16th edition "Unframed"
From 28 April to 2 May 2026

In the Public Library Leuven Tweebronnen and Cinema ZED

View the program here.

Our ticket sales begin on February 9th 2026!

Introduction

DisABILITY Film Festival 2026

28 April to 2 May 2026

The 16^th edition of the DisABILITY Film Festival will take place from Tuesday 28 April to Saturday 2 May 2026. What you see on screen is never the whole story. That's why we invite you to look Unframed. For five days, we will broaden our perspective on people with disabilities. We will do this with a program full of activities where people with and without disabilities can meet. Everyone is welcome to think, feel, and discover what happens when you let go of the lines.

At Bib Leuven Tweebronnen, you can discover six films and documentaries about living with a disability. Directors and actors are eager to engage with the audience. You can also be inspired by a lecture, get to know our partner organisations, or learn more during the masterclass Inclusive Casting. And afterwards, you are of course welcome in our film café for warm and surprising moments.

At Cinema ZED, you can discover short films featuring people with disabilities as actors, directors, or producers during our international short film competition, and you can help decide who takes home the audience award. Afterwards, we will toast to the winners together at the reception.

In the mood for a party? Be sure to check out our program.

Accessibility

Personal assistant

Audio description

Induction loop system

Guidance from and to the station (in Leuven)

Interpreter for Flemish Sign Language

Wheelchair accessible

Program

Upcoming screenings and events

View the full program

Theme

"Unframed"

The 16th edition of the Leuven DisABILITY Film Festival will take place from Tuesday 28 April to Saturday 2 May 2026. This year, the theme is “Unframed”.

The 16^th edition of the DisABILITY Film Festival is themed “Unframed”.

People with disabilities are still too often portrayed in a one-sided or negative way. In the news, on talk shows, or in fiction, we see the same frameworks and expectations recurring time and again. People with disabilities are portrayed as pitiful people, cuddly teddy bears, or superheroes who achieve superhuman feats.

During the 16^th edition of the Leuven DisABILITY Film Festival, we want to break through this one-sided image. With the theme “Ontkaderd / Unframed”, we invite you to reflect on these fixed frameworks, question them, and above all: look beyond them. We present films that show how rich, diverse, and surprising reality really is. Stories without clichés, without limited perspectives. Are you curious? Does this appeal to you? Then be sure to come and watch, let yourself be surprised, and discover how it feels to step outside the fixed framework together. Because real viewing only begins when the frame disappears.