Directors Paul Schrader, Terence Davies, Jacqueline Lentzou, Ildikó Enyedi, as well as composers Gabriel Yared, Howard Shore, Jung Jae-il, and Colin Stetson, are just a few of the talented artists recruited by the Film Fest Gent to collaborate of 25 short films, commissioned to celebrate the festival’s 50th edition. Home of the World Soundtrack Awards, the Film Fest Gent has always given special attention to film music, and the 25 short films — available to watch online now — all began with an original piece by a world-famous composer. From this music, each director conjured up images for the resulting short film. It is a bold creative experiment of the kind that the festival has always championed, and continues to champion through a rich programme of more than 100 films, shown in the Belgian city from 10 to 21 October.

Festivities will begin with the opening film, the Venice competition title Holly [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Fien Troch
scheda film] by Belgian director Fien Troch, who has seen all of her films play at the festival. Joining the film in the Galas and Specials category are Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren’s Berlinale title 20,000 Species of Bees [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Estíbaliz Urresola
scheda film], the Telluride premiere All of Us Strangers [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by the UK’s Andrew Haigh, the Sundance-premiered documentary And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Axel Danielson, Maximilien…
scheda film] by Axel Danielson and Maximilien Van Aertryck, the Locarno premiere Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Radu Jude
scheda film] by Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude, Ladj Ly’s Toronto premiere Les Indésirables [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ladj Ly e Giordano Gederlini
scheda film], and the Venice-premiered biopic Ferrari [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Valentina Bellè
scheda film] from US director Michael Mann. Also in this section are several films that first premiered in Cannes, namely the Competition titles About Dry Grasses [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
scheda film] by Turkish master Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Fallen Leaves [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki, The Old Oak [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] from British veteran Ken Loach, Tran Anh Hung’s delectable French Oscar candidate The Taste of Things [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], and Marco Bellocchio’s Kidnapped [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Molly Manning Walker
scheda film] by the UK’s Molly Manning Walker, and Katell Quillévéré’s Cannes Premières title Along Came Love [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Katell Quillévéré
scheda film]. Belgian-Moroccan director Jawad Rhalib’s Amal [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Jawad Rhalib
scheda film] will be having its world premiere in the section. The Boy and the Heron by Hayao Miyazaki will close out the festival.

The films in the Official Competition, meanwhile, will be vying for the Grand Prix for Best Film and the Georges Delerue Award for Best Soundtrack or Sound Design, handed out by an international jury composed of Canadian-American composer Colin Stetson, Ghent-born director Lukas Dhont, Greek director Jacqueline Lentzou, Canadian actress Anne Dorval, Belfast Film Festival International Programmer and film critic Jessica Kiang, French director Sébastien Lifshitz, and Colombia-born director Juanita Onzaga. Competing in the section are, from Locarno, Astrakan [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by French director David Depesseville, the Golden Leopard winner Critical Zone [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Iranian filmmaker Ali Ahmadzadeh, and Sweet Dreams [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ena Sendijarević
scheda film] by Ena Sendijarević; Un Certain Regard titles Omen [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Baloji
scheda film] by Belgian director Baloji and The Delinquents [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Rodrigo Moreno
scheda film] by Argentinian director Rodrigo Moreno; Berlinale titles Here [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Bas Devos
scheda film] by Belgian director Bas Devos and The Siren [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi; Italian director Matteo Garrone’s Venice competition title Me Captain [+leggi anche:
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scheda film]; Yorgos Lanthimos’ Golden Lion winner Poor Things [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Suzy Bemba
Q&A: Yorgos Lanthimos
scheda film]; and the Sundance title Smoke Sauna Sisterhood [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Anna Hints
scheda film] by Estonian filmmaker Anna Hints.

Many more films that have had a successful festival run will appear in the Official Selection, such as Elene Naveriani’s Directors’ Fortnight title Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Elene Naveriani
scheda film], Víctor Erice’s Close Your Eyes [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] which was unveiled in Cannes Première, or Claire Simon’s Our Body [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] from the Berlinale. Having its world premiere in the section is Zlata, the debut feature from Belgian director Mattias Bavré, a documentary centred on a Ukrainian teenage girl who fled the war and moved to Ghent.

The festival will celebrate video game music with a special concert on Thursday 19 October in Capitole Gent named Press Play: Music in Games. Also worth noting is the world premiere of Gift by Japanese director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, a shorter and wordless version of his film Evil Does Not Exist which premiered at this year’s Venice Film Festival. Composer Eiko Ishibashi will be performing her score live during the premiere on Wednesday, October 18th at the venue Viernulvier.

The festival will end with the 23rd edition of the World Soundtrack Awards, as part of which two Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented to Laurence Rosenthal and Nicola Piovani.