The 41st edition of the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival wrapped on Sunday with an awards ceremony which saw two Hungarian productions shining especially bright. Halfway Home [+lee también:
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After three editions heavily impacted by Covid, the BIFFF has clearly found its stride again, not to mention its horde of horror and genre film fans, having attracted upwards of 40,000 viewers in just 10 days, despite the fact that its previous edition only took place 6 months ago in September.

In terms of the international competition, Anglo-Saxon and Japanese films had the inside track: Australian movie Talk to Me by the Philippou brothers bagged the Golden Raven, while the Silver Raven was jointly awarded to Japan’s Makoto Shinkai for Suzume and to Brandon Cronenberg for Infinity Pool [+lee también:
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The White Raven competition was won by Caye Casas’ Spanish movie The Coffee Table, which tells the tale of a couple who rip each other to shreds over a low table of undoubtedly dubious taste which isn’t bringing them the joy and happiness the salesman definitely promised them.

The festival also introduced a brand-new competition this year, dedicated to first and second works, and whose Emerging Raven was bestowed upon American movie Soft & Quiet by Beth de Araújo, which also won the Critics’ Award.

Last but not least, France found itself honoured in the short films category when the international competition’s Grand Prize was awarded to Maël Le Mée’s La Machine d’Alex, while the Silver Méliès for Best Short Film went to Pauline Ouvrard for Jeanne Dinde. Joost Jansen, for his part, triumphed in the Belgian competition on account of his sophisticated animated movie Drifter.

The full list of award-winners is as follows:

International Competition

Golden Raven
Talk to Me - Danny & Michael Philippou (Australia)

Silver Raven (tie-break)
Infinity Pool [+lee también:
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Suzume - Makoto Shinkai (Japan)

Special Mention
Sisu [+lee también:
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European Competition

Silver Méliès
Halfway Home [+lee también:
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Black Raven Competition

Black Raven
The Grandson - Kristóf Deák (Hungary)

White Raven Competition

White Raven
The Coffee Table - Caye Casas (Spain)

Special Mention
Lily Sullivan - Monolith (Australia)

Emerging Raven Competition

Emerging Raven
Soft & Quiet - Beth de Araújo (USA)

Special Mention
Farador - Edouard Albernhe Tremblay (Canada/Belgium)

Short Film Competition

International Grand Prize
La Machine d’Alex - Mael Le Mée (France)

Silver Méliès
Jeanne Dinde - Pauline Ouvrard (France)

Belgian Grand Prize
Drifter - Joost Jansen (Belgium)

Youth Jury Award
Amours noires - Michel Collige (Belgium)

‘La Trois’ Prize
La Femme du contremaître - Marius Chodé (Belgique)

BeTV Prize
Signal - Jérôme Pierrat (Belgium)

Other awards

Critics’ Award
Soft & Quiet - Beth de Araújo

Audience Award
Sisu - Jalmari Helander