Festival of Flanders ( Dutch : Festival van Vlaanderen ) is an annual music event at different locations in Flanders . It started initially as a "Summer Festival", but now its activities are spread from January to May, with a peak in late summer and early autumn.
90-569: Film Fest Gent , also known as International Film Fest Gent , is an annual international film festival in Ghent , Belgium. The festival held its first edition in 1974, under the name Internationaal Filmgebeuren Gent , and has since grown into the largest film festival in Belgium . The festival also puts the spotlight on film music ; since 2001, Film Fest Gent has hosted the World Soundtrack Awards ,
180-481: A marine west coast climate , abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps. Ghent is home to many people of foreign origin and immigrants. The 2020 census revealed that 35.5% of the inhabitants had roots outside of Belgium and 15.3% had a non-Belgian nationality. Many neighbourhoods already have a minority-majority population, primarily in the north, east, and west of the city and some pockets in the south. Some examples are Brugse Poort, Dampoort, Rabot, Ledeberg, Nieuw Gent/UZ and
270-419: A different light on what cinema can be. This way, the event launched new names and stimulated interest in arthouse cinema. It laid the foundation for a film festival that offers a wide-ranging panorama of world cinema. In 1978, 'Het Internationaal Filmgebeuren van Gent' grew into a film festival that presented about fifty films in various sections. Gradually, more and more attention was paid to film education and
360-420: A distribution premium and a media campaign worth . Yorgos Lanthimos Miguel Gomes The Joseph Plateau Honorary Award is presented to distinguished guests of Film Fest Ghent whose achievements have earned them a special and distinct place in the history of international filmmaking. The award itself is a replica of professor Joseph Plateau ’s Phenakistiscope, the device he designed to illustrate his theory of
450-452: A double concert during the same edition in the then newly reopened Vlaamse Opera Ghent. At this point, film music was firmly anchored in the DNA of the festival. The International Film Festival of Flanders-Ghent started the new millennium with an increased interest in the short film genre. In 2000, the audience enjoyed the first European short film competition. Later, in 2019, the festival would open
540-442: A festival offer that would appeal to various target audiences. During the year of 1978, cinephiles could find something to their liking among author films by, for instance, Luis Buñuel , Rainer Werner Fassbinder , Bernardo Bertolucci and Alejandro Jodorowsky . However, due to the exponential growth of the festival, there was a great desire for a clear structure. Even more so, since the international film landscape evolved rapidly at
630-677: A great impact on the seventh art. The audience in Ghent also has a voice and decides who will take home the North Sea Port Public Choice Award. After a preselection by the Belgian TV channel Canvas, the public also decides who will take home the Canvas Audience Award. On top that, there is also a public prize for the short film that appeals the most to the audience of Ghent. Besides all the film-related prizes, there are of course
720-576: A large number of (inter)national filmmakers travels to Ghent. Among them: Céline Sciamma. She talks to Lukas Dhont after a screening of her Petite Maman. For which she receives the Joseph Plateau Honorary Award. The Belgian animation pioneer Raouls Servais also receives this award, when presenting his new film Der lange Kerl. The 22nd edition of the World Soundtrack Awards welcomes American film composer and jazz artist Mark Isham as
810-466: A public institution known for its radical productions. The theatre company's home base is in the Royal Dutch Theatre [ nl ] (Koninklijke Nederlandse Schouwburg, or KNS), with a secondary location in the city at Minnemeers. The company also tours extensively. In Ghent and other regions of East Flanders , bakeries sell a donut-shaped bun called a "mastel" (plural "mastellen"), which
900-721: A recreation park (Blaarmeersen, 87 hectares; 215 acres). The port of Ghent , in the north of the city, is the third-largest port of Belgium. It is accessed by the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal , which ends near the Dutch port of Terneuzen on the Western Scheldt . The port houses, among others, large companies like ArcelorMittal , Volvo Cars , Volvo Trucks , Volvo Parts , Honda , and Stora Enso . The Ghent University and several research-oriented companies, such as Ablynx, Innogenetics, Cropdesign, and Bayer Cropscience, are situated in
990-522: A revaluation of the short film genre. For the first time, the international short film competition received short films from all over the world and became a more prominent part of the festival programme. In addition, the Belgian student short film competition was already well-established within the festival for years. Marco Beltrami was the guest of honour at the World Soundtrack Awards Gala. At
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#17330942402131080-454: A separate section in the film programme, a retrospective and a film music concert. In the film competition Alice Diop's French courtroom drama Saint Omer wins the Grand Prix. In a year in which Belgian cinema reaches international success, the opening film Close by Lukas Dhont generates a lot of buzz. Closing film is Maria Schrader's investigative drama She Said, based on a true story. Once again,
1170-540: A series of prizes for the best soundtracks for film and television. The festival takes place every year in October, with an international jury awarding the Grand Prix for Best Film and the Georges Delerue Award for Best Soundtrack or Sound Design. Apart from the official competition, there are sections such as global cinema, classics, and an annual special focus. From 2000 to 2018, a European short film competition
1260-783: A small portion of the abbey was spared demolition. The late 16th and 17th centuries brought devastation because of the Eighty Years' War . The war ended the role of Ghent as a centre of international importance. In 1745, the city was captured by French forces during the War of the Austrian Succession before being returned to the Empire of Austria under the House of Habsburg following the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. This part of Flanders became known as
1350-563: A striking contribution to the history of the festival. Despite competition from the robust programme of avant-premières, classics such as The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (Peter Greenaway), Novecento (Roberto Bertolucci) and A Brighter Summer Day (Edward Yang) managed to attract packed theatres. Throughout the year, FFG offers deep-dives into its On Tour films with a ‘Wide Angle’, a dossier including texts, podcasts, and video essays. Every year, numerous awards are handed out at Film Fest Ghent. An international jury assigns two main prizes:
1440-593: A visit to Ghent. In 1981, thanks to the inauguration of the Decascoop complex (today's Kinepolis ), Ghent welcomed a new cinema with spacious cinema theatres and state-of-the-art technology. On top of that, the programme expanded to about a hundred films. The modernisation of the festival thus ensured a much broader audience and offer. In 1983, the non-profit organisation changed its name to 'Internationaal Filmgebeuren van Vlaanderen-Gent' (or 'International Film Event of Flanders-Ghent'). The enthusiastic team helped to ensure that
1530-656: A word related to the English ' marsh ') were ideally suited for herding sheep, the wool of which was used to make cloth. Ghent was the leading city for cloth during the Middle Ages. The wool industry , originally established at Bruges , created the first European industrialized zone in Ghent in the High Middle Ages . The mercantile zone was so highly developed that wool had to be imported from Scotland and England, which led to Flanders' good relationship with them. However, during
1620-500: Is a famous Catholic burial site of the nobility and artists. One of the more notable pieces of contemporary architecture in Ghent is De Krook , the new central library and media center, a collaboration between local firm Coussée and Goris and Catalan firm RCR Arquitectos. Important museums in Ghent are the Museum voor Schone Kunsten (Museum of Fine Arts), with paintings by Hieronymus Bosch , Peter Paul Rubens , and many Flemish masters;
1710-642: Is basically a bagel. "Mastellen" are also called " Saint Hubert bread", because, on the Saint's feast day, which is 3 November, the bakers bring their batches to the early Mass to be blessed. Traditionally, it was thought that blessed mastellen immunized against rabies . Other local delicacies are the praline chocolates from local producers such as Leonidas , the cuberdons or 'neuzekes' ('noses'), cone-shaped purple jelly-filled candies (a four-year feud between two local vendors made international news), 'babelutten' ('babblers'), hard butterscotch-like candy, and of course, on
1800-581: Is linked to the recognition of the detrimental environmental effects of meat production , which the United Nations ' Food and Agriculture Organization has established to represent nearly one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions . The city is host to some big cultural events such as the Ghent Festival , the International Film Festival of Ghent (with the World Soundtrack Awards ) and
1890-535: Is on the international map. One year later, the prestigious American newspaper The Wall Street Journal also praised the festival. According to the newspaper the International Film Festival of Flanders-Ghent is among the top five European film festivals with its own character. During this period, the attention for underexposed themes and audiences in the film industry grew gradually. Specific efforts were made to program LGBTQ-films and film screenings for
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#17330942402131980-410: Is stomping out a unique project: 2x25, in which 25 filmmakers will make a short film inspired by music by 25 composers. For the first time in a long time, the festival no longer has a country focus. In contrast, it has an even bigger and more challenging official selection. For the third year in a row, FFG opens with a homegrown film: Holly, Fien Troch's fifth feature. Anime legend Hayao Miyazaki signs for
2070-411: Is usually served nouvelle-cuisine-style and supplemented by a large pot on the side. The city promotes a meat-free day on Thursdays called Donderdag Veggiedag with vegetarian food being promoted in public canteens for civil servants and elected councillors, in all city-funded schools, and promotion of vegetarian eating options in town (through the distribution of "veggie street maps"). This campaign
2160-678: The Austrian Netherlands until the exile of the French Emperor Napoleon I , the end of the French Revolutionary and later Napoleonic Wars , and the peace treaties arrived at by the Congress of Vienna in 1815. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Ghent's textile industry flourished again. Lieven Bauwens , having smuggled the industrial and factory machine plans out of England, introduced the first mechanical weaving machine on
2250-571: The COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium , being held again in the summer of 2022, after a two-year break. The Festival of Flanders had its 50th celebration in 2008. In Ghent, it opens with the OdeGand City festivities that take place on the second Saturday of September. Some 50 concerts take place in diverse locations throughout the medieval inner city and some 250 international artists perform. Ghent co-hosted
2340-565: The Coen brothers . For the very first time, his music was performed live. In 2019, Wim De Witte, who has been active in the organisation for years, succeeded Patrick Duynslaegher as artistic director. The film programme included a focus on Spain with a series of contemporary Spanish films and a retrospective of taboo-breaking Spanish filmmakers such as Luis Buñuel , Agustí Villaronga , Victor Erice , Alejandro Amenábar and Pedro Almodóvar . During this year, Film Fest Ghent also decided to endeavour for
2430-900: The European continent in 1800. The Treaty of Ghent , negotiated here and adopted on Christmas Eve 1814, formally ended the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States (the North American phase of the Napoleonic Wars). After the Battle of Waterloo , Ghent and Flanders , previously ruled from the House of Habsburg in Vienna as the Austrian Netherlands, became a part of the United Kingdom of
2520-621: The Gent Festival van Vlaanderen [ nl ] . Also, every five years, an extensive botanical exhibition ( Gentse Floraliën ) takes place in Flanders Expo in Ghent, attracting numerous visitors to the city. The Ghent Festival ( Gentse Feesten in Dutch) is an annual festival that lasts for ten days. It has been held for more than 50 years (since 1969) and is attended by about 1–1.5 million visitors. It did not take place in 2020 and 2021 due to
2610-509: The Hundred Years' War , trade with England suffered significantly. Ghent was the birthplace of John of Gaunt , Duke of Lancaster . The city recovered in the 15th century when Flanders was united with neighbouring provinces under the Dukes of Burgundy . High taxes led to a rebellion and eventually to the Battle of Gavere in 1453, in which Ghent suffered a terrible defeat at the hands of Philip
2700-632: The Roman period, but archaeological research confirms that the Ghent area continued to be inhabited. When the Franks invaded the Roman territories from the end of the 4th century and well into the 5th century, they brought their language with them, and Celtic and Latin were replaced by Old Dutch . Around 650, Saint Amand founded two abbeys in Ghent: St. Peter's ( Blandinium ) and St. Bavo's Abbey . Around 800, Louis
2790-640: The SMAK or Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst (City Museum for Contemporary Art), with works of the 20th century, including Joseph Beuys and Andy Warhol ; and the Design Museum Gent with masterpieces of Victor Horta and Le Corbusier . The Huis van Alijn (House of the Alijn family) was originally a beguinage and is now a museum for folk art where theatre and puppet shows for children are presented. The Museum voor Industriële Archeologie en Textiel or MIAT displays
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2880-624: The Sint-Pieters railway station was completed in 1912. Ghent was occupied by the Germans in both World Wars but escaped severe destruction. The life of the people and the German invaders in Ghent during World War I is described by H. Wandt in "etappenleven te Gent". In World War II the city was liberated by the British 7th "Desert Rats" Armoured Division and local Belgian fighters on 6 September 1944, with
2970-409: The basilica of Tongeren. At first there was played religiously inspired choral music , but soon it was extended to other classical music , instrumental music; and other locations. Often, historical sites such as abbeys and castles are used, with an occasional transfer to Maastricht . As in other Flemish cities (classical) summer concerts were held as well, they joined forces in 1972 and created
3060-639: The 2021 World Choir Games together with Antwerp . Organised by the Interkultur Foundation , the World Choir Games is the biggest choral competition and festival in the world. Ghent has been chosen as the 2024 European Youth Capital by the European Youth Forum . The numerous parks in the city can also be considered tourist attractions. Most notably, Ghent boasts a nature reserve ( Bourgoyen-Ossemeersen , 230 hectares (570 acres) ) and
3150-566: The American film magazine Variety placed the Ghent-based film festival among the fifty not-to-be-missed festivals in the world. Variety made its choice out of more than a thousand film festivals and selected Ghent because of its unique focus on film music. Moreover, the festival is the only one from the Benelux to appear on the list. The mention shows that the International Film Festival of Flanders-Ghent
3240-860: The Flemish government declared the International Film Festival of Flanders-Ghent Cultural Ambassador of Flanders. The financial support of the Flemish government resulted in a cash prize for the winner of the international competition. Five years later, the festival was appointed City Ambassador of Ghent. The Ghent-based film festival grew into the biggest film event in Belgium and increasingly attracted more international attention. Famous foreign guests found their way to Ghent. Robert Altman , Elmer Bernstein , Terence Davies , Arthur Penn , James Earl Jones , Guy Pearce , Karl Malden , Danny Glover , Michael Haneke , Irvin Kershner and many others visited Ghent during these years. The focus on film music also continued. A new part of
3330-615: The Good . Around this time the centre of political and social importance in the Low Countries started to shift from Flanders (Bruges–Ghent) to Brabant ( Antwerp – Brussels ), although Ghent continued to play an important role. With Bruges, the city led two revolts against Maximilian of Austria , the first monarch of the House of Habsburg to rule Flanders. In 1500, Juana of Castile gave birth to Charles V , who became Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain . Although native to Ghent, he punished
3420-660: The Grand Prix for Best Film and the Georges Delerue Award for Best Soundtrack/Sound Design. The international short film jury awards the Best International Short and the Best Belgian Student Short. The Explore Award is handed out by a youth jury to a film in the Explore Zone programme. Furthermore, the organisation of Film Fest Ghent yearly offers a Joseph Plateau Honorary Award to someone who has had
3510-448: The Grand Prix. Film Fest Gent honours two directors with a Joseph Plateau Honorary Award: Andrea Arnold and Harry Kümel. Notable guests at FFG2021 include Pablo Larraín, Leos Carax, Ari Folman, Miguel Gomes, Radu Jude and Avi Mograbi. The World Soundtrack Awards welcomes Max Richter as guest of honour. Nainita Desai wins the award for Discovery of the Year. Greek composer Eleni Karaindrou receives
3600-577: The Greek film world, which has been revived internationally since the “Greek Weird Wave”. Looking back at a tumultuous past, the ‘Classics’ are entirely devoted to the oeuvre of Theo Angelopoulos. The festival opens with the Belgian thriller La Civil by Teodora Ana Mihai. Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch closes the programme. As a theme, the festival highlights positive aggression with the programme tag 'Why We Fight', while supporting non-profit organisation Touché. Gaspar Noé’s emotionally overwhelming film Vortex wins
3690-469: The Joseph Plateau Honorary Award, the author-director Pedro Costa and the French actress-director Maïwenn . During this edition, the festival wanted to show solidarity with filmmakers, cinemas and colleagues who had to cancel their festivals due to the health crisis. All participants and audiences wore masks. The year also marked the 20th anniversary of the World Soundtrack Awards, which took place online and
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3780-600: The Lifetime Achievement Award. The main prize at WSA (Film Composer of the Year) goes to Daniel Pemberton. The 49th Film Fest Gent features a challenging programme of films from around the globe. 'Veerkracht' (resilience) forms one of the themes of the festival, linked to a solidarity action for the OverKop house in Ghent. Because of its enormous popularity and quality, this edition puts a spotlight on South Korean cinema, with
3870-548: The Netherlands with the northern Dutch for 15 years. In this period, Ghent established its own university (1816) and a new connection to the sea (1824–27). After the Belgian Revolution , with the loss of port access to the sea for more than a decade, the local economy collapsed, and the first Belgian trade union originated in Ghent. In 1913 there was a world exhibition in Ghent . As a preparation for these festivities,
3960-512: The Pious , son of Charlemagne , appointed Einhard , the biographer of Charlemagne, abbot of both abbeys. The city grew from several nuclei, the abbeys, and a commercial centre. However, in 851 and 879 the city was plundered by Vikings . Under the protection of the County of Flanders the city recovered and flourished from the 11th century, growing to become a small city-state . By the 13th century, Ghent
4050-616: The Studio Skoop, and Dirk De Meyer of the Ghent University Film Club. Their aim was to programme films that did not get a chance in the regular cinemas because of their content and style. The first small-scale edition had about twenty titles on the menu and was screened in Studio Skoop and in the Capitool. The programme included Solaris by Andrei Tarkovsky and Winter Wind by Miklós Jancsó , films that provoke, innovate and cast
4140-565: The World Soundtrack Academy in 2001. During the 2001 edition, the WSA presented the first World Soundtrack Awards . None other than the legendary John Williams received the first Film Composer of the Year Award. The purpose of the WSA is and remains to form an international community for film composers and professionals who promote the art of film music through a series of activities, such as
4230-400: The World Soundtrack Awards as well, the most important awards for film music. The Grand Prix is awarded by an international jury and represents a distribution premium of and a media campaign worth . The Georges Delerue Award honours the film with the best soundtrack or sound design. This prize is awarded by an international jury to a film from the international competition. The prize includes
4320-468: The annual presentation of the World Soundtrack Awards. In 2002, the WSA decided to organise an annual composition contest for young talents. The participants write a new score to an existing film or TV fragment. The 2000s also saw many prominent guests at the film festival, including Jean Reno , Juliette Binoche , Jeanne Moreau , Blair Underwood , Maurice Jarre , Paul Verhoeven , Darren Aronofsky , Tom Tykwer and Kathleen Turner . In September 2007,
4410-514: The area around Sleepstraat (known for its many Turkish restaurants). The composition of the 2018 – 2024 city council: Much of the city's medieval architecture remains intact and is remarkably well preserved and restored. Its centre is a carfree area . Highlights are St. Bavo's Cathedral with the Ghent Altarpiece , the belfry , the Gravensteen castle , and the splendid architecture along
4500-436: The blind and visually impaired. Professionals also got more involved by organising 'The Day of the Film Profession' and a physical Press & Industry Office. Meanwhile, film school students could obtain accreditation for the festival, with the aim of stimulating the formation of a new generation of filmmakers. From 2010 onwards, each edition would feature a curated exhibition around an icon of film history. The first exhibition
4590-431: The centenary of Chaplin's iconic character of the tramp with screenings of The Circus (in Kuipke Ghent with live music) and The Gold Rush (in the Stadshal of Ghent). Erik Van Looy 's much hyped film Loft opened the festival and later became one of the greatest Belgian films of all time (in its own country). The annual exhibition was entirely devoted to the oeuvre of Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini . To enhance
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#17330942402134680-423: The central and southern part of the city. As the largest city in East Flanders, Ghent has four large hospitals, numerous schools, and shopping streets. Flanders Expo , the biggest event hall in Flanders and the second biggest in Belgium, is also located in Ghent. Tourism is becoming a major employer in the local area. As one of the largest cities in Belgium, Ghent has a highly developed transport system. By car
4770-416: The central country, promoted itself with Claudia Cardinale on the campaign image. The music section drew attention to the centenary of jazz with a Symphonic Jazz Concert and the laudation of trumpeter and jazz musician Terence Blanchard at the WSA. The 2018 edition of Film Fest Ghent had a Hungarian focus, and a retrospective was organised presenting the films of Miklós Jancsó . That edition kicked off with
4860-419: The city after the 1539 Revolt of Ghent and obliged the city's nobles to walk in front of the Emperor barefoot with a noose (Dutch: "strop" ) around the neck; since this incident, the people of Ghent have been called " Stroppendragers " (noose bearers). St. Bavo's Abbey (not to be confused with the nearby St. Bavo's Cathedral) was abolished, torn down, and replaced with a fortress for Royal Spanish troops. Only
4950-399: The city is accessible via two motorways: In addition, Ghent also has two ringways: Five railway stations can be found in the municipality of Ghent: Ghent has an extensive network of public transport lines, operated by De Lijn . Festival of Flanders The Festival of Flanders has its roots in Tongeren , Limburg , where Jan Briers organized the Basilica-concerts from 1958 in
5040-400: The city of Ghent proper and the surrounding suburbs of Afsnee , Desteldonk , Drongen , Gentbrugge , Ledeberg , Mariakerke , Mendonk , Oostakker , Sint-Amandsberg , Sint-Denijs-Westrem , Sint-Kruis-Winkel , Wondelgem and Zwijnaarde . With 269,191 inhabitants at the end of 2023, Ghent is Belgium's second largest municipality by number of inhabitants. The metropolitan area , including
5130-412: The closing film The Boy and the Heron. Los delincuentes by Rodrigo Moreno wins the Grand Prix for best film. A Joseph Plateau Honorary Award is presented posthumously to director Terence Davies. For this anniversary edition, past and present come together thanks to Classics curator Patrick Duynslaegher. He delved into the Film Fest Gent archives and distilled a programme of films and filmmakers who have made
5220-415: The competition to short films from all over the world, giving short films the full attention they deserve. The festival was the first in the world to emphasise the importance of film music. Over the years it has organised classical concerts, silent film projections with live music, seminars on film music and hosted important composers. The festival continued to play this pioneering role in the 2000s. In 2000,
5310-421: The confluence of the Scheldt and the Leie going back as far as the Stone Age and the Iron Age . Most historians believe that the older name for Ghent, 'Ganda', is derived from the Celtic word ganda , which means ' confluence ', or 'river mouth', referring to the Leie river debouching into the Scheldt . Other sources connect its name with an obscure deity named Gontia . There are no written records of
5400-514: The essential backbone of the festival. The creation of this non-profit organisation ensured that the authorities (the city of Ghent, the province of East Flanders, the federal and (later) the Flemish government) would participate and contribute financially. Within this structure, John Bultinck became the very first chairman. In this period, the festival was booming due to further internationalisation and an impressive guest list. Amongst others, King Hu , Maximillian Schell and Bertrand Tavernier paid
5490-406: The exhibition, a concert was organised with film music by Nino Rota for Fellini's films. The following editions paid special attention to British, Nordic, Italian, Hungarian and Spanish cinema. In 2016, Japan took centre stage and Film Fest Ghent welcomed composer Ryuichi Sakamoto to the World Soundtrack Awards Gala where he received the Lifetime Achievement Award. The 2017 edition, with Italy as
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#17330942402135580-415: The festival figured as a hallmark of high-quality cinema. The year of 1985 marked the beginning of the mass development of the film festival. Both organisationally and financially, the festival evolved into a cultural event of the first order. The significant growth of the event was enabled by a permanent team working on the festival all year round. Moreover, the team managed to develop a long-term vision for
5670-419: The festival to perform their work. In 1985, the festival presented its first Joseph Plateau Award during the Night of Film. The prize is named after the professor Joseph Plateau from Ghent and is awarded to Belgian film makers who have made a significant contribution to the Belgian film industry. Later the prize would evolve into the Joseph Plateau Honorary Award, a lifetime achievement award for someone from
5760-470: The film composer Hans Zimmer was convinced to come to Ghent for his first-ever live performance of his film scores in the presence of Morgan Freeman and Lisa Gerrard . The need to put all the contacts between composers, musicians and agents who attend the festival each year into a fixed structure grew bigger. This is why the festival (led by Jacques Dubrulle, music projects coordinator Marian Ponnet and Brussels Philharmonic conductor Dirk Brossé ) launched
5850-436: The film festival underwent a few changes. Founder Jacques Dubrulle left the organisation and the power within the board was redistributed. The festival underwent a real transformation and celebrated this festive year with a new name: Film Fest Ghent. The very first edition under the new name focused on American Independent Cinema. During the festival Dubrulle received the Joseph Plateau Honorary Award for his years of commitment to
5940-403: The film festival. In search of an identity and a place of its own in an overcrowded film festival calendar, brainstorming sessions were held together with Festival of Flanders , a festival dedicated to classical music. As a result, film music became an important focus of the film festival. In 1985, the International Film Event of Flanders-Ghent organised an international competition with a jury for
6030-417: The first time. André Delvaux , Michael White, Simon Heyworth, Alain Pierre and Loek Dikker were members of the first jury. The main theme of the competition was 'the impact of music on film', a theme that was not on the agenda of any other film festival in the world. Besides the competition, the festival also decided to organise silent film screenings with newly composed music that was performed live. One of
6120-834: The gala, Film Fest Ghent and the World Soundtrack Academy honoured the renowned Belgian film music composer Frédéric Devreese with a live performance of his music for films such as Un soir, un train and Benvenuta . During the period of 2013 to 2019, the following guests found their way to Film Fest Ghent: Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Bret Easton Ellis , Sergei Loznitsa , Yorgos Lanthimos , Colin Farrell , Sir Alan Parker , Michael Nyman , Craig Armstrong , Alan Silvestri , Ryuichi Sakamoto , Kôji Fukada , Terence Davies , Tran Anh Hung , Ken Loach , Olivier Assayas , Derek Cianfrance , Asghar Farhadi , Isabelle Huppert , Leila Hatami , Geraldine Chaplin , Rian Johnson , Thomas Vinterberg , John C. Reilly , Jacques Audiard , Terence Blanchard and Jayro Bustamante . In 2020, Film Fest Ghent
6210-414: The guest of honour. The Lifetime Achievement Award goes to French composer Bruno Coulais. Eiko Ishibashi receives the Discovery of the Year Award in addition. In 2023, Film Fest Gent celebrates its 50th edition with a make-over. Inspired by the spinning movement of a film reel, the new logo exudes dynamism. The vibrant colours and movement reflect the diversity of the festival programme. On top of that, FFG
6300-517: The highlights was the performance of a new score by Georges Delerue for the Russian Casanova (1927) in 1987. Delerue conducted the work himself in a packed Ghent opera. That same year Ennio Morricone gave a concert in a sold-out Kuipke in Ghent. This way, the film festival became an established name in the film music circuit. Other internationally renowned composers such as Jean-Claude Petit , Nicola Piovani , Peer Raben , Stanley Myers, Carl Davis , Bruce Broughton and Michael Nyman also attended
6390-425: The industrial strength of Ghent with recreations of workshops and stores from the 1800s and original spinning and weaving machines that remain from the time when the building was a weaving mill. The Ghent City Museum (Stadsmuseum, abbreviated STAM), is committed to recording and explaining the city's past and its inhabitants, and to preserving the present for future generations. NTGent is the city theatre of Ghent,
6480-638: The international film world. In 1992 Jacques Dubrulle and his team decided to change the name 'Filmgebeuren' into 'Film Festival'. During the 90s the International Film Festival of Flanders-Ghent even received several film titles in European or world premieres and hosted big names such as Willem Dafoe , Samuel Fuller , Terry Gilliam , Anthony Perkins , Charlotte Rampling , Paul Schrader , Frederick Wiseman , Patricia Arquette , Kenneth Branagh , Mel Brooks , Crispin Clover , Paul Cox , Atom Egoyan etc. In March 1993
6570-469: The more comprehensive 'Festival of Flanders'. The organization was actively supported by the newly emancipated Flemish "cultural autonomy" . Especially in Brussels they wanted to exhibit "serious" Flemish culture. Partly because of this, they could bring prestigious orchestras and big names to Flanders. At the same time it gave the festival a somewhat elitist character. In the nineties, they began to see
6660-445: The more fiery side, the famous 'Tierenteyn', a hot but refined mustard that has some affinity to French 'Dijon' mustard. Stoverij is a classic Flemish meat stew, preferably made with a generous addition of brown 'Trappist' (strong abbey beer) and served with French fries. ' Waterzooi ' is a local stew originally made from freshwater fish caught in the rivers and creeks of Ghent, but nowadays often made with chicken instead of fish. It
6750-486: The musical programme was introduced: in 1993 the festival organised a symposium on film music for the first time. Despite the fact that film music did not immediately steal the spotlight in the media, it was an important step for the International Film Festival of Flanders-Ghent to acquire a pilot function. The festival aimed to support young composers and to safeguard the preservation and evolution of film music. The godfather of Belgian film music, Frédéric Devreese , conducted
6840-461: The northern suburbs and the industrial area cleared over the following days by the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division . After the fusions of municipalities in 1965 and 1977, the city is made up of following sub-municipalities : The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Ghent has
6930-399: The old Graslei harbour. Ghent has established a blend between comfort of living and history; it is not a city-museum. The city of Ghent also houses three béguinages and numerous churches including St. Jacob's Church, St. Nicholas' Church , St. Michael's Church and St. Stefanus' Church . In the 19th century Ghent's most famous architect, Louis Roelandt , built the university hall Aula,
7020-563: The opera house, and the main courthouse. Highlights of modern architecture are the university buildings (the Boekentoren or Book Tower) by Henry Van de Velde . There are also a few theatres from diverse periods. The beguinages, as well as the belfry and adjacent cloth hall, were recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites in 1998 and 1999. The Zebrastraat , a social experiment in which an entirely renovated site unites living, economy, and culture, can also be found in Ghent. Campo Santo
7110-473: The organisation of Film Fest Ghent. From this period onwards, the organisation of Film Fest Ghent decided to support a good cause every edition, with the goal of raising money and bringing films to an audience that cannot always afford to go to the cinema. The following year, the festival focused on French cinema. Catherine Deneuve (in Belle de jour ) was on the official festival poster. The festival also celebrated
7200-436: The outer commuter zone, covers an area of 1,205 km (465 sq mi) and had a total population of 560,522 as of 1 January 2018, which ranks it as the fourth most populous in Belgium. The current mayor of Ghent is Mathias De Clercq ( Open Vld ). The ten-day-long Ghent Festival ( Gentse Feesten ) is held every year and attended by about 1–1.5 million visitors. Archaeological evidence shows human presence around
7290-503: The period of 2007 to 2012: Clint Mansell , Woody Harrelson , Richard Jenkins , Andy Garcia , Kevin Costner , Shigeru Umebayashi , László Nemes , Tim Robbins , Paul Greengrass , Jim Sheridan , François Ozon , Norman Jewison , Seth Rogen , Isabelle Huppert , Ezra Miller , Emmannuelle Riva , Paolo & Vittori Taviani , Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne etc. The 40th edition of the film festival took place in 2013. During this year,
7380-513: The persistence of vision, which became the basic principle behind the idea of “moving images”. Ghent Ghent ( Dutch : Gent [ɣɛnt] ; French : Gand [ɡɑ̃] ; historically known as Gaunt in English) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium . It is the capital and largest city of the province of East Flanders , and
7470-517: The premiere of Girl , one of the most lauded Belgian films with, among others, a Caméra d'Or for director Lukas Dhont at the Cannes Film Festival . There also were some new things to discover in terms of music. Vooruit and Film Fest Ghent presented a unique crossover between film and music called 'Videodroom', which became an annual part of the festival. Guest of honour at the WSA was Carter Burwell , mainly known for his collaborations with
7560-666: The third largest in the country, after Brussels and Antwerp . It is a port and university city. The city originally started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Leie . In the Late Middle Ages Ghent became one of the largest and richest cities of northern Europe , with some 50,000 people in 1300. After the late 16th century Ghent became a less important city, resulting in an extremely well-preserved historic centre, that now makes Ghent an important destination of tourism. The municipality comprises
7650-438: The time, the event encountered several organisational and financial problems despite the success of the initiative. The festival thus needed a fresh and new organisational structure in order to reach international maturity. Jacques Dubrulle, active in film production and communication, gave a fresh impetus to the suffering festival. He developed a much-needed structure and in 1979 he founded a non-profit organisation that served as
7740-469: Was able to be followed around the world via livestream . Gabriel Yared performed his compositions live, and audiences could see the reactions from composers such as Alexandre Desplat , Hildur Guðnadóttir and Nicholas Britell . For the occasion, Screen magazine published a supplement to the World Soundtrack Awards, highlighting the history of the awards and guests of honour Desplat, Yared and Michael Abels . The 48th edition of Film Fest Gent explores
7830-405: Was dedicated to the French film maker Jacques ' Monsieur Hulot ' Tati. The following year, former film journalist Patrick Duynslaegher became the artistic director of the festival. In his first edition, Scandinavia took centre stage and the legendary Ingmar Bergman figured as the subject of a retrospective and the annual exhibition. Many renowned talents from the film industry visited Ghent during
7920-691: Was forced to adapt the festival to a different format, due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The team opted for a hybrid festival with both physical screenings and screenings on a VOD platform. The programme focused on German cinema , and also included a new section entitled "Official Selection: Masters & New Voices". The retrospective was dedicated to the Neue Deutsche Welle , with films by Fassbinder , Herzog , Wenders , Margarethe von Trotta , Helma Sanders-Brahms and others. The most important international guests were actor-director Viggo Mortensen , who presented his directorial debut Falling and received
8010-487: Was organised. In 2019, the short film competition was reformed into an international competition, with the International Short Film Award as the main prize. Under the name 'Het Eerste Internationaal Filmgebeuren van Gent' (or 'Ghent's First International Film Event'), the very first 'Film Fest Ghent' took place from 25 to 31 January 1974. The driving forces behind the initiative were Ben Ter Elst, manager of
8100-554: Was the biggest city in Europe north of the Alps after Paris ; it was bigger than Cologne or Moscow . Up to 65,000 people lived within the city walls. The belfry and the towers of the St. Bavo's Cathedral and St. Nicholas' Church are just a few examples of the skyline of the period. The rivers flowed in an area where much land was periodically flooded. These rich grass 'meersen' (" water-meadows ":
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