Nominated for the Young Jury Debut Prize

For Fans Of The Days of Bluegrass Love by Edward van de Vendel, Dance on My Grave by Aidan Chamber and Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman

While 19-year-old Alec studies for his final exams after a difficult school career, his plodding existence is shaken by the arrival of a new classmate. Non-conformist Björn triggers feelings in him that he has always managed to hide up until now. Even from himself.

Unwittingly, he is drawn into a search for his true identity, and for the first time he has to face what he has never dared to acknowledge. But just as his coveted diploma is within his grasp, and with it a ticket to the future, Björn suddenly disappears…

‘When I read Stefan’s novel, I immediately realised I wanted to film this story. The Boy Who Jumped Off the Cliff and Landed Softly is a beautifully crafted and universal story that has the power to hit right in the heart and reach a broad audience. Our company Willy Waltz International can’t wait to make a beautiful series out of this book. Work on the development has already started.’ – Norbert ter Hall is a prize winning filmmaker known for the films Mi Vida (2019), The Promise of Pisa (2019) and the tv-series A’dam & E.V.A. The latter is being adopted into an English spoken version for American audiences by NBC.

‘Brokeback Mountain in the Dutch polder. I read it in one sitting.’ – Michel van Egmond, Dutch bestselling author and journalist