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The official programme of the 45th edition of Film Fest Gent presents us with a rich and well-rounded international program threaded by the finest Belgian films. For this years focus, Hungarian cinema is put in the limelight. Lovers of film and music fanatics will rejoice because Ghent will turn into an audio-visual Walhalla filled with feature films, documentaries, series and shorts, concerts, discussion panels, talks and thematic trails.

“A mixture of powerful films by well-known authors and strong headed work by emerging talent makes for a ten day cinematographic marathon for every type of spectator.” says artistic director Patrick Duynslaegher

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION. A sharp selection from everything that international cinema has to offer, put together with upcoming talent and established authors. Two awards are given out by an international jury: Best Feature Film and Best Score, Soundtrack or Sound Design. The films competing are: ‘3 Days in Quiberon’ by Emily Atef, ‘Ash is Purest White’ by Zhangke Jia, ‘Cold War’ by Pawel Pawlikowski, ‘Fatwa’ by Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud, ‘The Favourite’ van  Yorgos Lanthimos, ‘Genezis’ by Árpád Bogdán, ‘High Life’ by Claire Denis, ‘"I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians"’ by Radu Jude, ‘The Kindergarten Teacher’ by Sara Colangelo, ‘Utøya 22. Juli’ by Erik Poppe, ‘Vision’ by Naomi Kawase, ‘The Wild Pear Tree’ by Nuri Bilge Ceylan and ‘Wildlife’ by Paul Dano. 

INTERNATIONAL JURY. The Grand Prix for Best Film, the Georges Delerue Award for Best Sound(track) and the Best European short film are awarded by the international jury led by painter Michaël Borremans. Besides Borremans, the jury consists of Belgian musicians Stephen & David Dewaele (Soulwax), French actress Mireille Perrier (‘Boy Meets Girl’) and following directors: British Hope Dickson Leach (‘The Levelling’), Swiss-American Alexandre O. Philippe (‘78/52’), PortugeseJoão Pedro Rodrigues (‘O Ornitólogo’) and German-Argentinian Nele Wohlatz (‘El futuro perfecto’).

(INTER)NATIONAL GUESTS. A film festival wouldn’t be the same without red carpet events. Lukas Dhont, director of ‘Girl’, will open the festival on October 9th, accompanied by Victor Polster and Arieh Worthalter. Veerle Baetens will appear on the big screen twice for ‘A Bluebird in my Heart’ en ‘Duelles', so naturally she’ll make an appearance on the red carpet as well as Tom Lenaerts, Tom Dewispelaere, Natali Broods and Tom Van Dyck (‘Over Water’) that evening. Matteo Simoni, director Robin Pront and Tom Van Dyck are attending on the 12th of October for ‘De Bende van Jan de Lichte.’ Danish director of ‘Kursk’ Thomas Vinterberg will make an appearance as well. Kenneth Mercken, director of ‘Coureur’ and Koen De Graeve and ‘The Sisters Brothers’ director Jacques Audiard and actor John C. Reilly will be present on the 18th of October. ‘Beautiful Boy’ will close the 45th edition in the presence of Felix van Groeningen. Those are just a few names of the guests the festival is welcoming. 

FOCUS ON HUNGARIAN CINEMA. Focusing on Hungarian cinema seemed an evident choice due to the display of an intellectual sophistication and stylistic bravura, threaded by a consciousness on the modern political history. Miklós Jancsó’s work is the perfect example. The six contemporary films in the program are drenched in this historical fact. 

18th WORLD SOUNDTRACK AWARDS & CARTER BURWELL LIVE IN CONCERT. The 17th of October in Capitole Gent is marked by the award ceremony, afterwards Brussels Philharmonic ley by Dirk Brossé will perform music from Carter Burwells’ oeuvre. To top it all off, he’ll conduct one of his own songs. The winner of the Discovery of the Year Award 2017 for ‘Moonlight’, composer Nicholas Britell, will perform as well, in the presence of the American director himself, Barry Jenkins.

FILM FEST VOORUIT. On October 10, Vooruit and Film Fest Gent will launch the first edition of VIDEODROOM. During the upcoming Film Fest Gent (9-19 Oct 2018) and at cultural arts centre Vooruit, artists and audiences will explore a new universe at the intersection between music, films and visuals. During VIDEODROOM, top musicians like Thurston Moore, Hauscka & Dustin O'Halloran, Aïsha Devi, Gaika and Lena Willikens & Sarah Szczesny,…mix live music - from reworked scores, to unique improvisations to radical deconstructions of well-known film themes - with films, visuals and other projections. Each time it concerns unique crossover productions that you will only get to see during VIDEODROOM.

INDUSTRY EVENTS. The Talkies, Film Fest Gents’ own monthly talkshow, takes place every single day in library The Krook. Artistic director Patrick Duynslaegher or Roel Van Bambost invite professionals from the industry to talk about their films in the official selection. 

Industry professionals are welcome at one of the many events designed for their profession: during the Serial Day, two programmed Flemish series are discussed in the presence of the creators and directors. ('De Bende van Jan de Lichte' and 'Over Water.') The Directors Roundtable takes place on the 18th of October with Felix van Groeningen, Jakob Verburggen, Michaël R. Roskam and Tim Mielants, sharing their experiences with filmmaking domestically and abroad. To top if all off, film (music) professionals and the public alike can attend Film Music & Sound Seminar, the WASwards Industry Day and Masterclass Sound Mixing & Editing on the 16th, 17th and 18th of October.

The 45th Film Fest Gent runs from 9 until 19 October in Kinepolis Ghent, Studio Skoop, Sphinx Cinema, Vooruit, KASKcinema and Capitole. Info and tickets: www.filmfestival.be