17/08/2011

At its closing ceremony, the Ostend Film Festival (September 2-10, 2011) will host the 2nd Vlaamse Filmprijzen (Flanders Film Awards). The jury, made up of Flemish professionals (photographer Lieve Blancquaert, Studio 100 CEO Hans Bourlon, journalist Phara de Aguirre, actress Els Dottermans, musician Piet Goddaer, better known as Ozark Henry, writer Jan Mulder and film director Christophe Van Rompaey – Moscow, Belgium [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]), will pick the best film, as well as best director, best actors in leading and supporting roles, best cinematographer, best score, best screenplay and best debut film.

Last year, Félix Van Groeningen’s The Misfortunates [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Felix van Groeningen
film profile] unsurprisingly swept up five of the eight prizes up for grabs. This year, Hans Van Nuffel’s Oxygen [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Michaël R. Roskam’s Bullhead [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bart Van Langendonck
interview: Michaël R. Roskam
film profile] share half the nominations, nine for the former, eight for the latter.

Both titles are vying for Best Film of course, as well as Best Director, Best Debut Film, Best Screenplay, Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Actor in a Supporting Role. While Bullhead is nominated for Best Cinematography for the work of DoP Nicolas Karakatsanis, Oxygen has had its original soundtrack nominated for Best Score. Finally, the two films stand out due to the importance they give to their supporting roles, which dominate all the nominations, for both actors and actresses.

Among the other nominees is Vanja D’Alcantara’s Beyond the Steppes, which holds its own in this tidal wave with its four nominations, including for Best Debut Film. These nominations are the logical conclusion to this year of Flemish cinema, which has seen the phenomenal success of Bullhead with almost 0.5m admissions (and a US remake currently shooting in New Orleans!), and the impressive festival run enjoyed by Oxygen, which also found an audience in theatres with over 120,000 viewers.

Best Film
Oxygen
Frits & Freddy
Bullhead

Best Director
Vanja D’Alcantara - Beyond The Steppes
Michaël R. Roskam - Bullhead
Hans Van Nuffel - Oxygen

Best Screenplay
Marc Punt - Frits & Freddy
Michaël R. Roskam - Bullhead
J-Cl. Van Ryckeghem et Hans Van Nuffel - Oxygen

Best Cinematography
Ruben Impens - Beyond The Steppes
Glynn Speeckaert - 22nd of May [+see also:
trailer
film profile]
Nicolas Karakatsanis - Bullhead

Best Score
Bert Ostyn - Turquaze
Spinvis & Geike Arnaert - Oxygen
Mike Gallagher - 22nd of May

Best Actor
Stef Aerts - Oxygen
Matthias Schoenaerts - Bullhead
Tom Van Dyck - Frits & Freddy

Best Supporting Actor
Wouter Hendrickx - Oxygen
Sam Louwyck - Bullhead
Jeroen Perceval - Bullhead

Best Actress
Agnieszka Grochowski - Beyond The Steppes
Hande Kodja - Marieke Marieke
Charlotte Vandermeersch - Turquaze

Best Supporting Actress
Barbara Sarafian - Marieke Marieke
Anemone Valcke - Oxygen
Marie Vinck - Oxygen

Best Debut Film
Vanja D’Alcantara - Beyond The Steppes
Michaël R. Roskam - Bullhead
Hans Van Nuffel - Oxygen

(Translated from French)