AQFF Opening and Skiff

Fifteen-year-old Malou is the star of the local rowing club and the target of its bullies. Growing up in a small Belgian town with a single mother who is often absent, Malou's one safe harbour is older brother Max. When Max brings home his new girlfriend, Nouria, Malou feels a connection they cannot yet name. From their first meeting, something shifts. As the two grow closer and Malou falls in love, that love turns out to be reciprocated, and the doubts Malou has carried about their gender rise to the surface. But loving Nouria means betraying Max, protector, brother, only friend. Will Malou face their true self, even at the cost of the person they hold most dear?

Cecilia Verheyden's assured feature debut sits at the crossroads of siblinghood and self-discovery, telling Malou's story with warmth, honesty and no interest in tidy answers. It is a film about the "grey zone", about identity as something evolving, personal and worth taking your time over. Shot with an organic, natural feel, it moves from mornings on the water to the neon of a laser tag arena, mirroring the emotional rollercoaster of a first queer awakening.

Feted across the international festival circuit, Skiff won the FIPRESCI Award for Best Feature at Gijon and screened at Festival do Rio, Tallinn Black Nights, BFI Flare and Mardi Gras Film Festival, among many others.

A film by Cecilia Verheyden. Drama / 106 min / Belgium / 2025. In French and Flemish with English subtitles.

Age rating: Ages 15 +

Content warnings: Emotional Abuse, Sexual References, Mental Health, Homophobia Also includes strong language, nudity.

Access: Wheelchair accessible, Seated.