Festival
First round of titles for the 42nd Film Fest Gent
Film Fest Gent offers again the very best films from its own soil as well as international premieres. Discover now the first titles of the 42nd edition of the festival.
Recent updates
The latest film and festival news
Festival
Programme release on the 24th of September!
Mark the 24th of September in your calender, because that is when the official programme of the 42nd edition of Film Fest Gent will be announced!
Festival
Talk: Sir Alan Parker
British director Alan Parker will be presiding over the international jury during the 42nd edition of Film Fest Gent. Alan Parker interspersed his purely British films with bigger American productions, although these were never intended as superficial Hollywood entertainment. “If you haven’t got something to say, I don’t think you should be a film-maker” is his motto. He will talk about his work and of course about cinema with Patrick Duynslaegher
Festival
12 FFGent events in pre-sale!
The 42nd edition of Film Fest Gent (13 - 24 October 2015) is approaching and also the 15th edition of the World Soundtrack Awards Ceremony & Concert on saturday 14 October 2015 will be a beautiful edition!
'Black' by Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah selected for 42nd Film Fest Gent
'Black', the second feature by Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fillah, is selected for the 42nd Film Fest Gent (13-24 Oct). The film features new faces such as Martha Canga Antonio and Aboubakr Bensaïhi. The film will have its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 11th and will be screened at Film Fest Gent on October 19th.
Festival
The Walk to pre-open 42nd Film Fest Gent
Robert Zemeckis’ forthcoming thriller ‘The Walk’, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Philippe Petit, the charismatic high-wire artist who unforgettably traversed the Twin Towers in 1974, will pre-open the 42nd Film Fest Gent (FFGent). In addition to 'The Walk' FFGent will also hold a ‘Back to the Future’ marathon in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Zemeckis’ famous trilogy. Finally the festival will close with the 15th World Soundtrack Awards, including the concert premiere of the film music of 'The Walk' in the presence of its central guest and composer Alan Silvestri.
Festival films in the cinema and on DVD
Missed a film during Film Fest Gent? No worries, also this year some festival films will be screened in the cinema!
Festival
'Back To The Future' marathon on 21 October!
Great Scott! On Wednesday 21 October 2015, we’ll celebrate the 30th anniversary of return of Marty McFly. At Film Fest Gent you can enjoy the entire trilogy of ‘Back To The Future’ on the big screen.
Festival
TWIGGY GRACES THE POSTER OF THE 42nd EDITION OF FILM FEST GENT
Film Fest Gent unveils the festival’s official poster featuring British style icon Twiggy in honour of this year’s British focus.
Festival
ALAN PARKER TO PRESIDE OVER JURYOF THE 42nd EDITION OF FILM FEST GENT
British director Alan Parker will be presiding over the international jury during the 42nd edition of Film Fest Gent (13 - 24 October). Joining him on the jury will be Marjane Satrapi, Caroline Strubbe, Boyd van Hoeij and Franco Lolli.
Festival
Film Fest Gent welcomes new Managing Director Martijn Bal
The Board of Directors of Film Fest Gent has appointed Martijn Bal Managing Director of the film festival in Ghent. He will be assuming his duties officially on 1 October 2015.
Festival
The Ardennes by Robin Pront to open 42nd Film Fest Gent
The 42nd edition of Film Fest Gent will open on Tuesday October 13th with Robin Pront’s debut film ‘The Ardennes’ starring Kevin Janssens, Jeroen Perceval and Veerle Baetens.
Festival
42nd Film Fest Gent to focus on British Cinema
After its successful focus on France last year, Film Fest Gent is to include a British focus as part of its next edition. Following this focus, Film Fest Gent will also celebrate the rich tradition of British film music by organising the concert GREAT BRITISH FILM MUSIC at Music Centre the Bijloke, that will provide an anthology of the work of both classical and contemporary film composers, whom have made a remarkable contribution to the image and success of British cinema.
Festival
Call for entries 2015
Attention all filmmakers! The call for entries for the 42nd Film Fest Gent - 13 to 24 October 2015 - are now open!
Festival
Federico Fellini in Ciné Palace
This autumn, Italian maestro Federico Fellini steals the show at Ciné Palace, MIAT’s retro film theatre room of the MIAT. For three nights, his fantasies, clowns and grotesque characters take over the screen.
Festival
The public chooses ‘Pride’ as their favourite film
The Port of Ghent Public Choice Award goes to ‘Pride’ by Matthew Warchus and the Canvas Public Choice Award goes to ‘Il Capitale Umano’ by Paolo Virzì. Raphaël Crombez’ short film ‘Perdition County’ took home the ACE Image Factory Audience Award for Best Belgian Student Short Film.
Young Critics
‘Suspiria’ - Andrew Lapin
Film Fest Gent’s Oct. 18 screening of ‘Suspiria’ didn’t boast an original print of Dario Argento’s 1977 horror classic, and offered no retrospective discussions, yet it was the best experience imaginable for the film. This was due to the presence of Italian prog-rock band Goblin, who crafted ‘Suspiria’s’ much-lauded score and performed it live in sync with the images. While Jessica Harper stumbled her way through a creepy dance academy and witches’ coven onscreen, the band power-blasted their keyboard and bass guitar, banged on the timpani and whispered raspy nonsense into the microphone.
Young Critics
The Slow and Deliberate Grief of ‘Violet’ - Fran Hoepfner
Bas Devos’ first full-length film is one of the most realistic and sensitive portrayals of grief ever depicted on screen. ‘Violet’ is steady, calm, not without some emotional climaxes, but otherwise quiet in its representation of youth coming to terms with death.
Young Critics
‘Turist’ - Vanity Celis
It's never easy to see a grown man cry, and if seen, best seen by as few eyes as possible. “Could you please – please – give us some privacy?” The command is directed to the unwanted onlooker who isn't supposed to stare at the walls of the bourgeois fortress crumbling. In 'Turist,' a hotel cleaner in an Alpine skiing resort witnesses the breakdown of a pater familias. It is only one of the many examples where director Ruben Östlund fools around with what should best be kept behind closed doors, but fails to remain hidden.
Young Critics
‘Stratos’ - Zack Miller
Opening on a line of bus after decaying yellow bus, ‘Stratos’ immediately declares its intentions: the new hitman film from Greek writer-director Yannis Economides is all about repetition.
Festival
Review: Adjusting to nature's rhythm in Naomi Kawase's ‘Still the Water’ - Chris Frieswijk
Part of growing up is about learning how to deal with complex themes such as love and death, about adjusting to your surroundings, and above all about accepting that things don't always go by your standards. In ‘Still the Water,’ we follow the young protagonist Kaito in his coming of age.
Festival
'Gente de Bien' by Franco Lolli wins Grand Prix for Best Film at the 41st Film Fest Gent
On Wednesday the 22nd of October the international jury of Film Fest Gent announced the winners in different competitions.
Young Critics
Review: ‘White God’ - Andrew Lapin
Kornél Mundruczó’s animal fable ‘White God’ depicts the stray dogs of Budapest rising up against their human tormenters after putting up with one too many abuses. The film was clearly made by dog lovers: Mundruczó shoots often from his canine stars’ eye level and allows them to band together in a kind of squatters’ community on an abandoned lot. When they rebel, the language of Cinema Apocalyptica – empty streets, people falling over each other in their mad rush to escape, wind howling through hastily made barricades – emboldens their cause. Nevertheless, the film shows dogs being shot, drugged, and tortured for sport, making a mockery of DoesTheDogDie.com.
Young Critics
Review: ‘Gente de Bien’ - Vanity Celis
Franco Lolli's debut feature is a contemporary exercise in Neorealism that concerns itself with the misfortunes of a slightly disheveled pair. Ten-year-old Erik seems nothing short of a hoodlum in the making. His father Gabriel is a lethargic layabout who means well but cannot get his finances straight.
Young Critics
Review: An Educator’s Devotion and the Wrong Kind of Intimacy in ‘The Kindergarten Teacher’ - Fran Hoepfner
Educators are tasked with a great responsibility: inspiring a thirst for knowledge and a passion for art and science in each generation’s youth. Nadav Lapid’s new film ‘The Kindergarten Teacher’ takes this mission to a new extreme. The story itself is simple. The teacher Nira (Sarit Larry) discovers that one of her students Yoav (Avi Shnaidman) – a quiet, stoic child – will recite his own poems whose brilliance goes above and beyond her own abilities as a writer. In turn, she deems it her mission to nurture his ability at the risk of his and her wellbeing.