The 10 Minute Challenge’s trajectory
As part of the Queer Film Festival Utrecht’s programme, the 10 Minute Challenge invites ambitious filmmakers to submit their own original short films. Through this competition, we aim to encourage emerging queer filmmakers to contribute to the growing presence of queer voices in the film industry. As part of the 10 Minute Challenge’s inherent talent development program, the contestants are invited to attend two masterclasses, given by professionals from the Dutch film industry.
On film development, funding, and producing your film project
The 10 Minute Challenge’s trajectory opened successfully on 16 July 2025 with a masterclass given by producer Laura Bouwmeester (Labyrint Film). Together with the contestants of QFFU’s short film competition and talent development program, we intensively discussed the process of film development, film funding, as well as how to define the tasks of producing a film, and possible methods of distributing it. For this, we looked at first-hand examples from the industry, such as call sheets and budget plans from big film productions, and applied crucial questions to the participants’ short films, such as “What does my film have that makes it stand out?”
In the second half of the masterclass, the participants were welcomed to share their experiences with producing their short film. Since everyone was at a different stage with the production of their film from the 10 Minute Challenge 2025, this opened up a possibility to learn from each other, and the contestants were able to answer each other’s questions under the guidance of Laura.
Laura Bouwmeester is a producer and co-owner of Labyrint Film. She is drawn to bold, personal stories that explore identity, intimacy and resistance, often through queer and feminist lenses. At Labyrint, she works closely with directors on both fiction and documentary projects that challenge conventions and connect with audiences. Laura believes in collaboration, care and creative freedom, and is committed to building a more inclusive industry, on and off screen. With a background in Film and Television Studies, she combines a sharp eye for storytelling with a deep drive to amplify underrepresented voices in cinema.
