Two Belgian films selected for the Cannes Film Festival
Two Belgian films have been selected for the Cannes Film Festival as part of the programme for the 20th edition of the Cinéfondation. Created in 1998, this initiative is dedicated to productions from cinema schools around the world, and consequently aims to support young creative cinema.
For its 20th edition, Cinéfondation has made a selection of 16 films, including 14 fictional films and 2 animated films. In total, 2600 films were presented this year by cinema schools from around the world. 14 countries from three continents are represented. Among the selected Belgian films are "Paul est là", a 24 minute-long film, which is Valentina Maurel's final-year student film for the Institut Supérieur des Arts - INSAS (Higher Institute of Arts), and "Camouflage", directed by Imge Özbilge. This is a short film lasting 6 minutes which was filmed by the Académie royale des beaux-arts (Royal Academy of Fine Arts) and the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University College Ghent. The first film is an intimate work, which tells the story of the impromptu return of Paul in the life of a young woman. The second is an animated film, whose aesthetic aspect is inspired by Ottoman miniatures.
The Cinéfondation jury, which is made up of professionals and presided over by renowned directors and actors, will award three prizes to the best short films. The winner of the first prize will receive €15,000, the second €11,250 and the third €7,500. The three prizes will be awarded during a ceremony held before the screening of the award-winning films on Friday 26 May. The Cinéfondation is an excellent gateway for young upcoming directors, and also supports more established directors.