Laura Wandel

• Name — Laura Wandel • Born — 1984 • Birthplace — Brussels, Belgium • Occupation — * Film director • screenwriter • Years Active — 2007–present

Wandel attended the Institut des Arts de Diffusion (IAD) in Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium and went on to work as a set designer, studio manager and wardrobe manager on several sets.

Wandel made her feature-length debut in 2021 with Playground, a drama film following the life of a seven-year-old girl dealing with the children's and adult's worlds. The film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 74th Cannes Film Festival, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize. It also won the Sutherland Award for Best First Feature at the 65th BFI London Film Festival, and received the André Cavens Award presented by the Belgian Film Critics Association. The film was selected as Belgium's entry for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards, making the shortlist of fifteen films in December. It received ten nominations at the 11th Magritte Awards and won seven, including Best Director and Best First Feature Film for Wandel. Wandel's second feature, Adam's Interest, was developed at the 44th session of the Résidence of the Cannes Film Festival. The film, starring Léa Drucker and Anamaria Vartolomei, had its world premiere as the opening film of the Critics' Week section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

Wandel served on the jury of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, chaired by Park Chan-wook.

• Year — English Title — Original Title • 2021 — Playground — Un monde • 2025 — Adam's Interest — L'intérêt d'Adam

• Murs (2007) • O Négatif (2010); co-directed with Gaëtan D'Agostino • Les corps étrangers (2014)