Between 14 and 25 October Film Fest Gent once again offers a wide range of films by both new talent and established directors. As each year, several film music concerts, panels and director's talks will be held this fall in Ghent. Next to the section Cinéma français there will be a focus on Fellini through an impressive exhibit, a screening of a restored version of 'La Dolce Vita' and a Rota/ Fellini concert. The highlights of the programme are briefly presented below.

Tickets will be on sale from 27 October. 

Opening night: 'The Loft' by Erik Van Looy

The 41st edition of Film Fest Gent will open on Tuesday 14 October with 'The Loft': Erik Van Looy’s long-awaited American remake of the phenomenal success 'Loft' by Bart De Pauw and Erik Van Looy. In 'The Loft' five married friends secretly share a loft, where they receive their girlfriends and mistresses. An excellent scheme that turns out into a nightmare, when one morning they find the body of an anonymous woman. The film will have it's world premiere at Film Fest Gent and will be released in the US next January.

Soirée Ciné: 'Une nouvelle amie' by François Ozon

Acclaimed director François Ozon delivers his sixteenth feature in nearly 17 years. The film follows Clair (Anaïs Demoustier) after the death of her best friend. She falls into a deep depression but a surprising discovery about the husband of her late best friend (Romain Duris) changes everything. Ozon himself will be attending this special evening that will be the highlight of the focus on Cinéma français on 18 October. 

Official Competition

The festival presents a selection of the best of international cinema today, mainly including features by fresh and contemporary filmmakers. An international jury consisting of Bret Easton Ellis, Héloïse Godet, Dana Linssen, Sergei Loznitsa and Patrice Toye, will award the Best Film and the Best Score, Soundtrack of Sound Design. Take a look at all the competition films.

Section: Cinéma français

A showcase of a highly talented new generation of French filmmakers and actors. A new Nouvelle Vague, if you like. With up and coming actor Vincent Macaigne ('Tonnerre' en 'Tristesse Club') and new work by Laurent Cantet, Bruno Dumont and the first feature in 3D by legend and innovator Jean-Luc Godard. Find the list of French films on our website.

Belgian Cinema Today

Ten features by homegrown filmmakers with a higly distinctive approach to the medium. Four debuts confirm the diverstity of the "Flemish wave". Three Belgian films will compete in the international competition: ‘Je suis à toi’ by David Lambert, 'Violet' by Bas Devos and 'Waste Land' by Pieter Van Hees. Look at the festival's trails. 

Focus on Fellini

In conjunction with a major exhibition on Federico Fellini at the Caermersklooster Provincial Cultural Centre, Film Fest Gent is shining a light on the world of Fellini through various events. Bijloke Music Centre is hosting the Concert Rota/Fellini with symphonic music from Nino Rota performed by Brussels Philharmonic and conducted by Dirk Brossé on 23 October.

Official Closing Night: 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)' by Alejandro González Iñárritu. Iñárritu is back with this beautiful and absurd comedy. Michael Keaton, in a role of a lifetime, plays Riggan Thomson, a washed-up celebrity, famous for his role of Birdman. On Friday 24 October, the festival will sign off in style with an exclusive event after the screening, with a special musical guest appearance by WSAwards' central guest Cliff Martinez.

World Soundtrack Awards Ceremony & Concert

In line with tradition, Film Fest Gent will end with a festive event: the World Soundtrack Awards, the annual film music event that has now reached its 14th edition. This year’s guest of honour is Cliff Martinez, American film music composer and former drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. The WSAwards also welcomes Dan Romer, Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Francis Lai and Belgian composer Jef Neve. All info and tickets on the website of WSAwards.

Chaplin's The Tramp centennial

Film Fest Gent is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Charlie Chaplin’s the Tramp with an exceptional open air screening of 'The Gold Rush' and a family film concert of 'The Circus' performed by Prima La Musica and conducted by Music Director Dirk Brossé. All info on the centennial can be found on our website.

Roger Donaldson, whose The November Man recently hit theaters, is planning a new adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's 1929 novel All Quiet on the Western Front. Variety brings word today that Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell are providing the screenplay.

A detailed account of World War I, told from the perspective of a German officer, All Quiet on the Western Front has previously been adapted twice for the big screen. Lewis Milestone helmed a 1930 version and Delbert Mann directed a television version with "The Waltons" star Paul Baumer in the lead.

Set to begin production in March in Europe, All Quiet on the Western Front will be produced by Paterson and Stokell as well as Radar Pictures Ted Field, Michael Napoliello and Mike Weber.

Controversial. Groundbreaking. Daring. Extraordinary. Explicit. Shocking. Romance, directed by Catherine Breillart, is all this and more. And now, after a long absence from the shelves, the film is finally returning to DVD, courtesy of Second Sight. 

The film, originally released in 1999, drew as many shocked gasps from critics as it did plaudits when it first opened. It also troubled censors in the UK and around the world as it blurred the lines between art and pornography with its searingly honest depiction of a woman embarking on a series of increasingly explicit sexual encounters. 

Romance, which stars a bona fide adult film star in the shape of Rocco Siffredi, is being released uncut on DVD on 10 November 2014. 

A teacher, Marie (Caroline Ducey) is happy living with her boyfriend, but their relationship lacks intimacy and, desperate for physical affection, she sets off to find it elsewhere, in a series of ever-more extreme encounters with strangers…

Romance is one of the most divisive and notorious films of modern cinema.

NOW AVAILABLE ON DEMAND & DIGITAL, TO OWN AND RENT

AVAILABLE ON DVD 6th OCTOBER

Arrow Films, the distributors of such acclaimed Nordic titles as The Killing, The Bridge, Borgen, The Hunt, A Hijacking and Love Is All You Need, are pleased to announce the DVD release of The Hour of the Lynx available on demand & digital from 22nd September and on = DVD from 6th October 2014.

Reuniting Sofie Gråbøl and Soren Malling on-screen for the first time since The Killing Season 1, The Hour of the Lynx is an-all new feature-length classic Nordic Noir tale. 45-year-old priest Helen is approached by scientist Lisbeth in a desperate plea for help. When a young man, who has been sent to a high security psychiatric ward after having killed an old couple, has attempted suicide while rambling about God.

Having been part of an experiment attempting to humanize inmates by assigning those pets, the young man has suddenly gone ballistic. Fearing that he will attempt suicide again priest and scientist must now confront their mutual animosities while trying to grasp the truth. In a race against time the two women begin a shocking journey deeper and deeper into the sick mind of a young man’s soul. What they are about to realize will change them forever.

From 5^th November on Pride will hit the Belgian film theatres.

Director:Matthew Warchus
Stars:Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West

U.K. gay activists work to help miners during their lengthy strike of the National Union of Mineworkers in the summer of 1984.
"Warm and witty, with terrific performances"- The Guardian
"Terrific"- The Times

DUTCH VERSION

Een film van Matthew WARCHUS.
Met een grote ensemble cast bestaande uit bekende Britse acteurs als Bill NIGHY ('Love Actually'), Imelda STAUNTON ('Vera Drake') en Dominic WEST ('The Wire') en nieuwe talenten als Ben SCHNETZER ('The Riot Club') en George MACKEY

Een inspirerende komedie gebaseerd op waargebeurde feiten.

Het is de zomer van 1984 - Margaret Thatcher is aan de macht en de Britse mijnwerkersbond staakt. Tijdens de Gay Pride in Londen, besluit een groep homoseksuele activisten geld op te halen om de families van de stakende mijnwerkers te ondersteunen. Maar ze stuiten op een probleem: de bond lijkt gegeneerd om hun steun te ontvangen.

De actievoerders laten zich echter niet uit hun lood slaan. Ze besluiten de bond te negeren en de mijnwerkers rechtstreeks te benaderen. Ze trekken in een klein busje naar een mijnwerkersdorp op het platteland van Wales om hun donatie persoonlijk te overhandigen.

Een buitengewoon verhaal over twee totaal verschillende gemeenschappen die zich, ondanks alle vooroordelen, verenigen voor een gezamenlijk doel.

Release in België op 5 november 2014