'Öndög' and 'Monos' scoop up prizes at 46th Film Fest Gent

This year's jury was led by Belgian director-screenwriter Joachim Lafosse, and was further supported by film critic Guy Lodge, sound designer Midge Costin, director Radu Jude and producers Fiorella Moretti and Dora Bouchoucha Fourati.

Having received the biggest award at Film Fest Gent, 'Öndög' has earned itself a distribution permit worth €20.000 which will catalyze the film's Belgian release and a media campaign of €27.500, of which €10.000 will be pumped into promoting the film in De Morgen.

'Öndög' discusses the life cycle, working back from its end to its beginning. This prestigious and audacious piece, paints a picture of intimacy and affection, in which humans are often shrunk to dots on a large colourful canvas. In this film Inner-Mongolia takes the lead: from start to finish Wang Quan'an zooms in and pans out on the wide, open landscape.

Music Award

As always, Film Fest Gent has also focused and rewarded films with a strong soundtrack or sound design. This edition, the film 'Monos' stood out for its soundtrack, a collaboration between sound designer Lena Esquenazi and composer Mica Levi. This English singer-songwriter and composer will join us at the Vooruit on the 18th of October with her musical collective CURL, where they will perform during the last VIDEODROOM. The Georges Delerue Award includes a distribution permit of €12.000, with €5.000 offered by De Morgen. Mica Levi was overjoyed to hear the praise bestowed upon their soundtrack:

"I just want to say thank you for this accolade - I feel very proud to have worked on 'Monos', to be invited into this film and situation. I am glad people are taken with the film, on the music side of things we all put a lot of work in. My thanks and the accolade extends to Bridget Samuels, Alejandro Landes, Lena Esquenazi and Leandro de Loredo."

Special Jury Prize

The jury decided to give Pietro Marcello a Special Jury Prize for Best Director for his 'Martin Eden', the book-to-film adaptation of the Jack London story of a rough-and-tumble sailor turned literary man in order to please the upper class woman he wishes to marry.