Film Fest Gent

Overview

Film Fest Gent is Belgium's largest film festival, held annually in October in Ghent. Founded in 1974, the festival attracts over 100,000 visitors each year and programs more than 100 films. Its distinctive focus on "The Impact of Music on Film" sets it apart from every other major European festival.

The 53rd edition will run October 7-18, 2026. The film submission deadline is July 1, 2026. Entry fees range from EUR 25 to EUR 75 depending on film length and submission date.

The festival's international competition features 12-15 feature films judged by an international jury for two prizes: the Grand Prix for Best Film and the Georges Delerue Award for Best Music or Sound Design. Since 2001, the festival also hosts the World Soundtrack Awards, the most recognized film scoring prizes in the industry.

Submission Details

• Submission platform: MyFFG account (select "Film professional" profile)
• Entry fee (early bird, until April 30):

- Short films (max 30 minutes): EUR 25 per title

- Medium-length films (31-69 minutes): EUR 30 per title

- Full-length films (70+ minutes): EUR 55 per title

• Entry fee (from May 1):

- Short films: EUR 30 per title

- Medium-length films: EUR 40 per title

- Full-length films: EUR 75 per title

• Deadline: July 1, 2026
• Premiere requirement: Belgian premiere. Only films not previously screened in Belgium will be considered.
• Belgian student shorts: Separate deadline of September 4, 2026, 17:00 CET. No entry fee. Open to films produced at recognized Belgian film schools (KASK, Sint-Lukas, RITCS, Narafi, Luca C-mine, IAD, INSAS, La Cambre) between September 1, 2025 and September 4, 2026. Submit via eindwerken@filmfestival.be.

Competition Sections and Awards

Official Competition (Feature Films)

12-15 feature films selected by the festival's executive committee. An international jury awards:

• Grand Prix for Best Film
• Georges Delerue Award for Best Music or Sound Design (best application of music or sound design)

Recent Grand Prix winners:

• 2025: "The Voice of Hind Rajab" by Kaouther Ben Hania
• 2024: "Super Happy Forever" by Kohei Igarashi

International Short Film Competition

Short films, maximum 30 minutes. Competes for jury and audience prizes.

Belgian Student Short Competition

Final works from recognized Belgian film schools. Jury awards Best Belgian Student Short. Audience awards an Audience Award.

Non-Competitive Sections

• International shorts (no production year or length restrictions)
• Global cinema panorama
• Classics and restored films
• Annual special focus programs

Joseph Plateau Award

Introduced in 1985. Originally awarded to Belgian filmmakers for significant contributions to the Belgian film industry. Later evolved into the Joseph Plateau Honorary Award, a lifetime achievement award for figures from the international film world. Recent honorees include Emily Watson and Michel Khleifi (2024).

World Soundtrack Awards

The World Soundtrack Awards (WSA) are presented annually during Film Fest Gent as the festival's closing event. Established in 2001 by the World Soundtrack Academy, the WSA recognizes excellence in film and television music. The awards are selected by composers and film music professionals who are members of the World Soundtrack Academy.

WSA Award Categories

• Film Composer of the Year: 2025 winner: Volker Bertelmann for "Conclave" and "The Amateur"
• Television Composer of the Year: 2025 winner: Theodore Shapiro for "Severance" (Season 2)
• Best Original Song: 2025 winner: "El Mal" from "Emilia Perez"
• Discovery of the Year: 2025 winner: Daniel Blumberg for "The Brutalist"
• Public Choice Award: 2025 winner: Laetitia Pansanel-Garric for "Hola Frida"
• WSA Game Music Award: 2025 winner: Lorien Testard for "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33"
• Belgian Film Composer of the Year (powered by Sabam): 2025 winner: Ruben De Gheselle
• Lifetime Achievement Award: 2025 winners: Philip Glass and Michael Nyman
• WSA Industry Award: 2025 winner: The Composers Diversity Collective

WSA Submission Details

• Submission platform: MyFFG account (select "professional" profile)
• Submission fee: EUR 35 (early bird, until May 15). EUR 45 after May 15. Free for WSAcademy members.
• Deadline: June 15, 2026
• Categories requiring WSAcademy membership: Film Composer of the Year, Television Composer of the Year, Best Original Song, WSA Game Music Award
• Categories open to all (no membership required): Discovery of the Year, Belgian Film Composer of the Year

WSA Composition Contest for Young Composers

Open to composers under 36. Participants write a symphonic score for a selected film or TV excerpt.

• Registration fee: EUR 75 (non-refundable)
• Registration period: March 2 to May 15, 2026
• Prize: World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Composition by a Young Composer, plus Vienna Synchron Stage Synchron Series Package worth EUR 7,899
• Finalists: Three selected by a professional jury. Compositions performed live by the Brussels Philharmonic conducted by Dirk Brosse at the WSA Concert on October 10, 2026 at Music Center De Bijloke, Ghent.
• Finalist package: Full Film Fest Gent accreditation, VIP ticket for WSA Ceremony and Concert, three hotel nights in Ghent, access to WSA Talks and WSA Nominees Celebration

What Filmmakers Should Know

Film Fest Gent does not have an attached film market. The festival's value for filmmakers lies in the Grand Prix competition, the Georges Delerue Award for music-driven films, and the World Soundtrack Awards for composers.

The Georges Delerue Award makes this festival particularly receptive to films where music or sound design is a central creative element. If your film has a distinctive score, sound design, or music-driven narrative, Ghent is one of the few major festivals that will specifically recognize that aspect.

The Belgian premiere requirement is strictly enforced. Films that have screened at other Belgian festivals or in Belgian theatrical release are not eligible.

The WSA Discovery of the Year award has historically been a strong predictor of major composing careers. Past winners include Michael Giacchino, Daniel Pemberton, Nicholas Britell, and Simon Franglen. The Discovery winner is invited back the following year to present their winning score at the WSA Concert.

Festival History

Film Fest Gent was founded in 1974 by Ben Ter Elst, manager of Studio Skoop, and Dirk De Meyer of the Ghent University Film Club. The first edition, held January 25-31, 1974 under the name "Het Eerste Internationaal Filmgebeuren van Gent" (Ghent's First International Film Event), programmed about 20 titles including Tarkovsky's "Solaris" and Jancso's "Winter Wind." The founders aimed to program films that did not get distribution in regular cinemas.

The film music focus began in the 1980s with silent film screenings accompanied by newly composed live music. In 1987, Georges Delerue conducted a new score for "The Russian Casanova" (1927) in a packed Ghent opera house, and Ennio Morricone gave a concert in a sold-out Ghent venue. Other composers who attended to perform their work include Jean-Claude Petit, Nicola Piovani, Peer Raben, Stanley Myers, Carl Davis, Bruce Broughton, and Michael Nyman.

In 1992, the festival changed its name from "Filmgebeuren" to "Film Festival." In 2001, the festival created the World Soundtrack Academy and the World Soundtrack Awards to formalize its film music focus. The festival has grown from 20 titles in 1974 to over 100 films and 100,000 visitors annually.

See Also

Use the Festival ROI Calculator to weigh submission fees against potential audience reach. For film music and scoring resources, see Audio and Music Tools. For festival strategy guidance, see Film Festival Strategy.