The Obskuur Ghent Film Festival 2024, Europe's premier celebration of obscure cinema, concluded its week-long extravaganza last Saturday at the intimate Velvet Room theater. With an eclectic official selection comprising over 30 films from around the world spanning various genres, this year's festival was a resounding success. The organizers extend their heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated audience, a full house every night.
Curator Kris De Meester reflected on the festival: "Obskuur has always been my personal playground—a space where I can push boundaries and dive into the most obscure and challenging cinema. This year, I went 'hardcore' during the selection process, picking films that made me wonder, ‘How on earth will I find an audience for this?’ But seeing the packed theatre, the engaged viewers, and the incredible post-screening discussions reminded me why I love doing this. The energy was electric, and it’s that inspiration that makes me eager to start curating the next edition!"
Obskuur Ghent Film Festival proudly presents the award winners of 2023, as determined by the jury members:
Best Experimental Film:
The Lovers Of Avignon (Spain) by Manuel Fernández Ferro
Best Narrative Film:
The Feast (Georgia) by Mariam Bitsadze
Best Documentary Film:
David Against Goliath (Canada) by David B. Ricard
Best Underground Film:
Hell of Se (Japan) by Sawa Kawakami
Best Minimalistic Film:
Wood Dove (United States) by David Jonathan Orr
Best Installation Film:
Reality Opposition (Australia) by Emma Dawn Northey
Best Animated Film:
Oskar (Canada) by Max Vannienschoot
Best Music Video:
LKATM (Belgium) by Mauro Desmedt
Best Dance Film:
We’ll go down the abyss in silence (Japan) by Vincent Guilbert
Best Hybrid Film:
How to grief (Belgium) by Rosie Mondy
Best New Voice:
Nico (United States) by Max Olson
Best Connecting Cultures Film:
New Voices in the City (Belgium) by Ekaterina Gardener
Best Super Short Film
The Lovers Of Avignon (Spain) by Manuel Fernández Ferro
Audience Award:
Hell of Se (Japan) by Sawa Kawakami
Best Belgian Film:
Cyclepaths (Belgium) by Anton Cla
About Obskuur Ghent Film Festival
The Obskuur Ghent Film Festival, often touted as Europe's most enigmatic film festival, serves as an island of artistic purity in the ocean of commercialism. Despite its unassuming form, the festival prioritizes screening innovative, underground, experimental, and independent movies created by both local and international emerging talents. This event seeks to position contemporary cinema and video art within the vibrant tapestry of other art forms. The festival unfolds within the cozy movie theater of the Velvet Room, a two-story eclectic art space adorned with contemporary works by acclaimed artists like Nobuyoshi Araki, Larry Clark, Ed Templeton, Per Kirkeby, Curtiz, Shepard 'Obey' Fairey, and Ravi Zupa.
Founded in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Obskuur Ghent Film Festival initially emerged as a creative response to lockdown restrictions. Initially conceived as a quarterly film and video art exhibition, the festival screened numerous films on multiple screens at the Velvet Room, offering a unique and immersive experience for the art-loving community in Ghent. Starting in 2022, the festival transitioned into an annual weeklong celebration of quality films and filmmakers.
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