‘Silent Friend’, ‘The Isle of the Demoiselle’ and ‘To the West, in Zapata’ are the big winners of FFO26

‘Silent Friend’ enchants the LOOK! Competition Jury

The Best Film award within the LOOK! competition goes to ‘Silent Friend’ by Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi. The jury unanimously agreed that this exceptional film is not only visually striking, but also an emotional tour de force. 

The film circles around an ancient ginkgo tree, silently watching over several generations of passers-by in the university garden. In 1908, Grete, the first female student, turns her camera towards its majestic trunk. In 1972, a lovestruck first-year student tends to a geranium at its base. In 2020, a lonely neuroscientist from Hong Kong explores the possibilities of communication between humans and nature during the quiet years of the pandemic.

Not only the beauty of nature, but also the theme of loneliness forms a subtle yet constant undercurrent throughout the story: the loneliness of the Covid years, the silence of unrequited love, the isolation of an academic woman in a male-dominated world, and even the solitude of the only female Ginkgo tree in a botanical garden.

The LOOK! competition places special emphasis on visually striking films that truly come into their own on a big screen. ‘Silent Friend’ stands out for its exceptional visual language. The choice to capture the three narratives in different formats — 35mm black-and-white, grainy 16mm, and digital imagery — intuitively propels the viewer into the appropriate timeline without the need for explicit markers. The fact that not all storylines are fully resolved is seen by the jury as a deliberate strength.

The result is an accessible yet layered film that reflects on the grandeur of life itself. According to the jury, this is the main reason why ‘Silent Friend’ is the winner of the LOOK! competition.

Finally, the jury would also like to give a Special Mention to ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ by Dutch director Morgan Knibbe. His debut film, which explores inequality, poverty and queer identity in the Philippine capital Manila, left them speechless.

‘Silent Friend’ is distributed by September Film and will be released in cinemas on 1 April. In addition to the Best Film award within the LOOK! competition, the distributor receives a cash prize of €10,000.

‘The Isle of the Demoiselle’ wins the COOP! competition, with the support of Camalux.

The COOP! jury, chaired by Mu.Zee Director Bruno Verbergt, has named ‘The Isle of the Demoiselle’ by Belgian director Micha Wald as Best International Co-Production. This biopic and historical adventure film is based on the true story of the French noblewoman Marguerite de la Rocque. In 1542, she was left alone on a deserted island near Newfoundland with her maid and her assailant, amid the wildness of nature.

According to the jury, the story, direction, performances, setting, and music combine into an outstanding cinematic whole, in which historical events provide both narrative and emotional depth to themes such as sexual violence and social condemnation.

The film is an international co-production between Belgium and France and is also praised by the jury for Salomé Dewaels’ strong acting performance, the exceptional soundtrack by Catherine Graindorge, Elie Rabinovitch, and Hildur Guðnadóttir, and the clever use of imagery and lighting.

The jury would also like to give a Special Mention to 'The Wolf, the Fox and the Leopard’ by David Verbeek. This unique science-fiction film tells the gripping story of a woman raised by wolves.

‘The Isle of the Demoiselle’ is a co-production between Czar and Stenola, distributed by Brightfish. The film will be released in cinemas on 27 May. The award in the COOP! competition comes with a cash prize of €7,500 for the distributor.

The documentary ‘To the West, in Zapata’ captivates the SOON! competition jury

The SOON! competition showcases films by beginning directors. This year’s award goes to the black-and-white documentary ‘To the West, in Zapata’, the feature debut of Cuban director David Bim. The film tells the story of a poor family on the Zapata Peninsula. Father Landi must fight to support his family, catching crocodiles with his bare hands. At home, his wife Mercedes waits anxiously for his return. She collects charcoal to cook and cares for their autistic son, while the radio reports daily deaths from the pandemic and social tensions in Cuba. 

The SOON! jury itself consists of a group of young filmmakers – actors Jennifer Heylen (chair), Willem De Schryver, Nadège Iris Bibo-Tansia and Felix Heremans, and director Michael Abbay – and was deeply moved by the film's exceptional and daring use of sound.

‘To the West, in Zapata’ takes an uncompromising look at extreme poverty. The jury appreciated that the film approaches this harsh reality with profound humanity and without sensationalism.

The film aligns with the overarching theme of the festival. The jury also emphasized that David Bim not only directed the film but also handled the cinematography and editing himself. This contributes to an extraordinary debut.

‘To the West, in Zapata’ is distributed by international sales company Square Eye. No Belgian theatrical release has been announced yet. The award in the SOON! competition is accompanied by a cash prize of €5,000 for the distributor.

‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ convinces the film press

In addition to receiving a Special Mention in the LOOK! competition, ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ by Morgan Knibbe also won the UFK-UBFP Press Jury Prize, awarded annually by the Union of Film Critics (UFK).

The film press was unanimous in its praise. ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ is an uncompromising and contemporary cinematic drama that zooms sharply into the bleak world of appalling mass prostitution, crime, exploitation and corruption in the overcrowded slums of the Philippines.

It is a film that overwhelms, confronts, and lingers in the mind:

Natasja Briers is crowned winner of the Short Film Competition with ‘Still Life’

‘Still Life’ shows a dystopian world where an authoritarian regime has imposed absolute silence as the highest good. Eris suddenly discovers a secret resistance group whose members are experimenting with different forms of expression. Her brother works as an enforcer and will do everything to silence them — even if it means going after his own sister.

The jury, this year composed of Lynn Van Royen, Vanja d'Alcantara, and Jordan Vanschel, chose this powerful film as the winner:

Luka Galle received a Special Mention from the jury for his short film ‘The Catcher’.