51e Film Fest Gent 2024

Adventurous programme

An adventurous lineup of 123 feature films and 29 short films boasts an incredible number of debuts. Many emerging filmmakers offer glimpses into their personal, intimate worlds or those of their characters. And to great success: four out of the top five films in the Audience Award ranking are debut films. The fifth, Milano, marks the first fiction feature by director Christina Vandekerckhove. Alongside major international productions like Palme d'Or winner Anora (Sean Baker), Golden Lion recipient The Room Next Door (Pedro Almodóvar), Bird (Andrea Arnold), Blitz (Steve McQueen), and L'amour ouf (Gilles Lellouche), the programme also celebrates Belgian cinema, featuring no fewer than thirteen films by local talent. One of the many standouts is Belgium's official Oscar entry, Julie Keeps Quiet by director Leonardo van Dijl.

As always, universal themes emerge - such as farewells and mourning. Kohei Igarashi's Super Happy Forever presents a melancholic meditation on loss, healing and the resilient power of love. The poignant film earns the Grand Prix from the International Jury, led by cinematographer Robbie Ryan. Also the Israeli occupation of Palestine is reflected within the programme, with films like The Jacket (Mathijs Poppe) and No Other land (Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor) premiering to emotional responses. Both films earned a spot in the top ten of the Audience Award rankings, underscoring their profound impact.

Within the Classics section, there is ample room for deep reflection about the upcoming U.S. presidential election with the programme American Dream / American Nightmare, a dive into the Hollywood cinema that has predicted and imagined the current political crisis. The festival also honours Brussels-based Palestinian filmmaker Michel Khleifi with a retrospective and a Joseph Plateau Honorary Award, recognising his humanistic body of work that shows the impact of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On opening night, another Joseph Plateau Honorary Award is presented to British actress Emily Watson, celebrated for her breakout role in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves (1996) and more recently in Small Things Like These.

Annually, Film Fest Gent welcomes numerous prominent international and Belgian guests. Notable attendees include Adèle Exarchopoulos (L’amour ouf), Noémie Merlant (Les femmes au balcon), Ariane Labed (September Says), Alain Guiraudie (Miséricorde), Miguel Gomes (Grand Tour), and Arthur Japin (Een schitterend gebrek).

WSA Film Music Days

The WSA Film Music Days, culminating in the annual World Soundtrack Awards, continue to attract a growing audience of professionals, students, and fans. Highlights include talks by acclaimed composers such as Martin Phipps, Philippe Rombi, Lifetime Achievement Award winner Elliot Goldenthal and his partner Julie Taymor, as well as Simon Franglen, the widow of James Horner, and Anthony Willis. This year’s film music concert is dedicated entirely to James Horner’s musical legacy. At the World Soundtrack Awards, live performances feature works by honorary guests Philippe Rombi, Simon Franglen, and Elliot Goldenthal. Composer Jerskin Fendrix makes history, becoming the first to win both Discovery of the Year and Film Composer of the Year in the same year.