'Öndög', by director and Golden Bear laureate Wang Quan'an ('Tuya's Marriage') has been awarded with the Grand Prix for Best Film. Meanwhile, Alejandro Landes' mysterious thriller, 'Monos', with a score from Mica Levi and Lena Esquenazi, has scooped up the Georges Delerue Award for Best Music and Sound Design. Pietro Marcello received a Special Jury Prize for Best Director for his 'Martin Eden'.

This year's jury was led by Belgian director-screenwriter Joachim Lafosse, and was further supported by film critic Guy Lodge, sound designer Midge Costin, director Radu Jude and producers Fiorella Moretti and Dora Bouchoucha Fourati. 

Having received the biggest award at Film Fest Gent, 'Öndög' has earned itself a distribution permit worth €20.000 which will catalyze the film's Belgian release and a media campaign of €27.500, of which €10.000 will be pumped into promoting the film in De Morgen.

'Öndög' discusses the life cycle, working back from its end to its beginning. This prestigious and audacious piece, paints a picture of intimacy and affection, in which humans are often shrunk to dots on a large colourful canvas. In this film Inner-Mongolia takes the lead: from start to finish Wang Quan'an zooms in and pans out on the wide, open landscape.

Music Award

As always, Film Fest Gent has also focused and rewarded films with a strong soundtrack or sound design. This edition, the film 'Monos' stood out for its soundtrack, a collaboration between sound designer Lena Esquenazi and composer Mica Levi. This English singer-songwriter and composer will join us at the Vooruit on the 18th of October with her musical collective CURL, where they will perform during the last VIDEODROOM. The Georges Delerue Award includes a distribution permit of €12.000, with €5.000 offered by De Morgen.

Mica Levi was overjoyed to hear the praise bestowed upon their soundtrack: "I just want to say thank you for this accolade - I feel very proud to have worked on 'Monos', to be invited into this film and situation. I am glad people are taken with the film, on the music side of things we all put a lot of work in. My thanks and the accolade extends to Bridget Samuels, Alejandro Landes, Lena Esquenazi and Leandro de Loredo."

Special Jury Prize

The jury decided to give Pietro Marcello a Special Jury Prize for Best Director for his 'Martin Eden', the book-to-film adaptation of the Jack London story of a rough-and-tumble sailor turned literary man in order to please the upper class woman he wishes to marry.

Short film competition 

The short film winners were announced on Sunday 13th of October. Jayro Bustamante, Neil Young and Amira Daoudi - the short film jury - handed out the Award for Best Belgian Student Short, powered by Amplo, worth €5.000 to 'hier.' by Joy Maurits (Luca School of Arts). 'hier.' explores the open-mindedness of boys and girls whose worlds collide in the microcosm of a sports center in Bazel where they go in search of connection. The ACE Image Factory + The Fridge Public Choice Award was awarded to Anthony Nti - who already won this prize in 2016 - for his latest project: 'Da Yie'. Finally, the Film Fest Gent Award for Best International Short was offered to Vytautas Katkus, for his work, 'Community Gardens.'

On the 17th of October, the Explore Zone jury, made up of 18 to 26 year-olds, will decide on the winner of the Explore Zone Award, on the 18th of October the World Soundtrack Awards will follow. The North Sea Port Audience Award is also still to be announced.

The 46th Film Fest Gent takes place until the 18th of October in Kinepolis Gent, Studio Skoop, Sphinx, Vooruit, KASKcinema and Capitole. More information on www.filmfestival.be.