Actor and filmmaker Ilya Vierhout (1998) passed away this week as a result of a traffic accident, with the film world losing a promising talent. His short film *De Albatros* premiered in January at IFFR 2026, while he also appeared as an actor in the NFF campaign realized by director Suzanne Koopstra in 2025. In that campaign video, Vierhout displayed the infectious enthusiasm for film that distinguished him and which those around him will now sorely miss.