Jef Jacobs

Jef grew up in Schaerbeek, Brussels. Dutch is the language spoken at home, but as a proud 'Brusseleir', he also feels fully at ease in French. Through his parents, he was introduced to the arts at an early age. At family gatherings and celebrations, he discovered his talent as a performer.

At the age of nine, he found himself on the set of the short film Empire (Kristof Hoornaert), acting alongside his father. This was followed by the intimate family piece Zwischen (Suze Milius), in which he shared the stage with his sister, father, and grandfather.

While studying science and mathematics at KAE during secondary school, Jef continued exploring his place as an actor in various Brussels-based projects. During the covid-lockdown, his passion for cinema was sparked by a secret film club started by friends. This ultimately led him to choose the film directing program at RITCS in his hometown, Brussels.

A standout role in the short film TITAN (Valéry Carnoy) set things in motion. After completing his bachelor's degree at RITCS, he made his international debut with La danse des renards (Valéry Carnoy) and Jeunes Mères (Luc & Jean-Pierre Dardenne) at the Festival de Cannes.