The Ardennes International Film Festival Concludes Its Second Edition in Namur

The second edition of the Ardennes International Film Festival concluded after three days of screenings, conversations, and cinematic discovery in and around Namur, Belgium.

Taking place over three days, the festival presented its program across two venues. The first two days were hosted at Cinéma Caméo in Namur, while the final day unfolded at the rural setting of Vivi Viron in Wépion, where audiences gathered for three additional screening sessions in a more intimate environment.

True to its vision, the festival focused on creating meaningful encounters between films and audiences. Rather than pursuing scale, the Ardennes International Film Festival continues to cultivate a space where cinema can be experienced attentively, where discussions emerge naturally, and where filmmakers and viewers can engage with one another beyond the traditional festival format.

This year's program brought together independent works from Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East, showcasing a diverse range of perspectives, forms, and cinematic languages. From deeply personal documentaries and visionary experimental works to bold narrative features and innovative animation, the selection reflected the festival's commitment to artistic freedom and cultural exchange.

2026 Award Winners

Best Documentary Feature Film

Vis ta Vie Bordel! (France) by Bastien Thierry and Marc Laure

A poetic and deeply personal road movie following a seven-month journey from Brittany to the Moroccan desert. Through encounters with activists, shamans, and alternative communities, the film explores humanity's relationship with nature, inner transformation, and the search for meaning in a rapidly changing world.

Best Documentary Short Film

Faustyna (Poland) by Natalia Dutkiewicz

An intimate portrait distinguished by its emotional sensitivity and observational approach, revealing the complexity of an individual life through quiet and powerful moments.

Best Narrative Feature Film

Le Train (Canada) by Marie Brassard

Set in Quebec between the 1960s and 1970s, this imaginative coming-of-age story follows a gifted young girl whose fascination with a passing train leads her toward dreams, science fiction, and a mysterious journey into the unknown.

Best Narrative Short Film

Reliefs (Mexico) by Juan Manuel Gonzalez Fernandez

A touching and understated story about family, aging, and reconciliation, centered on the relationship between a middle-aged man struggling with his own life and a mother coping with chronic pain.

Best Experimental Film

Becoming (United Kingdom) by Shelley Hopkins

A hypnotic audiovisual experience that contemplates creation, destruction, and transformation on both microscopic and cosmic scales, inviting viewers into a realm where beauty and impermanence coexist.

Best Underground Film

Performance No.19190301 (South Korea) by Mingu Kang

An inventive blend of road movie, performance art, and historical reflection in which a grandmother and her grandson embark on an unexpected journey through the collective memory of Korea.

Best Animated Film

Une Fugue (France) by Agnès Patron

A poignant animated meditation on memory and loss, told through a sister's recollections of her brother and the enduring traces he leaves behind.

Best Super Short Film

Super V (France) by Franck Janin

A playful and highly efficient miniature comedy proving that imagination and humor need only a few minutes to leave a lasting impression.

Best Belgian Film

L'été avant l'internat (Belgium) by Vincent Terlinchamp

A moving portrait of a mother and her daughter with Down syndrome as they navigate the emotional transition toward greater independence and a new chapter in their lives.

Cinema Beyond Borders

One of the defining characteristics of this year's edition was the diversity of cinematic voices represented on screen. Films from vastly different cultural backgrounds were presented to audiences willing to travel beyond familiar perspectives and discover new ways of seeing the world.

The conversations that followed many of the screenings demonstrated that while languages, histories, and experiences may differ, cinema remains a uniquely powerful medium for creating understanding and connection.

As the final screening came to a close, the festival once again affirmed its belief that some of the most meaningful cinematic experiences occur not in the largest venues, but in spaces where audiences can watch, reflect, and engage together.

The Ardennes International Film Festival

Where Silence Speaks in Flames. https://www.ardennesfilmfestival.com