Any autumn, the rendez-vous now most congenial for cineaste and cinephile just has to be Gent, the lovely Belgian medieval metropolis where the 35th International Film Festival of Flanders was celebrated in splendid style from 7th to 18th October, 2008. With gastronomic delights to rival those of Brussels (and not just chocs, chips and beers), Gent has the bustle and efficiency of the Flemish (think Swiss, with a sense of humour). In the centuries before Shakespeare was scripting,Gent was larger...

Although the Competition was finely tuned with new films by Atom Egoyan, from Hungary and around the globe,it is just one of several parallel programmes vieing for attention in Gent: Festival Previews (including a pre-festival curtain-raiser of Woody Allen's latest, Vicky Cristina Barcelona), culled from other festivals but with Belgian distibution imported some international glamour, such as Woody Harrelson (with Transiberia) and Walter Salles(introducing Linha de Passe); World Cinema (with sel...

 Although the Competition was finely tuned with new films by Atom Egoyan, from Hungary and around the globe,it is just one of several parallel programmes vieing for attention in Gent: Festival Previews (including a pre-festival curtain-raiser of Woody Allen's latest, Vicky Cristina Barcelona),culled from other festivals but with Belgian distibution  imported some international glamour, such as Woody Harrelson(with Transiberia) and Walter Salles(introducing Linha de Passe);World Cinema (with...

Any autumn, the rendez-vous now most congenial for cineaste and cinephile just has to be Gent, the lovely Belgian medieval metropolis where the 35th International Film Festival of Flanders was celebrated in splendid style from 7th to 18th October, 2008. With gastronomic delights to rival those of Brussels (and not just chocs, chips and beers), Gent has the bustle and efficiency of the Flemish (think Swiss, with a sense of humour). In the centuries before Shakespeare was scripting,Gent was larg...