ALMATY INDIE FILM FESTIVAL
YANA
Overview
Yana, a heroic 10-year-old girl, is given the task of cleaning up the shards of her parents' broken marriage in the attic of her former home. Unprocessed grief and a family secret undermine her grip on reality.
A touch of magic and a wee bit of mischief release Yana from the demands of the grown-up world and allow a new friendship to bloom.
Just like the main character, the film steps in and out of reality: it's an ode to the healing powers of imagination and the resilience that children derive from it to cope with their problems.
Director Biography — Sarah Baur
After studying film and scenario writing at the RITCS School of Arts in Brussels, Sarah Baur worked as assistant director (for Marion Hänsel, José Pinheiro and Julien Vrebos a.o.) and as final editor and reporter at TV Brussel. She also made title sequences for television, promotional films for cultural and academic institutions, experimental videos and music videos.
Her first short film MetaFoor premiered in 2001, with Raven Ruëll and Céline Brouckaert in the leading parts. The film was made with the support of the Flemish authorities.
MetaFoor was part of the multidisciplinary performance FOIRE!, which toured in Belgian cultural centers between 2001 and 2003.
With the short film YANA, Sarah returns to her first love: fiction film. She funded the film herself and is grateful to have found a small but dedicated and generous crew and cast.
Sarah hopes the release of YANA will mark the beginning of new adventures in film.
Credits
- Director
- Sarah Baur
- Writer
- Sarah Baur
- Producer
- Choux de Bruxelles - Artist Collective
- Producer
- Sarah Baur
- Key Cast
- Hasse Huygens
- Key Cast
- Viggo Maris
- Key Cast
- Michael Vergauwen
- Key Cast
- Julie van der Schaaf
- Key Cast
- Wouter Krokaert
- Key Cast
- Birte Leurelle
- Key Cast
- Lula Maris
- Key Cast
- Evelien Den Tandt
Specifications
- Original title
- YANA
- Project type
- Short
- Genres
- Drama, Coming of Age, Indipendent film
- Runtime
- 20 minutes
- Completion date
- September 10, 2019
- Country of origin
- Belgium
- Countries of filming
- Belgium
- Language
- Dutch
- Shooting format
- Digital
- Aspect ratio
- 16:9
- Film color
- Color
- First-time filmmaker
- No
- Student project
- No
- Digital Cinema Package
- Unavailable
Awards & Festivals
Moving Pictures Festival
Essen
Belgium
December 14, 2019
National Premiere
Winner Best National Short Film
Night of the Short Film
Antwerp
Belgium
August 22, 2020
Official Selection
Filem'On - International Film Festival for Young Audiences
Brussels
Belgium
November 4, 2020
Official selection short film competition
Kids First! Film Festival
Santa Fe, New Mexico
United States
November 19, 2020
North American Premiere
Official Selection
Lucerna Youth and Children Film Festival
Moscow
Russian Federation
October 31, 2020
Quarter Finalist
Sweden Film Awards
Sweden
December 2, 2020
Semi-Finalist
Reels International Film Festival
Aurangabad, Maharashtra
India
February 27, 2021
Indian Premiere
Best Child Actress - Foreign Film Category
Almaty Independent Film Festival
Almaty
Kazakhstan
November 11, 2021
Kazakhstan
Official Selection
Tempus Film Festival
Minsk
Belarus
semi-finalist
G Independent Film Festival
Melbourne
Australia
July 17, 2021
Australian Premiere
Official Selection
Festpro Filmfestival
Moscow
Russian Federation
semi-finalist
Kids First! Film Festival
Manoa
United States
February 18, 2022
Official Selection
San Francisco Indie Short Festival
San Francisco
United States
Semi-Finalist
8 & HalFilm Awards
Rome
Italy
January 20, 2022
Italian Premiere
Winner Best Independent Drama