The documentary ‘Petite fille’ by the Frenchman Sébastien Lifshitz was awarded the Grand Prix for best film at the 47th Film Fest Gent. The prize for best music and sound design goes to the black-and-white film ‘Servants’ by Slovak Ivan Ostrochovský.
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The international jury, including directors Fabrice du Welz and Benh Zeitlin and actress Natali Broods, awarded the Grand Prix to a documentary for the first time since 1985. “Petite fille” is a wonderful portrait of a family fighting for the happiness of their daughter, “said the jury. The film follows Sasha, a seven-year-old trans girl, and her family’s struggles to accept their child. ‘It exhibits humanity in a noble way. The film is sincere, but not sentimental and opened our hearts like no other film did. ‘
Director Sébastien Lifshitz receives a distribution premium of 20,000 euros and a media campaign worth 27,500 euros for his film. The release in Belgium is scheduled for January 6.
Best music and sound design
‘Servants’ wins the Georges Delerue prize for best music and sound design. The film follows two young priests in the former Czechoslovakia in 1980, when the Church had to submit to the communist government. The jury talks about ‘exceptional cinema’. ‘Sound, images and story have been carefully constructed and each element is at the highest possible level. The ubiquitous score and highly charged sound design support the images in a unique, modern and often distorted way, taking the film beyond excellence. ‘ In addition to a distribution premium of 10,000 euros, the prize also includes a media campaign of 12,000 euros.
The North Sea Port Audience Award and Canvas Audience Award will be announced on Monday.
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