Obskuur Ghent Film Festival

Filmmaking is truly a process of creating art; it is a medium to communicate, to express what you want, to lay your feelings bare if you will. From black and white and silent movies to 3D, 8D, 12D, and what not, movies, along with the process of making it, have definitely evolved and adapted along the way. Be it an obscure, sophisticated story that tugs on all your heartstrings or a light-hearted story that will have you in stitches and giggling even after it's over, the process requires a lot of hard work and creative genius.
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The film industry has come a long way, becoming a billion-dollar glamorous industry. However, with all the new technology helping cinemas make many alternative realities a possibility, the process of filmmaking itself has become more commercial as opposed to artistic. Often, movies these days are famous not because of the story they tell but because of the special effects used. Somewhere along the line, the essence of true cinematic art has gotten lost. In a world where people put emphasis on box office appeal and less on experimental works of great value comes Obskuur, the Ghent Experimental Film Festival, that acts as an island oasis for art amidst a sea of commercialism.
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Obskuur Ghent Film Festival is dedicated to recognizing quality films and filmmakers and showcasing their work. This is a quarterly film festival with a unique screening operation. The festival showcases innovative, underground, experimental, and independent movies by aspiring local as well as international filmmakers. The festival will take place at the Alfred Sküll Art Gallery’s small and cozy 30 seat movie theatre.
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During the opening event, all the selected films will be screened to a small audience and will include some Q&As as well as free drinks. After the opening session, the films will remain on display on the big screen and smaller screens as well at the Alfred Sküll Art Gallery. These gallery screenings will be open for walk-ins several times over the course of the following three months. All selected films will be screened multiple times during the festival. It creates great exposure for the movies and their makers while introducing the audience to some obscure and experimental works they might have missed.
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Obskuur Ghent Film Festival motivates aspiring filmmakers to submit their innovative work and showcase their movies. Local and international artists are encouraged to submit their work for the opportunity to be featured in a festival that celebrates art.

IN GOOD COMPANY
This screening series of contemporary cinema places its films where they belong – within the vibrant context of other art forms. The arena that will serve as the backdrop for the Obskuur Ghent Film Festival is the Alfred Sküll Art Gallery, a two story eclectic art space showcasing contemporary artworks by artists like Nobuyoshi Araki, Ed Templeton, Per Kirkeby, Curtiz, Shepard 'Obey' Fairey and Ravi Zupa. The gallery is located within in Alpaca.Gent, a creative hotspot which also houses a casting studio and a small production company.
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Festival curator and director is Kris De Meester, a film director, producer, and entrepreneur known for his independent films. He started his career in 1990, taking on different roles with many of the film industry’s finest. Over the decades, he has teamed up with numerous award-winning directors. Such included big names like Lars von Trier, Terence Davies, Thomas Vinterberg, Timo Vuorensola, Wolfgang Becker, Philippe Grandrieux, and Koen Mortier.

At the same time, the director also took on roles as a casting director in a number of films. His repertoire includes titles such as "A Quiet Passion", "Ex Drummer", "Ich und Kaminski" and "Un Lac", as well as Lars Von Trier's "Nymphomaniac" Volumes I & II. Meanwhile, as a producer, Kris De Meester has worked on dozens of award-winning independent films to date. Such include "Little Wing", "Vessel", "Share with me Your Brightest Colors", "Menthol", and "All About the Feathers". In recent years, he joined Hal Hartley as an executive producer in the production of the feature film “Where to Land” that has yet to be released.

With time, the director and producer’s acclaimed reputation and deep understanding of cinema steered him to become a film curator in the vibrant film festival landscape. Since 2015, Kris De Meester has taken part as a global curator in many mainstay events such as the Brussels Independent Film Festival, the Venice Film Week, the Hong Kong Arthouse Film Festival, Super Shorts London Film Festival, and the Sydney World Film Festival.

CONNECTING CULTURES PROGRAM
Obskuur Ghent Film Festival supports the Connecting Cultures Program by The Bigger Screen. Each year, The Bigger Screens select ten countries and grant filmmakers from those areas the ability to submit their work free of charge to partner festivals all over the world. This opens the door of film exposure to those who may not otherwise be able to enter. As we support inclusivity and shareable films, this program exemplifies our mission. From February 2021 until February 2022 included, The Bigger Screen Connecting Cultures Program supports filmmakers based in the following countries: Burundi, Eritrea, Yemen, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gambia, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Nepal, Myanmar and Iran.