Everyone loves cinema. Cinema, as the seventh art, is a powerful medium that moves, that evokes beauty, thrill and emotion, but that also surprises, questions, opens our eyes and leads to understanding or indignation. Watching a good film on a big screen is an unmissable experience. As the largest international film festival in Belgium, Film Fest Ghent wants to spread the love for cinema to the largest possible audience. But not everyone likes the same kind of film. As a generalist festival, Film Fest Ghent presents the best of all genres and brings the general public together for a strong, collective experience in an atmosphere that inspires conversation with other film lovers as well as with film talent. Film Fest Ghent is, after all, also for filmmakers, and given our focus on film music, for film composers. Film Fest Ghent is a ten-day celebration of cinematography in all its aspects, an ode to film to which we would like to invite you. Marijke Vandebuerie Managing Director
Since the start of the festival -in 1974- the film world has been in constant evolution, and the festival has followed its many trends and innovations. In a world with an abundance of images, Film Fest Ghent wants to be, more than ever, a guide through this jungle of film titles. Throughout, we have remained true to the objectives of our first edition: show the public particularly strong and relevant films, which have little or no chance at all in the regular offer. We complement our selection with a series of avant-premières of high-profile films that will appear in the Belgian theaters the following months. From pure cinephile gems to wider public films. We also bring the same variety of known and yet-tobe-discovered names into the music program. With this focus on film music, the festival managed to put itself on the international map and has grown in recent years to become the meeting point for Belgian and international professionals of film and film music. Every year there is much film-beauty to discover in both programs. Wim De Witte Program Director
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Film Fest Ghent in words Plateau’s horse The horse in the festival logo alludes to the phenakistoscope of the Ghent professor Joseph Plateau. With the animation device that he designed in 1831, he laid the foundation of cinema. Plateau proved with this device that the human eye works too slowly: when it has to process a rapid succession of images, it generates the illusion of movement. And that is how cinema was partially born in Ghent.
international and qualitative impact of music on cinema Internationally, Film Fest Ghent is given great recognition for its focus on film music. The World Soundtrack Awards ceremony – or the “Oscars of film music”, if you will – is the annual highlight for film composers from all over the world.
Every year Film Fest Ghent presents an exciting, international mix of filmmakers whose names are already on the map, but also from new up-and-coming talent who shall determine the future of cinema.
talent and education Film Fest Ghent focuses on film education and innovation. The festival supports film talent giving greater reach to quality cinema and aims to make the film experience richer: at the festival you will find the filmmakers, the film composers, the actors and the actresses who present their work to the general public.
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Film Fest Ghent has been an encounter with qualitative world cinema for me since childhood. The festival is one long love letter to cinema, and a second home for me as a filmmaker. — Lukas Dhont, filmmaker
Matthias Schoenaerts, 2019
It is the chemistry of different people together that on the evenings of the World Soundtrack Awards keeps us every year saying: this was the best edition ever. — Dirk BrossÊ, music director Film Fest Ghent
Terence Blanchard, 2017
Film Fest Ghent in numbers Since 1974, the festival has become one of the most important film festivals in Europe: from Film Events to Film Festival, and from Flanders-Ghent International Film Festival to Film Fest Ghent. Under all these names, the 50th edition is already in sight for 2023.
The festival presents two symphonic concerts each year: a film music concert, around a compelling theme or the body of work of a composer, and the World Soundtrack Awards gala. In addition, Videodroom, a series of evenings in the Vooruit arts center in Ghent, takes place with live new music for films and projections.
Glamor and content go hand in hand with the guests of Film Fest Ghent, around 300 annually: Catherine Deneuve, Vanessa Redgrave, Isabelle Huppert, Jane Birkin and Géraldine Chaplin were joined by notorious male colleagues such as Brad Pitt, Willem Dafoe, Colin Farrell, Anthony Perkins, Sydney Pollack, Ken Loach and countless others. Composers such as Ennio Morricone, Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore, Alberto Iglesias, Gabriel Yared, Maurice Jarre, and Terence Blanchard have let their best work be heard in Ghent. For some of them, a World Soundtrack Award was a stepping stone to an Oscar. Just ask Alexandre Desplat and, more recently, Hildur Guðnadóttir.
<50 >150
The festival shows around 120 feature films and over 50 short films each year:
an adventurous blend of avantpremières and films that can only be seen on big screens in Belgium during Film Fest Ghent.
>10 >100.000
>300 >10
With over 100,000 visitors, Film Fest Ghent is the largest film festival in Belgium and is becoming more relevant than ever. Film Fest Ghent welcomes both an international and a local audience. A striking number of young people -just under half of the visitors are between 18 and 35 years old- find their way to the festival.
Film Fest Ghent has built up a solid portfolio of collaborations with various established national and international media. These partnerships -a dozen during each festival editionguarantee wide and continuous media attention.
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Film Film Fest Ghent is the festival par excellence where every film lover will find satisfaction. The wide range of films always offers a nice overview of what is going on in the film world: from quality, popular crossover titles, to defiant cinema that dares to ask difficult but pressing questions. The established Ghent festival rolls out the red carpet for every film lover.
jury There is no festival without competition, and no competition without a professional jury. The international film competition is assessed every year by a small group of film professionals and talents from the art world. The Grand Prix has already been awarded under the approving eye of such names as Christopher Lee, Jeanne Moreau, Kathleen Turner, Hugo Claus and Bret Easton Ellis.
awards The strongest piece in the competition is honored with the Grand Prix: a prize with international weight that bestows a crown on the oeuvre of the winning director. Since Film Fest Ghent wants to distinguish itself from other festivals on a musical level, the Georges Delerue Award is presented to the film with the best soundtrack and/or sound design. A youth jury presents the Explore Zone Award, and the people in the theater vote for the public awards.
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Geraldine Chaplin, 2019
Music Film Fest Ghent has been focusing the spotlight on film music for decades. That makes it, according to Variety and The Wall Street Journal, one of the unmissable film festivals on the calendar. Every year, both renowned and new talent travel to Ghent to attend the music events, from the film music/industry days to the World Soundtrack Awards. To top it all off, Film Fest Ghent releases its own new album every year.
academy In 2001, at the prompting of a number of international composers, Film Fest Ghent founded the World Soundtrack Academy. The Academy consists of professionals from all over the world who want to promote and preserve film music as an art form all over the world.
awards The members of the Academy who are entitled to vote present the World Soundtrack Awards annually. These prestigious film music awards, presented during the homonymous gala, honor the Film Composer of the
Year, TV Composer of the Year, Discovery of the Year, Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film and Best Original Score for a Belgian Production. Composers also win the Public Choice Award, Sabam Award for the Most Original Composition by a Young International Composer and the Lifetime Achievement Award to honor an exceptional career as a film composer. 9
Festival in 10 highlights Lukas Dhont, 2018
official competition Around twelve to fifteen films get a place in the official competition, a sample card for the best that cinema has to offer that year.
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opening night The stairs of the film houses in spotless scarlet red, the guests in their most graceful and elegant evening dress: the festival is introduced with a film that sets the tone socially or artistically. An unmissable reception concludes the evening.
film industry activities Film Fest Ghent succeeds every year in bringing industry professionals to the festival in addition to the general public, setting up panel discussions and masterclasses with eminent figures from the film sector. Thanks to our talk show Daily Talkies, everyone can get to know actors, directors and producers.
routes & sections To facilitate the publicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice, the festival proposes a number of routes through the sections. These routes might focus on the competition, the galas, or on a host country. In each section, films are grouped by theme or by specific audiences.
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family day By betting on the youngest viewers, the festival helps build the film audience of tomorrow. The highlight of the Kidsproof film selection is a family day with compelling films and fun workshops.
short film competition Short films are more than short films: they are a safe haven for experimentation and cinematic daring. By giving young filmmakers a platform in the two short film competitions, Film Fest Ghent focuses on the cinema of the future.
World Soundtrack Awards-concert
composer talks
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The film festival not only brings film music to the stage, but also gives film composers the opportunity to talk about their work. During professionally moderated conversations, the public gets the chance to have a peek at the secrets of these grandmasters.
Hildur Guðnadóttir, 2019
During the annual gala, the World Soundtrack Awards are presented, the leading film music awards that get the season going. For a change, Brussels Philharmonic, led by maestro Dirk Brossé, brings the music of a number of guests to life.
award ceremony Towards the end of the festival, the award ceremony takes place, where the jury presents the awards to the winning directors, producers and distributors.
closing evening & party
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There is no film festival without a spicy nightlife. After the final film -which is just as anticipated as the opening film- we celebrate the last edition together with all visitors and partners.
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All year round Film Fest Ghent is more than a ten-day film marathon. Film programming runs throughout the year: Film Fest Ghent On Tour presents a quality film in avant-première every month in selected cinemas and cultural centers. With One Shot Cinema, Film Fest Ghent captures films that are likely to fall through the gaps of the distribution network. Every month there is a unique chance to see a cinematic pearl in Sphinx Cinema during one of four screenings. For the monthly talk show Talkies, the festival exchanges the theater every month for the inspiring setting of De Krook Library. A significant cultural figure talks about their engagement with film and how the medium has moved them. With Q&A. Have you become addicted to quality films by Film Fest Ghent? The festival offers a daily portion at the tip of your fingers via Video on Demand (VOD). Film Fest Ghent explores and breaks down borders in
Live Track Cinema. Together with the Ghent music
club Democrazy and KASKcinema, Film Fest Ghent invites rock and pop musicians to bring images and music together in a creative way.
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The World Soundtrack Awards are among the most prestigious in the global film music community. They recognize achievements in film and television music, songs and scores, emerging talent and lifetime achievements. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Variety
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The collaborations with our port company are like music: sincere, melodic, with structure and chords. As soon as you feel shivers, you know itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right. And that is the case for me with Film Fest Ghent. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Daan Schalck, CEO North Sea Port
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Colin Farrell, 2015
Partnership as a success story Film Fest Ghent receives government support as the largest Film Culture organization, and it is partly thanks to the support of partners and sponsors that the festival has grown to become one of the top European film festivals over the years. To achieve that ambition permanently and independently, and to remain an accessible festival, Film Fest Ghent reaches out to partners with a passion for culture. Cultural sponsorship at Film Fest Ghent also offers advantages for your company:
Your brand is linked to the largest film festival in Belgium with a strong international reputation.
Your company will be visible to a wide and diverse audience during and in the run-up to the festival.
We turn film, music and business into a vibrant mix, we bring partners together and stimulate mutual networking.
Film Fest Ghent offers high-end hospitality at unique VIP locations: to pamper existing customers and employees or to forge new collaborations.
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Tel: +32 (0)9 242 80 60 info@filmfestival.be www.filmfestival.be
Graphic design: Wilderzicht
Leeuwstraat 40b B — 9000 Ghent
Photos © Lennen Descamps • Jeroen Willems • Bas Bogaerts
Film Fest Ghent Flanders International Film Festival npo