Six To See @ Film Fest Gent

Tomorrow, on October 10th, the 50th edition of Film Fest Gent will start. During this special edition they will show a lot of amazing films including the opening film Holly from director Fien Troch and The Boy and the Heron from Hayao Miyazaki. These are already two amazing films you don’t want to miss during Film Fest Gent, but I also have six other movies you really should see during the Film Festival. So here are the six films to see at Film Fest Gent.

1. Poor Things: a surrealist science-fiction romantic comedy film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos from a screenplay by Tony McNamara, based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray. It follows a young woman who, after being resurrected by an unorthodox scientist, lives a life free of the prejudices of her time. Emma Stone leads an ensemble cast that includes Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael, Christopher Abbott, Margaret Qualley, and Kathryn Hunter. The film had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion, the biggest prize you can win at that Film Festival. It was also screened at several other Film Festivals including Telluride Film Festival. And now it will also be screened at Film Fest Gent. You will be able to see the film on several days, but all screenings are sold out. No worries if you can’t see the film during the Film Festival, it will also be releasing in theatres on December 8.

2. The Royal Hotel: a psychological thriller film directed by Kitty Green, who co-wrote the screenplay with Oscar Redding. It stars Julia Garner, Jessica Henwick, Toby Wallace, and Hugo Weaving. The film is inspired by the 2016 documentary Hotel Coolgardie by Pete Gleeson and follows two young backpackers, Hanna and Liv, who take jobs at The Royal Hotel, an Australian Outback bar ran by Billy. The film had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, it also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, and was released in several theatres on October 6. At the Film Festival of Gent you can watch the film on October 16 and 17, the screening on October 20 is sold out. So if you want to see this film, you still can get tickets.

3. Ferrari: a biographical drama sports thriller film directed by Michael Mann and written by Troy Kennedy Martin about Enzo Ferrari, the Italian founder of the car manufacturer Ferrari. It is based on the 1991 biography Enzo Ferrari: The Man and the Machine by motorsport journalist Brock Yates. It stars Adam Driver in the lead role as Enzo Ferrari alongside Penelope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Gabriel Leone, Sarah Gardon, Jack O’Connell and Patrick Dempsey. The film was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival, where it premiered on August 31, and it’s releasing in theatres on December 25. But at the Film Festival of Gent you will be able to see the film sooner. They are showing Ferrari on October 19, 20 and 21 with tickets still available for all the dates.

4. The Holdovers: a comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Payne and written by David Hemingson. The film stars Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Dominic Sessa. Set in the early 1970s, the film follows Paul Hunham, a disliked teacher at Barton Academy, who’s responsible for supervising students who are unable to return home for the Christmas holidays. During this process, Paul is forced to deal with one particularly rebellious but troubled student, Angus, who is grieving the loss of his father. The Holdovers premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival last month where it was runner-up for the People’s Choice Award. It is releasing in limited theatres on October 27, followed by a wide release on November 10. But you can see the film sooner at Film Fest Gent on October 17, 20 and 21 with tickets still available for all the dates.

5. Dumb Money: a biographical comedy drama film directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, based on the 2021 book The Antisocial Network by Ben Mezrich. The film is based on the true story of the GameStop short squeeze from January 2021 and stars an ensemble cast featuring Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Vincent D’Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley, and Seth Rogen. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last month and was released in limited theaters on September 15 before expanding into wide release on October 6. During Film Fest Gent you will also be able to see this film and that on October 13, 17, 18 and 20 with tickets still available for all the dates.

6. May December: a romantic drama film directed by Todd Haynes from a screenplay by Samy Burch. It is loosely inspired by the story of Mary Kay Letourneau. Starring in the film are Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton, D. W. Moffett, Piper Curda, Elizabeth Yu, Gabriel Chung, Cory Michael Smith, and Lawrence Arancio. It follows an actress who travels to Georgia to meet and study the life of the woman she is set to play in a film. May December premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and is releasing in select theaters on November 17, before streaming on Netflix on December 1. But you can see this film sooner on the big screen at Film Fest Gent on October 12, 13 and 14 with  tickets still available for all these dates. They are also screening this film on October 11, but this one is sold out.

You can find the whole programme on filmfestival.be where you can also get your tickets. See you there?