15e Internationaal Filmgebeuren van Vlaanderen-Gent 1988

In order to raise its international profile, the festival launches two initiatives: on the one hand, the prize money of the awards is increased and there is an agreement that the BRT will purchase two films from the 'Film Spectrum' section. On the other hand, Ghent is involved in the creation of an alliance between the Belgian film festivals, under the foundation 'International Film Festivals'. The aim of the umbrella organisation is to ensure a good exchange between the festivals and to convince the authorities to limit the number of recognised festivals so that film producers and distributors can find their way to them on a permanent basis.

More than 100 films from some 36 countries are scheduled. There are exceptional events such as the re-screening of French director André Antoine's classic L'Hirondelle et la Mésange in Vooruit. The focus this year is on the GDR (German Democratic Republic), with films like Der Aufenthalt by Frank Beyer and Einer trage des Anderen last and Vernehmung der Zugen by Lothar Warneke. The opening film is To Kill a Priest. Polish director Agnieszka Holland is in attendance on opening night.

Towards the end of the festival, on 19 October, the Sportpaleis Gent hosts 'A Night of Great Movie Music', a concert in collaboration with the Sundance Institute, with guest performances by legendary musicians and composers such as Georges Delerue, Frédéric Devreese, Thomas Newman, Jean-Claude Petit, Bruce Broughton and Toots Thielemans.