een greep uit de deelnemende kunstenaars:
Joke Raes (Zebrastraat), Hanna Ilczyszy (Blanco), Lot Doms (Gris Gallery), Elen Bezhen (MLVA Art Gallery), John Hoste (Bold), Peter Bracke (Soul Kitchen), Stephan Chavatte (Bold) en Ruth Verstraeten (Soul Kitchen).

Elke dag zijn er tentoonstellingen te bezoeken die een brede waaier aan disciplines bestrijken – van fotografie en schilderkunst tot beeldhouwkunst en mixed media. De deelnemende locaties vormen samen een artistiek parcours door de stad, met ruimte voor reflectie, ontmoeting en ontdekking.
’s Avonds verhuist het programma naar Velvet Room, waar de Ghent International Film Week plaatsvindt. Elke avond worden zorgvuldig gecureerde films vertoond – drama’s, documentaires en experimentele films – die de hedendaagse filmcultuur in al haar diversiteit weerspiegelen.

Tussen de vele lokale premières is er ook een wereldpremière te beleven:
Jellymama (Finland) van Hertta Kiiski & Karolina Ginman.
Een lichaam komt tevoorschijn uit een geleiachtige substantie en betreedt een verwrongen universum waarin binnen buiten wordt en buiten binnen, in een oneindige lus. Vergankelijke wezens verschijnen en verdwijnen, duiken in elkaar, verslinden en voeden elkaar.
Jellymama trekt de toeschouwer dichterbij, voorbij het comfortabele. Op de huid, het vlees, worden geheime poorten van zowel lichaam als psyche verkend. Met opdringerige intimiteit en ontembare speelsheid wil het verleiden, uitdagen, prikkelen en afstoten, en zo een directe fysieke reactie oproepen. Tederheid, ontzag, liefde en afschuw wisselen elkaar af in Jellymama’s natte omhelzing.
Duurtijd: 13 minuten
De film is elke dag van 14u tot 18u te bezichtigen in Velvet Room als installatie, en wordt vrijdag 3 oktober om 20u vertoond als onderdeel van het filmprogramma Contemporary Shorts 1, eveneens in Velvet Room.
Het beeld van Jellymama werd gekozen als hoofdbeeld van de Ghent Art Week.

Na de avondvertoningen wordt de dag telkens feestelijk afgesloten met een gratis drankje in Velvet Room, waar bezoekers en kunstenaars in een informele setting kunnen napraten.

Op de website www.ghentartweek.com vind je het volledige programma, met de mogelijkheid om per dag of per kunstenaar te zoeken. Er is ook een handig stratenplan beschikbaar waarop alle deelnemende locaties duidelijk zijn aangeduid.

Ghent Art Week is een initiatief van Kris De Meester en wordt georganiseerd door Velvet Room. De organisatie kiest resoluut voor een inclusief model: zowel kunstenaars, galeries als bezoekers nemen gratis deel aan dit unieke kunstfeest. Er is nog steeds ruimte voor bijkomende deelnemers – geïnteresseerde kunstenaars of locaties kunnen zich aanmelden via de website.

20/07/2025

The Ardennes International Film Festival – First Edition Wrap-Up

The first edition of the Ardennes International Film Festival has come to a close — and what a beginning it was.

Held in the heart of Namur, in the atmospheric halls of Cinéma Le Caméo, our inaugural screening drew a full house, exceeding expectations. With a lineup of films subtitled or spoken in English, we faced a challenge: how would these stories resonate with a largely French-speaking audience?

The answer was clear in the quiet attention, the spontaneous laughter, the audible gasps — and in the lingering stillness between the credits and the applause. Language, it turns out, is no barrier when cinema speaks from a deeper place.

After the final frame, we traveled deeper into the Ardennes spirit — to a remote bio farm in Wépion, where filmmakers, cinephiles, and curious souls gathered around a bonfire. There, with a glass in hand and smoke rising into the night sky, stories continued to unfold — slowly, freely, and together.

We are honored to announce the award winners of this year’s festival — a diverse group of bold, inventive voices from around the world:

2025 Award Winners – The Ardennes International Film Festival

Best Narrative Film
The Cascade (Mexico) – Pablo Delgado Sanchez
A surreal, poetic vision of grief turned inside out — where tears become waterfalls.

Best Documentary Film
The Other Side of Despair (Switzerland) – Varsy Buchmann
A haunting reflection on exile, art, and identity in the shadow of forced displacement.

Best Experimental Film
A Little Longer (Canada) – Connor Kujawinski
A futuristic meditation on memory, access, and the price of remembering.

Best Underground Film
Spell (Brazil) – Khalil Charif
A sensorial dance-floor incantation that blurs documentary and dream.

Best Animated Film
The Core (Romania) – Robert Obert
A visual metaphor of consciousness and love as a shared act of becoming.

Best Super Short Film
Third Wheel (Switzerland) – Kevin Haefelin
A ghost story turned samurai comedy in under five minutes — pure cinematic mischief.

Best Connecting Cultures Film
Shifting Roots (Lebanon) – Angie Mrad
An intimate portrait of displacement, memory, and olive trees under fire.

Best Belgian Film
Unscarred (Belgium) – Théo Roland
A raw and moving collaboration between a son and his bipolar mother — healing through cinema.

Words from the Festival Team

Kris De Meester, Festival Curator:
“Serving primarily English-subtitled or spoken films to a French-speaking audience seemed like an impossible mission. But the reactions of a full house reminded us that cinema transcends language. It was profoundly moving to witness such pure laughter and silence — shared emotion beyond words.”

Sofie Luyten, Festival Manager:
“Gathering around a fire always has something mystical to me, and I really enjoyed closing our first edition this way. Gazing into the flames, where also silence is allowed, conversations go deeper; and I was touched to hear the profound and vulnerable stories that the movies had stirred. Grateful for this beautiful beginning and my heart goes to everyone who supported it.”

To those who joined us: thank you.
To those who will discover us: the fire is still burning.
The forest awaits.

https://www.ardennesfilmfestival.com

07/07/2025

The Ardennes International Film Festival – Entrée libre · Free entry
16 July 2025, 20:00
Cinéma le Caméo, Rue des Carmes 49, Namur

Dark woods. Deep stories.
11 bold short films from across the globe — une sélection sauvage et intime.
Ghosts in Edo Japan, war-torn olive groves, crying waterfalls, haunted dance floors, birthday breakdowns, animated desire, and silent heartbreak.
Films are screened in their original language with English subtitles.
Les films sont projetés en version originale sous-titrée en anglais.

Après la projection, rejoignez-nous autour du feu à la ferme bio de Wépion (Vevi Wéron 15) pour un verre et des discussions informelles.
After the screening, join us by the campfire for drinks and film talk beneath the trees.

Réservez vos places gratuites / Book your free tickets: https://www.ardennesfilmfestival.com
Fire walk with us.

Velvet Room

23/03/2026

02/03/2026

06/02/2026

14/12/2025

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Maandag	10:00 - 18:00
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Zaterdag	10:00 - 18:00
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