On the occasion of a 49th edition which looks set to be one of quality, Film Fest Gent has chosen to shine a light on the young generation of Belgian filmmakers by opening the festivities with Lukas Dhont’s wonderful second feature film Close [+lee también:
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entrevista: Eden Dambrine
entrevista: Lukas Dhont
entrevista: Lukas Dhont
ficha de la película] - which won the Grand Jury Prize in Cannes and is set to represent Belgium at the upcoming Oscars - and by opening the Official Competition with the brilliant debut film by the Costa Rican director based in Belgium Valentina Maurel, Tengo sueños eléctricos [+lee también:
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entrevista: Valentina Maurel
ficha de la película]. A co-production between Belgium, France and Costa Rica, the movie scooped the Best Director, Best Female Performance and Best Male Performances trophies in Locarno, as well as recently nabbing the Horizontes Latinos Award in San Sebastián.

The festival’s Competition, unfolding between 11 and 22 October, will consist of 12 international feature films - including Tengo sueños eléctricos - which have previously been uncovered in major festivals. Arriving straight from the Lido, the festival will host a Belgian premiere of Saint Omer [+lee también:
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entrevista: Alice Diop
entrevista: Kayije Kagame
ficha de la película], which is the debut feature film by French director Alice Diop who made a splash in Venice when she walked away with the Grand Prize. Likewise in the running, we find To the North [+lee también:
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entrevista: Mihai Mincan
ficha de la película] by Romania’s Mihai Mincan, and Trenque Lauquen [+lee también:
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entrevista: Laura Citarella
ficha de la película] by Argentina’s Laura Citarella, which were both unveiled in the Orizzonti line-up. But Venice isn’t the only festival well-represented in this section, since 5 films revealed to the world in Cannes are also on the agenda: One Fine Morning [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Mia-Hansen Love (favoured by the Directors’ Fortnight); Tarik Saleh’s implacable Boy from Heaven [+lee también:
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entrevista: Tarik Saleh
ficha de la película], screened in the Official Competition alongside Albert Serra’s Pacifiction [+lee también:
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entrevista: Albert Serra
ficha de la película]; Corsage [+lee también:
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entrevista: Marie Kreutzer
entrevista: Marie Kreutzer
ficha de la película] by Marie Kreutzer, which left an impression in the Un Certain Regard section; and Are You Lonesome Tonight by Chinese director Shipei Wen, which was presented in a Special Screening last year. The Competition will also feature A Piece of Sky [+lee también:
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entrevista: Michael Koch
ficha de la película] by Switzerland’s Michael Koch and Klondike [+lee también:
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entrevista: Maryna Er Gorbach
ficha de la película] by Ukrainian filmmaker Marina Er Gorbach. The final film selected to compete is an animated film unveiled in Annecy: Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman [+lee también:
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entrevista: Pierre Földes
ficha de la película] by Pierre Földes, which is based upon Japanese writer Haruki Murakami’s similarly named short stories.

In all, no less than 116 feature films, 3 series and 40 shorts will be offered up to audiences. A number of thematic sections will also run in parallel to the Competition, as well as a focus on South Korean film, a tribute to the pioneer of Belgian animation Raoul Servais, and various films screening in Belgian premieres, notably including the Berlinale’s most recent Golden Bear winner (Alcarràs [+lee también:
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entrevista: Carla Simón
entrevista: Carla Simón
entrevista: Giovanni Pompili
ficha de la película] by Carla Simón) and new films by Sam Mendes (Empire of Light [+lee también:
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ficha de la película]), Cristian Mungiu (R.M.N. [+lee también:
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entrevista: Cristian Mungiu
entrevista: Judith State
ficha de la película]) and Ali Abbasi (Holy Spider [+lee también:
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entrevista: Ali Abbasi
entrevista: Ali Abbasi
entrevista: Zar Amir Ebrahimi
ficha de la película]).

Last but not least, a raft of encounters are in the offing, including a Directors’ Talk involving Céline Sciamma and Lukas Dhont, and, of course, the World Soundtrack Awards, which are scheduled for 22 October and which will see a Lifetime Achievement Award handed to French composer Bruno Coulais (Microcosmos, Crimson Rivers, The Chorus [+lee también:
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ficha de la película], Coraline).