Ghent, 25 March 2024 - Past week marked the second edition of the Ghent International Short Film Festival, an annual event that showcases independent cinema from Belgium and around the globe. The festival welcomes all genres, and even hosted a special “Teen Proof” screening which included films for the age of 9+.
Festival director and curator Kris De Meester comments: “Ghent International Short Film Festival is here to stay, that’s for sure. What initially seemed like a modest edition eventually turned into a series of extremely well-attended events where the audience and the filmmakers found each other. Full houses the whole week, even some sessions where people had to sit on the floor, I honestly didn't expect this. Apart from a few posts via social media, there was no advertising and we were still able to achieve such a result. It shows that there is a need for more short film programs in Ghent.” He adds: “I am also glad that we were able to set this up without a penny of government funding. No fancy parties, no red carpet, no artistic concessions. A minimal carbon footprint which we also compensated by planting 300 trees via TreePlan.org. Can't wait for the third edition.”
Cherrypicked out of almost a thousand submissions, this year's eclectic selection consisted of 47 Belgian and international independent shorts. The jury panel chose to award the following films as winners of the 2024 edition:
Best Film
The Kidnapping of the Bride (Germany) by Sophia Mocorrea
Best Narrative Film
Forsaken (Tunisia) by Aziz Shennawy
Best Documentary Film
Leaving Chouchou (France) by Lucie Demange
Best Experimental Film
Chemical Somnia (Canada) by Scott Portingale
Best Underground Film
Longing In Me (Germany) by Julian Wonn
Best Animated Film
Furrie (France) by Lucie Grannec
Best ‘Kids’ Film
Chlorine (Greece) by Thanos Psichogios
Best Music Video
Shaka Shams - Balrog (Belgium) by Yoann Stehr, Alice Khol
Best Connecting Cultures Film
The Red Sea Makes Me Wanna Cry (Jordan) by Faris Alrjoob
Best Super Short Film
Your Bad Neighbour (United Kingdom) by Ka Long Tung
Best Dance Film
Elegy (Belgium) by Jérémy Adonis
Best Belgian Film
Noham (Belgium) by Victorine Durmort, Marie Fotso-Guifo
Congratulations to all participating filmmakers! Ghent International Short Film Festival would like to thank Studio Skoop and Velvet Room for their amazing support in creating this second edition.
ABOUT GHENT INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
Ghent International Short Film Festival recognizes the important role short films have in cinema, storytelling, and culture. The festival discovers, supports and develops new talent in filmmaking, providing a platform for emerging and established filmmakers from around the world. The Ghent International Short Film Festival is a new annual event that aims to screen up to 100 short films. Connecting industry and audiences, the festival celebrates the creativity, diversity and impact of short film.
