44th edition of Film Fest Gent has taken off

Yesterday night, the 44th edition of Film Fest Gent kicked off with the Belgian premiere of Philippe Van Leeuw’s award-winning drama ‘Insyriated’, attended by the director and actress Juliette Navis. During the opening night, a Joseph Plateau Honorary Award was also given to Pierre Drouot, the CEO of the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF). 

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Q&A + Meet & Greet

Terence Blanchard, Joe Kraemer and David Shire will answer all your questions at the press conference on 19 October at the Theaterzaal of Vooruit Ghent. 

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World Soundtrack Academy announces first wave of nominees for the 17th #WSAwards

This first wave of the 2017 World Soundtrack Award Nominees includes multiple Academy Award® winners and nominees, a past Discovery of the Year nominee, and the best of contemporary film and television music.

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'Insyriated' opens 44th edition

Film Fest Gent starts the 44th edition with the Belgian feature 'Insyriated' in attendance of director Philippe Van Leeuw and lead actress Hiam Abbass.

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World Soundtrack Awards celebrates 100 years of jazz with Terence Blanchard as central guest and David Shire as recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award

This year the World Soundtrack Awards Gala, held on Wednesday October 18th and the Symphonic Jazz Concert, held on Thursday October 19th, both powered by Film Fest Gent, will focus on the incredible influence of jazz music on the art of film scoring from the past and the present. Brussels Philharmonic conducted by Dirk Brossé will perform compelling classical and contemporary jazz scores, accompanied by film clips on the big screen.

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Film Fest Gent shines its spotlight on Italy during the 44th edition

Film Fest Gent focuses on Italian cinema during the 44th edition, which takes place from the 10th until the 20th of October. The campaign visual features the celebrated actress Claudia Cardinale.

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Submit your film

Deadline for submitting your film to the 44th edition of the festival is 1st of August 2017.

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'A Quiet Passion' by Terence Davies and Home' by Fien Troch win at the 43rd Film Fest Gent internatinal competition

On Friday 21 October, the international jury of Film Fest Gent, led by jury president Jeremy Thomas, announced the winners of the different competitions. 'A Quiet Passion' by Terence Davies won the Grand Prix for Best Film. The Georges Delerue Award for Best Music went to Johnny Jewel for his music for 'Home' by Fien Troch. Jeremy Thomas received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his entire career.

This year’s international jury consisted of producer and president Jeremy Thomas, director Tran Anh Hung, author Jonathan Coe and actresses Maaike Neuville, Lina El Arabi and India Hair.

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Carter Burwell is Best Film Composer of the Year at the 16th WSAwards, Jeff Beal is Best Television Composer of the Year

On 19 October, the World Soundtrack Academy announced the winners of the 2016 World Soundtrack Awards in Capitole, Ghent. Film Fest Gent celebrated its 16th edition by focusing on television scores. Brussels Philharmonic and Flemish Radio Choir performed scores from the most beloved television shows in recent history.

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Quality and emotion go hand in hand at the opening gala of the 43rd Film Fest Gent

Director Ken Loach, who won the Golden Palm at Cannes with his latest film, presented the film in an impressive personal way.

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Start ticket sale on the 22nd of September

The most anticipated day of September must be 22/9, because it marks the release of Film Fest Gent’s official programme and the start of our ticket sale.

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43rd Film Fest Gent announces Belgian lineup

Every year, Film Fest Gent strives to offer a platform for its domestic cinema. We are proud to announce that we will present no less than 9 new Belgian titles in different sections at this 43rd edition. These titles will receive their national or world premiere in Ghent.

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Film Fest Gent announces its first ten international titles

The festival announces its first international titles in various sections. The Official Competition includes the British-Belgian co-production “A Quiet Passion” by Terence Davies starring Cynthia Nixon. Two feature films from the last Cannes edition also stand a chance to win Best Film or Best Music & Sound: the Romanian drama “Bacalaureat” by Cristian Mungiu and remarkable Italian “Fai bei sogni" by Marco Bellocchio starring Bérénice Bejo.

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Film Fest Gent opens with Ken Loach's 'I, Daniel Blake'

Film Fest Gent will open the 43rd edition on 11 October with Cannes Palme d’Or winner “I, Daniel Blake”. It will be the third time that the filmmaker himself will attend the biggest festival in Belgium.

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16th World Soundtrack Awards announces first wave of nominees

This first wave of World Soundtrack Award Nominees include multiple Academy Award® winners and nominees, a past Discovery of the Year winner, and the best of contemporary television music. The nominees announced include Academy Award®-winners Ennio Morricone, John Williams, and Sam Smith; Academy Award®-nominees Carter Burwell and Thomas Newman; and recent Discovery of the Year winner Daniel Pemberton. The inaugural Television Composer of the Year nominees include EMMY® winners Bear McCreary, Jeff Beal, and Sean Callery, and nominees Mac Quayle and Ramin Djawadi.

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WSA PUBLIC CHOICE AWARD 2016 - Cast your vote!

At 16th edition of the World Soundtrack Awards Gala on the 19th of October, the winner of the Public Choice Award will be announced, and it is up to you to select your favorite. For the first time, the nominees for the Public Choice Award were chosen by members of the International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA).

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Poll: Have your say in the final score for the Ryuichi Sakamoto album!

Via this poll we offer you the chance to vote for your favorite Ryuichi Sakamoto track in the last days of our crowdfunding campaign: 'Bringing Sakamoto's filmmusic to your ears'.
Through this campaign we aim to fund a unique Ryuichi Sakamoto album that is focused on his film and TV work rather than on his separate scores. The album will be recorded by Brussels Philharmonic and YOU get to decide which final track will be added to the list of already awesome scores!

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FFGent to Focus on Nordic Cinema for 43rd edition, also putting Spotlight on Japan

The program of the 43rd edition of Film Fest Gent is inspired by cinema from two different corners of the earth: starting with the most Northern point of Europe for its Focus on Nordic Cinema and ending in the far East for the Spotlight on Japan. The Nordic Focus is emphasized by the festivals central campaign image, depicting one of the greatest movie stars the region has ever know: Greta Garbo.

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Full program World Soundtrack Awards announced

Film Fest Gent announces full program for the 16th World Soundtrack Awards which will showcase the music composed for today’s top television shows and for legendary series from our youth, live performed by Brussels Philharmonic and the Flemish Radio Choir conducted by maestro Dirk Brossé.

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Shore Scripts supports new writing talent. Send in your scripts!

To discover new exciting screenwriting talent from around the world Shore Scripts puts the best scripts into the hands of the producers, production companies and agents that have the means to get them made. They’ve amassed a roster of the most respected industry judges of any screenwriting contest in the world. They include 19 Oscar & BAFTA winners, 88 Production Companies & 10 Agents who are all attached to read this years best scripts. A number of writers have gained representation, optioned, sold and even had their scripts made directly from entering Shore Scripts. Read more to check out the current competitons.

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Help us bring Sakamoto's scores to life!

** The crowdfunding campaign for the album has ended, recording will start in August 2016. In case you still want to contribute, and receive the perks, please contact liza@filmfestival.be **


World Soundtrack Awards needs your help! Early May we proudly announced our World Soundtrack Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Ryuichi Sakamoto. Like every year we want to treat musiclovers to exclusive renditions of their favourite scores even after the World Soundtrack Gala with a unique album. This album will be a collection of Sakamoto's scores, for the first time focused on his entire body of work in film and television rather than just on one film at a time. The scores will be brought to life by Brussels Philharmonic conducted by Dirk Brossé. To achieve this goal we started a Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign.

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Ryuichi Sakamoto receives World Soundtrack Lifetime Achievement Award

The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Ryuichi Sakamoto on October 19 at the World Soundtrack Awards in Ghent, following the festival's spotlight on Japanese cinema. A selection of his work will be performed by Brussels Philharmonic conducted by Dirk Brossé on a unique compilation album focusing on Sakamoto's film scores. For this album Film Fest Gent will launch a crowdfunding campaign.

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ANNOUNCING FIRST ROUND OF PROGRAM AND COMPOSERS FOR THE 16th WORLD SOUNDTRACK AWARDS

The 16th edition of the World Soundtrack Awards shines the spotlight on television scores, showcasing the music from the most beloved television shows in recent history. Brussels Philharmonic and the Flemish Radio Choir will perform the scores from series including Fargo, Homeland, House of Cards, Sherlock and The Leftovers with composers JEFF RUSSO, SEAN CALLERY, JEFF BEAL, DAVID ARNOLD and MAX RICHTER in attendance. For the first time, the World Soundtrack Awards will feature two concert programs: the World Soundtrack Awards Gala – the traditional award ceremony and concert – on October 19th and a second WSA Concert without ceremony on October 20th.

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'Ixcanul' by Jayro Bustamante wins Grand Prix for Best Film at the 42nd Film Fest Gent

On Wednesday 21 October, the international jury of Film Fest Gent, led by jury president Sir Alan Parker, announced the winners of the different competitions. 'Ixcanul' by Jayro Bustamante won the Grand Prix for Best Film. The Georges Delerue Award for Best Soundtrack went to Johnnie Burn for the soundtrack of 'The Lobster' by Yorgos Lanthimos. The winners of the different short film competitions were also revealed.

This year’s international jury consisted of jury president Sir Alan Parker, Marjane Satrapi, Caroline Strubbe, Boyd van Hoeij and Franco Lolli.

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