HEIST-SCHOOL

The perfect plan

trailer

ACTION / THRILLER

14:02

A movie poster for a film titled 'Heist School,' featuring images of a girl playing pool, a young man, and a silhouette of a person in a fist pump. The poster includes names Alicia Andries, Pepijn Huysman, and Julian Dewale, and indicates the film is by Loïc Dewale set to release on December 10, 2024, at Calibris.

With final exams approaching and the pressure unbearable, Abel recruits his best friends, Lenny and Zoë, for a daring heist to steal the exam questions.

Director’s statement

This film is inspired by a true story from my last year in high school. One of my closest friends faced a rough and dangerous home situation. Finishing high school and moving out was his escape plan, but failing grades threatened his only way out. Desperate, he devised a bold plan that worked almost flawlessly, until one small mistake got him caught and led to his permanent suspension, changing both his life and mine.

I knew what he did was wrong, but I also understood why. And honestly, it was thrilling to witness the excitement, the tensions and the strange mix of guilt, ingenuity and teenage recklessness. His carefully crafted scheme was too compelling and cinematic not to turn into a story. More than that, I wanted to present his side, something few considered at the time.

a desperate young man, out of options, enlisting his best friends to secure his future. A high-stakes heist born not from malice, but from survival, set in a world rarely explored this way. A thrilling puzzle for the audience to piece together.

Above all, this film is for the people who lived through it with us: to show the creativity, the tension, and the youthful innocence behind a “crime” that was as misguided as it was compelling.

Person holding a clear glass award with the inscription 'NEWARK INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL BEST FOREIGN SHORT FILM HEIST-SCHOOL 2025' against a cityscape background.

Film Festivals

Newark Independant Film Festival 2025 - Winner: Best Foreign Short Film

LEEDSflix 2025 - Winner: Best Action / Thriller

International Celebration of Cinema 2025 - Gold Award

Global Indie Filmmakers Awards 2025 - Winner: Best Student Film

Freewheeling Film Awards 2025 - Finalist: Best Action Adventure Short

The Bay International Film Festival 2025 - Quarter Finalist: Narrative Short Films

Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival 2025 - Honorable Mention

21AM International Film Festival 2025 - Official Selection

International Sound & Film Music Festival (ISFMF) 2025 - Official Selection

7th Nepal Cultural International Film Festival 2025 - Official Selection

Richmond Film Network 2025 - Official Selection

Group of young adults smiling and celebrating together, some holding drinks, in an industrial setting with a height measurement chart in the background.

Credits

  • Starring: Pepijn Huysman, Alicia Andries, Julian Dewaele, Hans Van Cauwenberghe, Wim Peters, Dominique Dauwe, Katrijn Govaert, Gustave Vandenheede

  • Writer & Director: Loïc Dewaele

  • Producer: Loïc Dewaele

  • Production Manager: Imaani Jacobsen

  • Director of Photography: Miro Quinet

  • Make up: Stien Vandermeeren

  • Editor: Loïc Dewaele

  • Chef Sound: Simon Janssens

  • Boom operators: Jusuf Elmi, Jules Debacq

  • Composer: Ruben Weyne & Narek Sarian

  • Sound Design: Loïc Dewaele

  • 1st AD: Liesje Decorte

  • Sparks: Finn Lasonder, Alexander Siamandi

  • 1st AC: Jill Roggen

  • 2nd AC: Stijn Peeters

  • Set Dresser: Chloë D’hooge

  • A special thanks to VTI Oostende, our extras, and our sponsors for their support!

Behind the scenes

Behind the scenes

A person shooting a video with a camera on a tripod outdoors, in an area with benches and a brick building in the background.
A camera's viewfinder showing a scene with a woman and a man in a dimly lit room, possibly a bar or club, with colorful lights in the background.
Person practicing boxing with a punching bag in a dimly lit room with other people and musical instruments in the background.
Group of ten young people standing on a set of outdoor stairs in front of a white brick house with brown shutters and a red-tiled roof.
A classroom scene with a person operating a camera on a tripod, filming or photographing students. Several students are seated at desks, some looking towards the camera. There are others standing in the background near a chalkboard and window.
Five young men standing in a corner of a tiled hallway with a staircase behind them. They are casually dressed and posing for the photo.
A behind-the-scenes shot of a film or photo shoot setup in a cozy room with wood beams. Several crew members are gathered around a camera, with one adjusting a large reflector or diffuser, and others monitoring the scene. A skateboard with a floral d
Behind the scenes of a filming set showing crew members, lighting equipment, and people preparing for a shoot indoors.
A group of young people and a man with a red folder standing outside a building, engaged in a discussion, with some equipment and a camera visible.
A group of people in a classroom setting, with one person using a walker and others engaging with a camera. The room has a white ceiling with fluorescent lights, desks, and chairs, and posters on the wall.
Group of students in a classroom, some sitting at desks and others standing, with a camera on a tripod in the background, and posters on the wall.
A man standing on a platform addressing a group of people outdoors in front of a modern building, with some people listening and others taking photos.
How about a dance?