10/11/2016 - A selection of over 70 films will reflect the sheer cinematic diversity of the 20 countries lining the shores of the Mediterranean, from Italy to Lebanon, and from Greece to Egypt

The 16^th edition of the Brussels Mediterranean Film Festival will take place from 2-9 December, offering a selection of over 70 films, both fictions and documentaries, with the ultimate aim being to showcase the cinematic diversity exhibited by the 20 countries lining the shores of the Mediterranean.

The festival will open with a premiere screening of the latest film by Serbian director Emir Kusturica, On the Milky Road [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], in which the filmmaker plays opposite Italian actress Monica Bellucci.

Eight movies revealed at major international festivals will battle it out for the six awards in the feature-film competition, one of which is the Cineuropa Prize. Said titles are Big Big World [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Reha Erdem
film profile] by Reha Erdem (Turkey), unveiled in the Horizons section at Venice; Clash [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Mohamed Diab (Egypt/France), the opening film of Un Certain Regard; Fiore [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Claudio Giovannesi
film profile] by Italy’s Claudio Giovannesi, presented in the Directors’ Fortnight; Death in Sarajevo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Danis Tanovic
film profile] by Danis Tanovic (France/Bosnia and Herzegovina), which won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Berlinale; One Week and a Day [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Asaph Polonsky (Israel), a comedy about bereavement presented in the Critics’ Week; Park [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sofia Exarchou
film profile] by Sofia Exarchou (Greece/Poland), which snagged the Kutzabank - New Directors Award at San Sebastián; Tour de France [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rachid Djaïdani
film profile] by Rachid Djaïdani (France), also selected for the Directors’ Fortnight; and lastly, Tramontane [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Vatche Boulghourjian (Lebanon/France/Qatar/UAE), which was also introduced in the Cannes Critics’ Week and pocketed the Discovery Award at the most recent Namur International French-Language Film Festival.

In parallel with the competition, the Panorama section will offer a dozen films, including Sweet Dreams [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Marco Bellocchio
film profile], the latest effort by Marco Bellocchio, which comes 50 years after his feature debut. Incidentally, the festival will pay tribute to the filmmaker by screening a restored version of that very same first film, Fists in the Pocket, in addition to Blood of My Blood [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marco Bellocchio
film profile], Bellocchio’s unreleased penultimate film, which will be preceded by a master class that he himself will lead. These screenings will serve as a prelude to a retrospective being organised by the Cinematek, which will take place from December 2016 to February 2017. 

(Translated from French)