FFG is 40 years young: a sneak peek at the anniversary edition

THE PROGRAMME OF THE 40TH FFG

"For our 40th edition, we wanted a poster that combined our new logo with a fun graphic medley of what the programme represents", says artistic director Patrick Duynslaegher. There are the familiar sections that return every year, such as the galas and previews with pre-premieres of event films, Eye Tunes with music films, Artists on Film with portraits, retrospectives on artists of every discipline, and Out of the Box with the best cinema made for TV. The one-off sections put American Independents and American Paranoia in the spotlight (with old and new films that show an America preyed by conspiracy theories to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the death of J.F. Kennedy, on 22/11/2013). There are also the film music concerts that form part of the fabric of Film Fest Gent with the spectacular closing concert by Alexandre Desplat during the annual WSA (World Soundtrack Awards) concert on 19/10.
More about the concerts

There is of course the great Martin Scorsese exhibition at the Caermersklooster Provincial Cultural Centre which is sure to make you understand what Marty meant when he said "Cinema is a matter of what’s in the frame and what’s out". Many activities and publications will be organised around this exhibition such as screenings, workshops, and the release of a CD and a book. Keep visiting this website for more updates and more Scorsese activities.

FOCUS ON AMERICAN INDEPENDENT CINEMA

"Because the role of a film festival is to showcase innovative, creative and independent cinema from all over the world, the focus this year is on American Independents", says organiser Wim De Witte. Judging from the selection in the American Independents section, 2013 was a fruitful and exciting year for independent and thought-provoking cinema produced without the influence and commercialism of the traditional Hollywood productions. A sneak peek at the Indie film programme reveals the diversity and variety that this genre incorporates. From 'Go for Sisters', the compelling human drama that is the latest film by Indie veteran and role model John Sayles, to the newly discovered talent of Ryan Coogler with the shocking 'Fruitvale Station'. From the intriguing quasi-experimental zombie horror thriller 'Upstream Color' by Shane Carruth to Travis Mathews' and James Franco's ‘Interior. Leather Bar’, a speculative reconstruction of the forty minutes of edited-out explicit gay S&M scenes in William Friedkin’s controversial ‘Cruising’ (1980). From brilliant mash-ups (‘Ain’t Them Bodies Saints’ by David Lowery and ‘Blue Ruin’ by Jeremy Saulnier) to a daring modernisation of Henry James' ‘What Maisie Knew’ by Scott McGehee & David Siegel. From ‘Lovelace’, a poignant portrait of the tragic star of 'Deep Throat', Linda Lovelace, by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, to a subtle evocation of the burgeoning sexuality of a young girl in 'It Felt Like Love' by Eliza Hittman.
More about the American Independents theme

THE BEST FILMS FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE GLOBE
NEW FILMS BY JAMES GRAY, JIA ZHANG-KE, ANDRZEJ WAJDA, PAUL SCHRADER, JOEL & ETHAN COEN, HIROKAZU KOREEDA, DAVID MAMET, ROMAN POLANSKI, JAFAR PANAHI, RITHY PANH AND JAMES FRANCO

FFG provides its very own take on the best to come out of international cinema. We want to draw your attention to new films from both expected and unexpected masters, top talents, and groundbreaking directors from art house and regular film. The films listed are spread out over the various sections of the festival:
‘The Immigrants’ by James Gray (USA)
‘Like Father, Like Son’ by Hirokazu Koreeda (Japan)
‘A Touch of Sin’ by Jia Zhang-Ke (China)
‘Walesa. Man of Hope’ by Andrzej Wajda (Poland)
‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ by Joel & Ethan Coen (USA)
‘Leones’ by Jazmín López (Argentina)
‘The Missing Picture’ by Rithy Panh (Cambodia)
‘Harmony Lessons’ by Emir Baigazin (Kazakhstan)
‘The Canyons’ by Paul Schrader (USA)
‘Venus in Fur’ by Roman Polanski (France/Poland)
‘The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet’ by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (France)
‘The Lunchbox’ by Ritesh Batra (India)
‘As I Lay Dying’ by James Franco (USA)
‘Zum Geburtstag’ by Denis Dercourt (Germany/France)
‘L’Inconnu du lac’ by Alain Guiraudie (France)
‘A Story of Children and Film’ by Mark Cousins (UK)
‘Gloria’ by Sebastián Lelio (Chile)
‘Phil Spector’ by David Mamet (USA)
‘Omar’ by Hany Abu-Assad (Palestine)
‘Seduced and Abandoned’ by James Toback (USA)
‘Closed Curtain’ by Jafar Panahi & Kamboziya Partovi (Iran)
‘The Selfish Giant’ by Clio Barnard (UK)
‘Behind the Candelabra’ by Steven Soderbergh (USA)
‘Rock the Casbah’ by Yariv Horowitz (Israel)
‘What Richard Did’ by Leonard Abrahamson (Ireland)

The full programme will be released on 25 September.