Team
Hilde Steenssens
More info
Hilde Steenssens is founder of vzw Filemon. She also curates for other film initiatives. As pedagogue and youth criminologist, she is convinced of the power of art and film as intermedium to support children and young people in their growth towards world citizens! She ensures that the organization can remain dynamic, qualitative and sustainable.
Anna Bataglia
More info
Anna studied Film Studies and Visual Culture and then Cultural Management. Now she supports the business side of Filem'On. Her goal at Filem'On is to bring as many young people as possible in contact with other ideas and cultures in order to give them more knowledge and insight about the world and themselves.
Pelin Su Ozdogan
More info
Pelin is responsible for the Professionals & Audience Development of Filem’On. She loves cinema, contemporary art, children’s media and anything that is located at the intersection of these three. Seeing the glimmer in people’s eyes while watching a film is what makes her tick. One of her biggest dreams is to write a children’s book and adapt it into a film!
Laura Van Baelen
More info
Laura works in audience development at Filem’On. With a background in Film Studies and Visual Culture and a passion for cinema in all its forms, she builds bridges between films and their audiences. Driven by a curiosity for new perspectives and stories, she aims to help people see film, and the world, in new ways.
Amélie Detrez
More info
Amélie is responsible for communication and promotion at Filem’On. With a background in graphic design and a love for animation, storytelling and illustration, she brings the Filem’On story to life in a playful way, always with an eye for detail and a soft spot for anything colorful and imaginative.
Florence Boone
More info
Florence is responsible for participation at Filem’On. With a background in directing from RITCS and active work as a filmmaker, she brings her passion for cinema into everything she does. Here at Filem'On, she develops participatory projects and creates space for young people to explore film and express their own voice.
Gert Hermans
More info
Gert has a particular love for stories. He will try to spread Filem'on's story as widely as possible. His great passions are music, (children's) film and... networking. He wants to claim a place for Filem'on in the international film landscape, in which he also works for - among others - several festivals, a sales agent, an animation film network, and the European umbrella organisation ECFA.
SANDRA VERKAART
More info
Sandra has a background in animation and illustration. She alternates her work time between the art educational organisations MUS-E Belgium, Wisper, WIELS Kets and the DKO. From the year Sandra moved from Utrecht (NL) to Brussels in 2010, she has been involved with Filem'On! She gave film workshops, supervised and coordinated children's juries and was part of the Filem'On film committee! Since 2016, she also helps out with the Young Audience Award (EFA) and is a coach for Filem'On ambassadors.
Djurre van Dijck
More info
Djurre van Dijck graduated as a director from RITCS in Brussels. In addition to his Print Traffic activities for the festival and his work as a filmmaker, he also works in the education of Brussels. According to him, bringing children into contact with art and culture is a necessity.
STEPHY MAES
More info
Stephanie Maes is a multidisciplinary filmmaker with a participatory approach. In her work the creative interaction with others is key. Throughout the years she has realized several projects in collaboration with theatre companies, newcomers, young people and local residents, among others. In addition to providing technical support for the festival's audiovisual component, Stephanie has been the proud coordinator of Filem'On's very own reporter's club for years!
Geert Neckebroeck
Ambassadors
The ambassadors are the beating heart of Filem'On. They help think about the concretisation of the festival and annual projects and promote the festival to their age group. For instance, they manage their own 'TikTok' account where they warm up their peers with fun and dynamic social media content. The ambassadors are supervised by a freelance filmmaker from vzw Filemon and meet about twice a month. The ambassadors are teenagers who know the festival and the organisation well and have already worked on several projects.
Ivana Noa
Ernesto Mortelmans
More info
Yoo!! I’m Ernesto, I’m 17 years old and I live in Brussels. After a few years of being ambassador, I started assisting the jury coordinator as well! Hope to see you at the festival ! 😜
Eva Meersman
More info
Hey! I’m Eva. In 2022, I started as an ambassador after three years in the festival’s reporters club. For me, film is a way to bring imagination to life while zooming in on reality. I’m a multilingual Brussels local and I love this fascinating city and its many cinemas.
Odile Soenen
Vic Lauwens
More info
Hi, I’m Vic, a 14-year-old from Brussels and a loyal Filem'on fan. I'm now starting my third year as an ambassador. For me, being an ambassador is a great match with my studies. I’m currently in my second year studying “Spoken Word” at the Art Secondary School in Brussels. In my free time, you can usually find me at the dance school doing Urban dance. I also enjoy acting and working as an extra in various series and commercials.
Féline De Block
More info
Hello! My name is Feline, I'm 14 years old and this year I joined the Filemon ambassadors group. I was also a jury member at the Filemon Festival 2024. I believe that films are a form of art where stories are told in a way that allows you to really empathize with the characters and their journeys.Film commission
A diverse group of people with a wide range of interests make up the 2026 Filem'On film committee. Since not everyone is pictured, meet the full team here: Silke Rombout, Selia Krasniqi, Sam Scheunders, Joke D'Heer, Gino Van Hecke, Caterina Valitutti, Rodrigo Burgos, Tess Van Dysne, Jordi Boekholt, Ionna Giakoumatou, Jordie Koko, Suzanne Noutsa, Marthe De Herdt, Laure Jans, Toon Vandenberghe, Silke Vermassen, Russell Miller, Mariia Pavliuk, Magdalena Verseckas, & Fien Donckers.
tess van deynse
More info
Specials views with emotions from a neurodivergent person.
Caterina Valitutti
Sam Scheunders
More info
After studying audiovisual arts in Brussels, I graduated in film production from RITCS in 2023, driven by a passion for author-driven cinema.
Rodrigo Burgos
More info
No one is too young or too old to enjoy a good story.
Fien Donckers
More info
I'm a filmmaker with a big heart for coming-of-age films. My master’s graduation film Passing By (Onderweg) was selected at the Filem’On Festival in 2024.
Russell Miller
More info
I'm a veteran creator and educator in children's film, video, and interactive media, and conduct a research on media and psychology at the Graduate Center, City University of New York.
Jordie Koko
More info
As a filmmaker, I’m always interested in other people's work and curious about how they approach their art to tell stories about the world.
Joke D’Heer
More info
I (they/them) am a journalist and researcher with a PhD in media science, exploring meanings in (children’s) films from a critical-cultural perspective.
Gino Van Hecke
More info
I work at Zeno Pictures and specialize in the distribution of cult films from around the world.
Toon Vandenberghe
More info
I'm a film student in Brussels, making fiction films and love to discover new creative work. Suzanne Noutsa
More info
I love movies, and being a jury member makes me feel like I am contributing something meaningful to support the industry.
Ioanna Giakoumatou
More info
Film and Audiovisual Arts Educator. I always feel grateful to exchange ideas and learn from children and adolescents. Choosing films to be screened for young audiences is a challenge and a responsibility.
Silke Rombaut
More info
I am Silke, a maker of all sorts, a lover of beautiful things, and an enthusiast for both what is and all that’s yet to come. Children and young people are the future. We better show them lots of beautiful things!
Laure Jans
More info
Master Communication Sciences and Master Gender and Diversity. Passionate about qualitative and inclusive representation on the silver screen.
Selia Krasniqi
More info
I'm Selia and this is my third year as a commission member, after two years as Filem'On youth ambassador. I'm a student in animation film.
Magdalena Verseckas
More info
I work at the European Disability Forum and am passionate about film, literature, and travel. Through my work, I aim to raise awareness among young people about disability and inclusion through films. Marthe De Herdt