16-17

The International Festival of Love Film (Festival International du Film d'Amour) – FIFA, the most important film event in the region and the most important meeting point for Belgian filmmakers under the leadership of André Ceuterick, celebrated this year its 30th birthday, opening both symbolically and conveniently for a love genre film on 14th February, with A promise (Une promesse), the last film by the director of, among many other films, Bronzés, The Haidresser's husband, Spécialistes, Intimate strangers, Tango, The widow of Saint-Pierre, and one of my all-time favourites, The Girl on the Bridge – Patrice Leconte, who also held film lessons.

Exhibitting a sub-genre and auteur variety in one love week, FIFA screened more than 100 feature and short films in beautiful cinemas of Imagix Mons and Plaza Art, within the European and international competitions, this year's Lights from elsewhere focus on Mexico and Croatia, the Panorama of Italian cinema, and other multi-faceted festival segments (retrospective, educational and charity screenings, film encounters and public discussions, film lessons, multicultural themed evenings etc.). With more than 200 film professionals, 44 countries represented in over 160 public screenings for a 30,000 audience, FIFA also specially hosted Ettore Scola, a renowned Italian film author as a guest of honour, and Josiane Balasko, multi-awarded French actress, writer and director (Les bronzes, Too beautiful for you, My life is hell, French twist etc.) as the marraine of the festival (previous marraines were Anna Karina, Laura Morante, Victoria Abril, Bernadette Lafont etc.)

2014 Coups de Coeur (tributes) included also Dominique Pinon (Amelie, Delicatessen, Diva, Betty Blue etc.), Gerard Darmon (The good thief, Le Coeur des homes, La lune et le teton, La belle histoire etc.), Elsa Zylberstein (Van Gogh, Beau Fixe, Little Jerusalem...)

A special guest this year was the sex icon of the 1980's, the unforgettable heroine of Beineix's Betty Blue, or 37, 2◦ le matin (also Les bois noirs, Night on Earth, J'ai pas sommeil, The blackout etc.) – Béatrice Dalle. She also presented, together with another film star Rupert Everett, Yvan Le Moine's Rosenn ou l'envie, a touching story of passionate and tragic love.

{niftybox background=#8FBC8F, width=360px} Wajma, an Afghan love story is a realistic, unsentimental portrait of a young Afghan woman in love, brilliantly played by Wajma Bahar. Director Barmak Akram sets the story in contemporary Afghanistan and questions all stereotypes the Westerners might have of this troubled country, by painting a realistic picture of the cultural context torn between the urge for the revolution and harsh traditional impulses. The film's poignant structure is further strengthened by the claim that the film is based on several true stories, thus inviting the audience to become fully engaged with its complex and nuanced characters and blurring the boundaries between fiction and reality in this story of motherly-daughterly love among other possible loves.

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The official jury, deciding on several prizes, including the festival Grand Prix, was composed of such grand names as Patrick Braoudé, Bruno Nuytten, Moussa Touré, and Corine Touzet.

The festival's great originality lies in its inclusion of CinéFemme jury, a jury composed of women film professionals and Belgian CinéFemme Association, founded in 1997 with the mission to encourage, support and promote non-commercial film works. This year's jury members were (I had the honour of being the jury member last year): Arouna Lipschitz, Marysia Cukier, Martine Delooz, Edna Fainaru, Helene Medigue, and Lucia Rossolino.

With such conceptual originality, programme innovativeness and love in and out of cinemas, FIFA is a truly unforgettable film event and a unique cultural experience, appropriately set in the 2015 European capital of culture, elegant and charming Mons.

Maja Bogojević

LONGS METRAGES

Compétition Internationale

Le Grand Prix du Festival, soutenu par la RTBF et valorisé à hauteur de 10.000 € en achat de droits de diffusion du film primé, est attribué au film Wajma, une fiancée afghane de Barmak AKRAM

Le Prix du Scénario est attribué au film Short Term 12 de Destin CRETTON

Le Prix d'interprétation Masculine est attribué à Fabien HERAUD pour son rôle dans le film De toutes nos forces de Nils TAVERNIER

Le Prix d'interprétation Féminine est attribué à Wajma BAHAR pour son rôle dans le film Wajma, une fiancée afghane de Barmak AKRAM

Le Coup de Cœur du Jury est attribué au film L'étrange petit chat de Ramon Zürcher

Le Prix du Jury Cinéfemme, valorisé à hauteur de 1.000 € pour une aide à la distribution du film primé, est attribué au film Short Term 12 de Destin CRETTON

Le Prix BETV, soutenu par Betv et valorisé à hauteur de 5.000 € en droits de diffusion du film primé, est attribué au film De toutes nos forces de Nils TAVERNIER

Le Prix du Public est attribué au film Short Term 12 de Destin CRETTON

Le Prix CICAE, valorisé en une aide à la diffusion du film primé dans les salles de cinéma d'Art et Essai, est attribué au film, Everyone's going to die de Jones alias Max Barron et Michael Woodward

Compétition Européenne

Le Prix du Jury des Jeunes Comédiens Européens, soutenu par FedEx et valorisé à hauteur de 5.000 € en services de transport, est attribué au film Mother I love you de Janis NORDS

COURTS METRAGES

Compétition des Courts Métrages Belges et Internationaux

Le Prix du Meilleur Court Métrage International, soutenu par Studio l'Équipe et valorisé à hauteur de 2500 € en prestations techniques au choix hors fournitures (laboratoire film – étalonnage sur Lustre ou Mistika – travaux de mixage), est attribué au film Solo Rex de François BIERRY

Le Prix UCC/UPCB du Meilleur Court Métrage Belge, valorisé à hauteur de 1.000 € pour un court métrage de la Compétition Belge, est attribué au film Figures de Miklos KELETI

Le Prix SABAM du Meilleur Court Métrage Belge est attribué au film Partouze de Matthieu DONCK

International competition

Grand prix: Wajma, an Aphgan Love Story, d. Barmak AKRAM

Best screenplay: Short Term 12 d. Destin CRETTON

Best actor: Fabien HERAUD for De toutes nos forces d. Nils TAVERNIER

Best actress: Wajma BAHAR for Wajma, une fiancée afghane d. Barmak AKRAM

Special heart (Coup de Cœur du Jury): L'étrange petit chat d. Ramon Zürcher

Jury Cinéfemme: Short Term 12 d. Destin CRETTON

Prix BETV: De toutes nos forces d. Nils TAVERNIER

Audience prize: Short Term 12 d. Destin CRETTON

CICAE prize: Everyone's going to die d. Jones alias Max Barron & Michael Woodward

European competition

Young European Actors jury prize: Mother I love you d. Janis NORDS

SHORT FILM

Best international short film: Solo Rex d. François BIERRY

UCC/UPCB prize for best Belgian short film: Figures d. Miklos KELETI

SABAM prize for best Belgian short film: Partouze d. Matthieu DONCK