/previous editions/2018
Chocolate awards conclude the renewed Brussels Independent Film Festival
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The 2018 edition of the Brussels Independent Film Festival closed on Sunday evening with the presentation of the 'Atomium Film Awards'. The filmmakers were crowned with chocolate and thus edible figurines of the Atomium, made by chocolatier Wim Vyverman.
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The prize for the best narrative feature film went to 'Bad poetry Tokyo' (Japan) by Anshul Chauhan. The debut film had it's world premiere at the festival and tells the story of a 30 year old aspiring actress who makes a living as a hostess at a shady club in Tokyo. Betrayed by her lover and her dreams crushed, broken woman leaves Tokyo for her hometown in the countryside after five years of no contact with her family. There she reconnects with an old flame but is also forced to confront some unpleasant truths about her past.
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'How camels become lions' (Belgium) by Lydia Rigaux received the award for best Belgian film. "In four episodes, four members of a family tell how exhausted they are to work as a work animal. They realize that their work has no meaning and experience a spiritual emptiness ".
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The prize for the best documentary feature was for 'Harm' from Hungary by director Dénes Nagy. 'Mum, I'm back' (Greece) by Dimitris Katsimiris received the prize for best narrative short film. The best documentary short film went to 'Sherry' (USA) by Eliane Lima. The best experimental film was for Alireza Keymanesh and Amir Pousti for 'Flatland' (Iran). 'SOG' by German Jonatan Schwenk finally won the prize for best animated film.
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Out of more than 2,000 entries, 67 films were selected to be screened. The 39th edition of the festival, which started on 11 February in the Atomium with a selection of experimental films, attracted more than 700 visitors. Films were also screened in Cinema Galeries in the city center.
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The Brussels Independent Film Festival found its inspiration with the Brussels International Independent Film Festival, which started in 1974 but ended in 2012. The festival focused on experimental, provocative films. Among others Pedro Almodóvar, François Ozon and Nanni Moretti were invited. "We do not have a red carpet, we do not organize fancy parties. We just want to show films and all screenings are free, with popcorn ", says organizer Kris De Meester. "That's how we want to present the more difficult films and make it accessible to a large audience."
Official selection 2018
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Best Narrative Feature Film: Bad Poetry Tokyo (Japan) by Anshul Chauhan
Best Documentary Feature Film: Harm (Hungary) by Dénes Nagy
Best Belgian Film: How Camels Become Lions (Belgium) by Lydia Rigaux
Best Narrative Short Film: Mum, I'm Back (Greece) by Dimitris Katsimiris
Best Documentary Short Film: Sherry (United States) by Eliane Lima
Best Experimental Film: Flatland (Islamic Republic Of Iran)
by Alireza Keymanesh, Amir Pousti
Best Animated Film: SOG (Germany) by Jonatan Schwenk
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Half-Life In Fukushima (Switzerland) by Mark Olexa, Francesca Scalisi
A Story In The Diao Ling Garden (China) by Weiyu Wang
Through The Supermarket In Five Easy Pieces (Finland) by Anna Maria Joakimsdottir-Hutri
Stuff As Dreams (United Kingdom) by Guli Silberstein
New Camera (Portugal) by André Marques
Fled. Lay. Fell. (Portugal) by Bruno Carnide
Unexpected Discoveries (United States) by James Mabery
Tangled Bodies (Brazil) by Frederico Evaristo
Black Sands (France) by Florence Girardeau
C-5-11 (United States) by Edward Ramsay-Morin
F L O C K (Portugal) by Luis Ales
Salt Skull (Belgium) by Manu Gomez
The Lines (United States) by Kiku Ohe
Vecinas (Belgium) by Natalia Sardi
Orange Yellow (Portugal) by Pedro Augusto Almeida
The Red (United States) by Ben Marlowe
Song Sotto Voce (France) by Pierre Bessette
Different - Je suis différent.e (France) by Ben Lemaire
Heidi (Cuba) by Fatema Abdoolcarim
Atentamente (Colombia) by Camila Rodríguez Triana
Delirio Azul (El Salvador) by Lourdes Sandoval
Drifting Away (Australia) by Morteza Halimi
The Trumpet Of Endeavor’s Commend Speech (China) by Wang Meiyu
Gretchen At The Spinning Wheel (Austria) by Magdalena Chmielewska
Hiwa (Greece) by Jacqueline Lentzou
Train Man (United States) by Alex Barsky
Karmaacount (Germany) by Lukas Klaschinski
Citizens (Spain) by Marc Nadal
Shelter (Austria) by Daniel Andrew Wunderer
[o] (United Kingdom) by Mario Radev, Chiara Sgatti
Play Boys (Belgium) by Vincent Lynen
The Wayward Wind (United States) by Steve Delahoyde, Monica Thomas
149th And Grand Concourse (United States) by Andy And Carolyn London
#selfie (Germany) by David M. Lorenz
Backstory (Germany) by Joschka Laukeninks
Generation Mars (Norway) by Alexander Armas Turpin
Two (Finland) by Carlos Marroquin
Public Intimacy (brazil) by Luciana Canton
Sunday Lovers (Switzerland) by Jannik Giger, Gregor Brändli
No One Misses Me! (Germany) by Erik Lemke
Patrioska (Portugal) By Tiago Araújo
Dr. Mantis (United States) by Brandon Mikolaski
Tricks (Australia) by Melina Maraki
Past Imperfect (Belgium) by Nathalie Teirlinck
Elene (Turkey) by Sezen Kayhan
Valencia Road (United States) by Logan George
911-Pizza (belgium) by Elefterios Zacharopoulos
Girl A (United Kingdom) by Jess O'brien
Breaker (Japan) by Philippe Mckie
Ophelia (United States) By Jamie Sims
Frontline (The Netherlands) by Floris Parlevliet
The Pencil (Switzerland/Belgium) by Basile Vuillemin
Save (Spain) by Iván Sáinz-Pardow
Night Song (Belgium) by Kate Voet
Kaiju Bunraku (United States) by Lucas Leyva, Jillian Mayer
Dziwna Śmierć (Poland) by Monika Olszewska, Patrycja Kuracińska
Truck (Turkey) by Canbert Yerguz
Banlieue War (Canada) by Audrey Chevrier
All About You (United States) by Allison Beda
Soulfinger Vs Goldfinger (United States) by Crazy Legs Conti
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