Nico Leunen

Nico Leunen, born in 1974, kinda stumbled into the world of film editing after wrapping up a Master’s in Experimental Film at Sint Lukas in Brussels back in ‘98. Honestly, it didn’t take long before people started noticing—something about his touch just worked, you know? Since then, he’s been behind the scenes on over sixty feature films and documentaries, tinkering away, cutting and reassembling stories until they sing. The dude’s got range; he’s not just punching a clock, he’s shaping Flemish cinema in a way that makes folks pay attention. By 2013, he’d already racked up the Culture Award of Flanders for Film, which is no small potatoes. That’s the kind of thing that gets you a nod from the big leagues, and sure enough, two years later, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences wanted him in the club. Not bad for a guy who just followed his instincts and a love for movies. He’s also a card-carrying ACE member since 2021, if you’re keeping track of that sort of thing. Outside of the editing bay, he’s got his own little film collective at home in Brussels. He lives with his partner, Fien Troch—who also happens to be a film director. The two of them have made more than just movies together (yep, they’ve got two sons), and they’ve teamed up on three feature films too. It’s all a bit of a family affair, art and life tangled up together.