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What is the 8klo hackathon ?

The 8KLO Hackathon is a 72-hour audiovisual creation marathon taking place during the world mental health week. Teams of 3 people create original animated short films under a shared creative brief and tight time constraint, culminating in a public screening on the 4th evening. The event targets 50 participants and centers on mental health and wellbeing themes, using author animation as a tool for destigmatization and expression. 


The 8KLO Hackathon is one half of a dual-axis structure, paired with 8KLOFestival, an itinerant screening circuit with European ambitions from 2027 onward.

The hackathon program

Unleash powerful emotion centered storytelling in 72 hours of collaborative filmmaking.

DAY 01 : PRE-PRODUCTION

there we go ! The hackathon starts off with the reveal of the secret theme. Start forming teams, storyboarding and painting concept art. To help you write a powerful short film, you'll get help from therapists and film authors.

DAY 02 : PRODUCTION

The second day is the core of the hackathon. It's the production rush. You still have help from the therapists and authors to arrange a few details and emotions.

DAY 03 : POST-PRODUCTION

Last rush ! You still got a few minutes to finish the production. Then you hop on the post-prod and start doing some sound design while your team is focused on compositing and editing.

DAY 04 : SCREENING & AWARDS CEREMONY

The 4th day, you rest. You deserved it. At the start of the night, we have a public screening. And for the last drop, we'll share a drink while the jury deliberates. Once it's done the awards ceremony will take place. 

72 HOURS OF Creating Without Hiding EMOTIONS

8KLO 2025 was three days of exhaustion, vulnerability, and creation happening all at once. Teams who barely knew each other were locked into a shared brief, a ticking clock, and no room to hide behind polish or perfectionism. What came out of that pressure wasn't slick content. It was raw, personal animation, some of it clumsy, some of it stunning, all of it honest.


Participants described feeling like they'd built something real out of exhaustion and trust. Films that started as an assignment became confessions, some dealing with anxiety, isolation, identity, the things people don't usually say out loud. The mental health theme wasn't a brief people performed. It became a language people actually used to talk about themselves.


The screening at the end wasn't a showcase. It was a room full of people who had just watched each other's fears and hopes projected on a wall, and clapped anyway. Several of those films went on to travel to international festivals, but what people kept talking about wasn't where the films ended up. It was what it felt like to make them, together, under pressure, with nothing fake in the process.

WINNERS of 2025

a few souvenirs...

EVERY MOVIE OF 2025

what's to expect of this edition ?

As always, we keep secret the main subject of your future short films. We can still say that it talks about mental health. You will still be obligated to write a "huis-clos" film. If you don't know this genre, you could summarize it by placing a whole film in a closed space. Btw, yes a beach can be a closed space.


And as always, our posters will be little clues for you to try to find the secret theme in advance. They are not meant to be analyzed one by one but as a whole identity.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION - 8KLO 2026

Dates : October 9–12, 2026

  • Thursday to Saturday: 72-hour creation marathon
  • Monday evening: public screening


Location : TRAKK, Avenue Reine Astrid 16, Namur BE.
Screening: venue to be confirmed


Who can participate ?
Teams of 3 people. Open to students, professionals, and anyone with an interest in animation and audiovisual creation. No prior professional experience required to apply.


Format :
A shared creative brief is revealed at the start of the marathon. Teams have 72 hours to write, animate, and complete an original short film. No outside production before the brief drops.


Public theme for 2026 : Mental health and wellbeing.


Participation applications: 

The 8KLO Hackathon is FREE ! You can simply apply by filling the form linked below.


Organized by 8klo.eu

Fill in the participation form

thanks to our dear partners !