BRUSSELS FILM FESTIVAL

The Brussels Film Festival: a substantial past and a promising future!

History

From January 7th until 13th, 1974, the First Festival du Cinéma was held in the Auditorium of Passage 44, initiated by the “Chambre Syndicale Belge de la Cinématographie” and Dimitri Balachoff. From the next year on it was renamed the Festival International du Film de Bruxelles, being acknowledged by the Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films (FIAPF). In 1983, the festival moved to the Palace of Congress. The film market evolved, and in 1990 the festival organisation was taken over by the communication agency K Com. A new, young team, led by Christian Thomas and supervised by Paul Sterck, gave the festival its true elan. The festival from Brussels is from that moment on the only film festival in Belgium that is being supported by the Flemish and French-speaking Community.

Europe’s power of attraction

From 1993 on, the Festival started a new section, dedicated to the cinema from a European country. The Festival would go on a discovery in France, Italy, Great Britain, the Nordic countries and Greece. Two years later the festival became an association with professionals from the film world. Jo Röpcke was chairman. In this new structure the festival established a European competition which was recognized by the FIAPF to stimulate European films of highstanding quality. With a price tag of 4 million Belgian Francs (100.000 EUR) the competition wanted to stimulate the distribution of European films across Europe. In addition to this new element the festival also presented a wide range of world productions in the Kaleidoscope of the World Film. Belgian Focus offered a window on Belgian film, the whole of Belgian productions of the past year was shown.

How it evolved

In 1998, the Festival, to celebrate his 25 years, moved to UGC Acropole and Vendôme in Brussels. The host country was Ireland, that not only celebrated twenty-five years of membership to the European Union, but also twenty-five years of new Irish film. The following year, the Festival was spread across Brussels, films were shown in the fully restored Kladaradatsch! Palace, the Grand Eldorado of UGC Brouckère, Kinepolis and The Film Archive. In 1999 Poland was host of the Festival. In 2000, a new project was launched: 15x15. Fifteen European filmmakers chose their favorite movie from their own country. In 2001, Germany was host, with a focus on new German cinema and young filmmakers. But in 2002, the Kladaradatsch! Palace closed its doors due to bankruptcy. The Festival suddenly didn’t have a location anymore and had to cancel its 29th edition.

A new wind

In 2003 the Brussels International Film Festival was taken in charge by Dominique Janne, producer of the films of Gérard Corbiau (Le Maître de Musique, Farinelli, Le Roi danse), Benoît Mariage (Les Convoyeurs attendent, Cow-Boy), Dorothée van den Berghe (Girl) and Lieven Debrauwer (Pauline & Paulette, Confituur). A new team, a new organization, a new orientation for the Festival benefited from its location in the heart of the capital to promote young European cinema. Like Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Festival, the new edition of the Brussels European Film Festival focused its programming on European first and second feature films. The festival found a place in Flagey, the newly renovated building with a unique architecture. At first a winter festival, it became a spring festival, and then, from 2005 on, it was programmed during the first month of summer in order to coincide with another summer event, L'Age d'Or / Cinédécouvertes, which focused on the whole world. Today the Festival positioned itself as a discoverer of young talent in the European capital.

A goldmine of talents

The Official Competition exclusively selects first and second feature films, presenting the top of emerging young talent and avant-premières. During the previous editions the Festival discovered talented filmmakers such as Joachim Lafosse (Folie privée, Ca rend heureux), Dagur Kari (Noi Albinoi, Dark Horse), Anne Feinsilber (Requiem for Billy the Kid), Srdjan Vuletic (Summer in the Golden Valley), Cristian Nemescu (California Dreamin '), Gyorgy Pálfi (Taxidermia), Barthelemy Grossmann (13m ²), Agnes Kocsis (Fresh Air) and Kornel Mundruczó (Pleasant Days, Johanna), filmmakers that are now internationally renowned. Parallel to this competition of first and second films, the Festival also presents European films in other parts of its programme: Avant-Premières, Belgian Talents and open air screenings.

Promising future

The Festival is a launching platform, and the wide range of the programme reflects the diversity and richness of European film. The new Brussels Film Festival is now at cruising speed, and is working together with the LUX Prize, which rewards qualitative high standing, passionate cinema, and with the first music festival ‘Brussels XL Flagey Summer Festival’, created by Flagey, now a focal point and a dynamic player in the new Brussels scene.

Michel de Schaetzen