ALPHA. awarded Best Film in COOP! competition of Filmfestival Oostende

The jury, chaired by Cindy Godefroi (artistic director of Theater aan Zee), named Alpha. by Jan-Willem van Ewijk as Best Film of the COOP! competition. This international film was created thanks to intensive collaboration between the Netherlands, Switzerland and Slovenia. According to the jury, Alpha. is a reflection of the Filmfestival Oostende 2025 theme SUPER NATURAL in every respect. In addition to breathtaking images of nature, there is a lot going on beneath the surface.

“The film intensely depicts a father-son relationship that can be very confrontational and painfully recognizable. The main characters are two alpha males who constantly want to outdo each other. They go to extremes in their unspoken love for each other, which is also accompanied by a lot of frustrations.”

With this award, the jury members also want to put director Jan-Willem van Ewijk in the spotlight.

“He goes to extremes in every respect for this film and delivers a visually strong film in which he does not simply use the mountains as a backdrop, but as a full-fledged character. Clever camera work also adds an extra layer of symbolism to the story. The static panoramic images are converted into beautiful, detailed portraits in this way.”

Here you can read more of the jury’s notes and about the other winners of Filmfestival Oostende.