Tom Tykwer, Paul Verhoeven and Darren Aronofsky to attend Flanders Fest

This year, the Festival's guest department succeeded in attracting a record number of film talents, proof that the Flanders International Film Festival - Ghent is gaining more and more international recognition. As the icing on the cake, the Festival managed to enlist Tom Tykwer, director of Perfume: The Story of A Murderer, the official opening film of the competition. This film, based on the bestseller by Patrick Süskind, is a major hit in Germany where it drew more than 1 million film enthusiasts to the cinema in its opening week, putting it on the same footing as blockbusters like Pirates of the Caribbean and The Da Vinci Code. Tykwer had already made a name for himself with films such as Lola Rennt and Heaven. Director Darren Aronofsky will also be presenting a film for the competition: The Fountain. With films such as Pi and Requiem for a Dream, Aronofsky has become one of Hollywood's most original filmmakers. His latest creation, The Fountain, only confirms this reputation further. Other directors of competition films attending the festival are Tony Gatlif (Transylvania), Henri Colomer (Nocturnes), Aku Louhimies (Frozen City), Manuel Huerga (Salvador), and Swel & Imad Noury (Heaven's Doors). The Flanders International Film Festival - Ghent is also pleased that Dutch director Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct, Robocop, Total Recall, Starship Troopers) will attend the screening of the closing film Zwartboek. This controversial film, with a budget of € 16 million, took Verhoeven back to the Netherlands after more than twenty years. In addition to Tom Tykwer, Paul Verhoeven and Darren Aronofsky, the guest list includes many more interesting names. Some of the world's top film music composers will be attending the presentation of the World Soundtrack Awards on October 14. The following have already confirmed that they will be there: John Powell (nominated for Ice Age: The Meltdown), Alberto Iglesias (nominated for The Constant Gardener), Oscar winner Gustavo Santaolalla (nominated for Brokeback Mountain), Dario Marianelli (nominated for Pride & Prejudice), and many others.