Rapper, singer and director Yousef Gnaoui, better known as Sef, will receive the Fullscreen x XITE Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 Netherlands Film Festival. The 45th edition of the event runs Sept. 26–Oct. 3 in Utrecht.
The honor, tied to the tenth anniversary of the Fullscreen x XITE program, will be presented Sept. 27 at the Kinepolis Jaarbeurs, during the festival’s opening weekend. The evening will bring together artists and creators from across the Dutch music and film industries, and will also include presentation of the jury prize and the XITE Music Video Award.
Fullscreen x XITE, launched in 2015, has annually brought Dutch music videos to the big screen — except in 2020, due to the pandemic. In marking its milestone year, the program will both reflect on highlights from the past decade and recognize one of the country’s most versatile creators.
The Fullscreen x XITE tribute is designed to recognize a creator whose career reflects quality, creativity and versatility across music video production, both for their own songs and collaborations.
Sef has directed more than 40 videos for other artists in addition to his own catalog, a body of work that, according to the festival, demonstrates “a keen eye for unforgettable images, original details, and a surprising perspective on the everyday.”
His music videos selected for Fullscreen x XITE over the past decade include “Spit of God” (Willem, 2025), “Nobody” (Kevin feat. Ronnie Flex, 2024), “Devil is a Lie” (Nnelg, 2023), “Day We Met” (Fatima Yamaha, 2021), “They Say” (Sef, 2016) and “Awake” (Sef, 2015).
The Netherlands Film Festival is the premier venue in Utrecht for presenting and celebrating the full breadth of Dutch cinema.