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AWARDS Belgium

Debut films feature heavily in the nominations for the 2017 Magrittes

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- The seventh edition of the Magritte Awards will take place on 4 February and will give top billing to feature debuts by promising young directors

Debut films feature heavily in the nominations for the 2017 Magrittes
Death by Death by Xavier Seron

The André Delvaux Academy has announced the nominees for the 22 trophies set to be handed out at the seventh Magritte Awards ceremony, which will be held on 4 February. The list of nominees stands as a testament to the tremendous vitality of young Belgian cinema over the last few months. Straight away, we see two international champions of Belgian film locking horns: Joachim Lafosse and his After Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Joachim Lafosse
film profile
]
will be competing with Bouli Lanners and his The First, The Last [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bouli Lanners
film profile
]
in the race for the three top awards, Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay (they have both already won the first two trophies for Loving Without Reason [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Joachim Lafosse
film profile
]
and The Giants [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Bouli Lanners
film profile
]
, respectively). But somewhat surprisingly, they will be going head to head with three debut films: Death by Death [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Xavier Seron
film profile
]
by Xavier Seron, Keeper [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Guillaume Senez ­
interview: Kacey Mottet Klein
film profile
]
by Guillaume Senez and Parasol [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Valéry Rosier. These three movies may be very different from one another, but all remain true to the universe of their respective directors and serve to nurture the hopes placed in the auteurs themselves. Incidentally, we should point out that in addition to being nominated in the main categories, these films have also received nods in an impressive number of the technical categories.

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This state of affairs showcases a generational rejuvenation which is particularly pleasing. Nevertheless, the only fly in the ointment is that The Unknown Girl [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
film profile
]
by the Dardenne brothers has been snubbed and will not be duking it out on the 4th. We should also highlight the minimal nominations for another promising debut movie, Baden Baden [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Rachel Lang (including Best Female Newcomer for Salomé Richard, who was shortlisted for the same award at the Césars).

Meanwhile, we also observe the rise of some new faces in the acting categories. While we do find a few bankable stars and other regulars (such as Bouli Lanners, François Damiens, Virginie Efira and Marie Gillain), other more unusual profiles are also starting to break through, such as Jean-Jacques Rausin (Death by Death) and Aboubakr Bensaihi (Black [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fal…
interview: Martha Canga Antonio
film profile
]
), both of whom were astonishing in their first major film roles, as well as Astrid Whettnall, who bowled us over in Road to Istanbul [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
.

For once, this year the forecasts will be particularly unpredictable, so be sure to tune in on 4 February to find out the results.

Here is the complete list of nominees for the seventh Magritte Awards:

Best Film
Death by Death [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Xavier Seron
film profile
]
- Xavier Seron
Keeper [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Guillaume Senez ­
interview: Kacey Mottet Klein
film profile
]
- Guillaume Senez
After Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Joachim Lafosse
film profile
]
- Joachim Lafosse
The First, The Last [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bouli Lanners
film profile
]
- Bouli Lanners
Parasol [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Valéry Rosier

Best Debut Film
Death by Death - Xavier Seron
Keeper - Guillaume Senez
Parasol - Valéry Rosier

Best Director
Xavier Seron - Death by Death
Joachim Lafosse - After Love
Bouli Lanners - The First, The Last
Valéry Rosier - Parasol

Best Flemish Film
Belgica [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Artemio Benki, Sylvie Leray
interview: Felix Van Groeningen
film profile
]
- Felix van Groeningen
Black [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fal…
interview: Martha Canga Antonio
film profile
]
- Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah
Problemski Hotel [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
- Manu Riche
The Land of the Enlightened [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Pieter-Jan De Pue

Best Co-produced Film
As I Open My Eyes [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Leyla Bouzid
film profile
]
- Leyla Bouzid
Eternity [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
- Tran Anh Hung
The Red Turtle [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Michael Dudok de Wit
Cowboys [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Thomas Bidegain

Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation
Xavier Seron – Death by Death
Guillaume Senez, David Lambert – Keeper
Joachim Lafosse – After Love
Bouli Lanners – The First, The Last

Best Actress
Astrid Whettnall – Road to Istanbul [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]

Marie Gillain - Mirage d’Amour [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hubert Toint
film profile
]

Jo Deseure - Un homme à la mer [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]

Virginie Efira – In Bed with Victoria [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Justine Triet
film profile
]

Best Actor
Aboubakr Bensaihi – Black
Jean-Jacques Rausin – Death by Death
François Damiens - Cowboys
Bouli Lanners – The First, The Last

Best Supporting Actress
Virginie Efira - Elle [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]

Catherine Salée – Keeper
Anne Coesens - La Taularde [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]

Julienne Goeffers – Parasol

Best Supporting Actor
Laurent Capelluto – I Am a Soldier [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laurent Larivière
film profile
]

Sam Louwyck – Keeper
David Murgia – The First, The Last
Charlie Dupont – Odd Job [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]

Best Female Newcomer
Ghalia Benali – As I Open My Eyes
Salomé Richard - Baden Baden
Martha Canga Antonio – Black
Jade and Margaux Soentjens – After Love

Best Male Newcomer
Lazare Gousseau - Baden Baden
Pierre Olivier - Nous Quatre
Yoann Blanc - Un homme à la mer
Martin Nissen - Welcome Home [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]

Best Cinematography
Manu Dacosse - Evolution [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]

Benoît Debie – The Dancer [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]

Jean-Paul De Zaeytijd – The First, The Last
Olivier Boonjing – Parasol
(
This year, the Best Cinematography category comprises four nominees owing to ties)

Best Sound
Arnaud Calvar, Julien Mizac and Philippe Charbonnel – Death by Death
Virginie Messiaen and Franco Piscopo – Keeper
Nils Fauth and Peter Soldan – The Red Turtle [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]

Best Production Design
Véronique Sacrez – Eternity
Florin Dima – Keeper
Paul Rouschop The First, The Last

Best Costumes
Sandra Campisi - Baden Baden
Nina Caspari – Black
Elise Ancion The First, The Last

Best Original Score
Hannes De Maeyer – Black
Catherine Graindorge Rising Voices [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]

Cyrille de Haes and Manuel Roland – Parasol

Best Editing
Julie Naas Death by Death
Julie Brenta – Keeper
Nicolas Rumpl – Parasol

Best Animated Short
Estate - Ronny Trocker
Pornography - Eric Ledune
Totems - Paul Jadoul

Best Short Fiction
A l’arraché - Emmanuelle Nicot
Le Plombier - Méryl Fortunat-Rossi and Xavier Seron
Les Amoureuses - Catherine Cosme

Best Documentary
En bataille, portrait d’une directrice de prison - Eve Duchemin
Intégration Inch’Allah - Pablo Muñoz Gomez
La Terre Abandonnée - Gilles Laurent

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(Translated from French)

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