email print share on Facebook share on Twitter share on LinkedIn share on reddit pin on Pinterest

GHENT 2015 Awards

Ixcanul wins the Film Fest Gent

by 

- The debut feature film by Guatemalan director Jayro Bustamante, acclaimed at Berlin, won over the members of the jury presided over by Alan Parker

Ixcanul wins the Film Fest Gent
Ixcanul by Jayro Bustamante

The international jury of the Film Fest Gent, presided over by Alan Parker and made up of Marjane Satrapi, Caroline Strubbe, Boyd van Hoeij and Franco Lolli, decided to award its Grand Prize to a debut film this year. Ixcanul [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jayro Bustamante
film profile
]
delves into the heart of a remote culture, that of the Mayan  Kaqchikel tribe, which lives at the foot of an active volcano deep in the Guatemalan mountains. The film is the story of young 17-year-old Maria, who dreams of being elsewhere and emancipation, a freedom she thinks she’ll find in the United States. But after a failed exile attempt, Maria rediscovers the richness and complexities of the world she was born into. The jury said it was moved by the film’s honesty and grace. Jayro Bustamante, who was born in Guatemala and trained in France, went back to his homeland to meet the people who bring it to life. The film was co-produced by French production company Tu vas voir Production, which notably co-produced Fear [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Damien Odoul, released this summer, and Argentinian film Atlantica. The jury also awarded the Georges Delerue Award for Best Sound Design to Greek film The Lobster [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Yorgos Lanthimos
film profile
]
by Yorgos Lanthimos, which won the Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The Explore Award, which is awarded by a jury of young people, went to Canadian film Sleeping Giant by Andrew Cividino.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Short films were also among the winners of the Festival. The Award for Best European Short, which entitles the winning film to be nominated for the European Film Awards, went to Samuel Lampaert for his film Le Mur, which will therefore participate in the EFA award ceremony in December of this year. Flor de mil colores by Karen Vazques (KASK) won the Award for Best Short Film by a Student, whilst Drôle d’Oiseau by Anouk Fortunier (LUCA) won the Audience Award for Best Short Film by a Student. 

The Festival will come to a close on Saturday 24 October with the World Soundtrack Awards ceremony, which will notably pay tribute to British composers Patrick Doyle and Daniel Pemberton.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

(Translated from French)

Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.

Privacy Policy