Brussels' 28th
International Film Festival concluded with ever-increasing audiences for screenings
in some seven cinemas across the Belgian capital. Certainly the public, mostly
young but with a sprinkling of Eurocrats,press and professional visitors,gained
a prize with the introduction of the Festival Pass which for only 350 BFs permitted
entry -- according to the availability of a seat -- to virtually all the performances
during the 10-day event, without any further formality (apart from queuing promptly).

The various juries
awarded their more traditional prizes on the night of the 27th before the closing
film, Elie Chouraquie's Harrison's Flowers. The top award-the Golden
Iris for Best European Film (with a value of 80,000 Euros,some 3,200,000 BFs,as
a distribution aid for this and a production credit for his next feature) went
to Marco Tullio Giordano for I
Cento Passi, a vigorous and emotionally charged recreation of a real-life
murder in Sicily,implicating both Mafia and politicians. The film is Italy's
candidate to be considered as a Foreign entry at the forthcoming Academy Awards
in Hollywood,and also won the Silver Iris here for Best Screenplay.



A close favorite apparently with the 5-strong International Jury was the Special
Jury Prizewinner,Georgian Nana Djordjadze's Summer
or 27 Missing Kisses, "for its spirit and lyricism." The Silver Iris
for Best Actor went to Russian Ivan Schedoff in the German film England,
directed by Achim von Borries,and Lena Headley was named Best Actress in Aberdeen,
directed by Norwegian Hans Petter Moland. Best European Short was A Suspeita
by Jose Miguel Ribeiro (Portugal),while the Canal Plus Prize for Best European
Short (guaranteeing a purchase worth 75,000 BFs for Benelux rights) went to
Ozgur Uyanik's Oblivious (Great Britain). The parallel Jury of Young
Europeans saluted Aberdeen, and the "CineFemme" Jury crowned Sexo
Por Compasion, directed by Laura Mana (Spain),and the Belgian actress Anne
Coesens for her performance in Virginie Wagon's Le
Secret (France).



While the artistic future of the festival is unclear as Director Christian Thomas
succumbed to the 10-year-itch and announced his resignation,and the main venue,
ancient arthouse Kladaradatsch! Palace closes its doors again awaiting a financial
savior, Brussels, home to so many, variegated festivals in the course of a year,
has shown it can support a high-profile, ambitious event with a more focussed,
filmic identity.

Phillip
Bergson