Winning Films

Jurytext: The author invites us to dive into a unique, fantastic world of beautiful living creatures and in just 4 minutes leaves us with the aftertaste of elation and sheer joy for a long time. Director demonstrates his great skills with various instruments of visual art. The film has a captivating sound palette and it is cinematically fascinating, authentic, charming and even surprising. For the masterful implementation of the animated universe the Jury award, as well as the candidacy for the EFA 2023 nomination goes to Zoon by Jonatan Schwenk.

Jurytext: This film touches on one of our deepest primitive needs to be on top of the hierarchy. Perfectly visually paced in a montagelike style we follow several parallel storylines to a buildup of the inevitable. With a leading instrument as soundscape were twirling through the madness and the buildup to the inevitable. With a sharp satirical look it exposes the human desire to be number one, to come out a winner no matter the cost. It confronts us with the question: Even though the excitement of being number one feels good now -is it really worth it? We hope it's worth it, as the selection for the Oscar-eligibility will throw the film into the world biggest and craziest film-competition.

Jurytext: The award for best debut in the Flemish documentary competition goes to an original, constructed and creative film with an important and relevant subject. In a time when the world is divided even more in “Us and Them” this film examines the boundaries and what happens when people meet and exchange dreams and ideas. It's a simple anthropological study that emphasizes what we may already know, but in a creative way, and we need repeating: the more perspectives, the fewer blind alleys. And if we have the courage to look our neighbors “the others” in the eye, new opportunities arise in a common "we". The jury finds this debut film very promising and looks forward to seeing more from this filmmaker.

Jurytext: The film the Flemish jury chose to give its award to is, for us, the perfect illustration of the originality and powerful imagery of creative short documentaries. Mixing a strong visual concept and human stories, this film is a window opened on memories. Like the apple which does not fall far from the tree, it shows that have we still inhabit places we left and how those places can keep inhabiting us just the same. Showing the passage of time through light, nature, sand and tales, those images will stay with all of us for a long time.

Jurytext: This actor performs in such natural and effortless way, you can’t keep your eyes off of her. Her timing is perfect. Her presence on screen is “petillant". She makes your heart melt from beginning to ending. You immediately want to follow her down those stairs again and finishing next to her on the terrace, giving her a hug, telling she will be fine. She’s a Julia Roberts, making you laugh, making you cry. She’s a Runaway Bride à la belge.

Jurytext: Award for best cinematography In this film, every frame holds a grim, self-contained story. At times, it feels like flipping through a pagan graphic novel from a forgotten time. Its images are textured and tormented, its colour palette well thought out. The highly stylized and controlled mise-en-scène correspond intelligently with the film’s philosophy: we have entered a relentless plane of existence from which there is no escaping. For its painterly qualities and its wonderful craftsmanship, we hand the prize for Best Cinematography to Noisetrain and Wannes Vanspauwen.

Jurytext: A seemingly simple premise proves to be anything but, as ideas of history, privilege, racism, imperialism, social norms and more run up against and alongside each other in this allegorical film that speaks directly to the complicated times we live in. This biting social commentary depicts, quite incisively, how nothing is simply black and white.

Jurytext: Nest captures slices of everyday life and play of three siblings during a year in the Icelandic nature. We witness the passage of time in a fixed frame, one season to another, like a series of paintings in a changing landscape. It shows the beauty of doing something together, challenging ones limits and struggle to reach a goal. Whilst the three siblings build a nest for themselves, they also build solidarity.

Jurytext: Award for best cinematography In this film, every frame holds a grim, self-contained story. At times, it feels like flipping through a pagan graphic novel from a forgotten time. Its images are textured and tormented, its colour palette well thought out. The highly stylized and controlled mise-en-scène correspond intelligently with the film’s philosophy: we have entered a relentless plane of existence from which there is no escaping. For its painterly qualities and its wonderful craftsmanship, we hand the prize for Best Cinematography to Noisetrain and Wannes Vanspauwen.

Jurytext: This actor performs in such natural and effortless way, you can’t keep your eyes off of her. Her timing is perfect. Her presence on screen is “petillant". She makes your heart melt from beginning to ending. You immediately want to follow her down those stairs again and finishing next to her on the terrace, giving her a hug, telling she will be fine. She’s a Julia Roberts, making you laugh, making you cry. She’s a Runaway Bride à la belge.