20/04/2011

The Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film closed on April 19, after 12 days of horrors, shudders and laughter. Asia and the United States dominated the international competition, with the Grand Prize awarded unanimously to Korean director Ji-Woon Kim for his chilling film I Saw the Devil.

The only two European films in the international competition did, however, pick up honours in the European competition. The Silver Méliès was awarded to Transfer by Croatian-born German director Damir Lukacevic.

Transfer centres on the parallel lives of four characters who share their bodies. In the near future, two Germans in their 70s decide to carry out a personality transfer. For 20 hours a day, their souls borrow the healthy, young and beautiful bodies of an African couple, who take part in the swap to give their children a brighter future than their own.

Obviously, what appears straightforward on paper is a little less so “in the flesh”. The film will go on to compete for the Golden Méliès at Sitges in October.

Norway’s André Ovredal took home a Special Mention for The Troll Hunter [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andre Øvredal
film profile], a mockumentary in the vein of Man Bites Dog, confirming the fine form of Scandinavian fantasy films.

The Audience Award went to another Scandinavian title, Finnish director Jalmari Helander’s blood-curdling comedy Rare Exports [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jalmari Helander
film profile], which centres on a rather stubborn father Christmas.

Spanish fantasy cinema was particularly well represented with four films in the different competitions. In the thriller category, a Special Mention was awarded to Miguel Angel Vivas’s film Kidnapped [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

Finally, the 7th Parallel Award went to Veiko Ounpuu’s Estonian film Temptation of St Tony [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile].

(Translated from French)