Festival Data:

• Established: 1958

• Competitive
• Film Market
• Catalog

Festival Website:

Festival Description:

Each year, during the first two weeks of July, the Cinémathèque Royale de Belgique invite cinephiles to the competition of the l’Âge d’Or and Cinédécouvertes. The selected films are screened at Flagey and the second screening at the Musée du Cinéma the following week.

In 1958, l’Âge d’Or was created in honor of the filmmaker Luis Buñuel whose 1930 film shared the same name. Valuing 5000 euros, the l’Âge d’Or is awarded to an auteur for their originality and commitment to their unique vision.  The festival honors those filmmakers that diverge from cinematic conformity. The award is given directly to the director of the film.

1979 was the inaugural year of Cinédécouvertes which was created to encourage the exchange of quality films between domestic and national distributors.  The prize, or rather the distribution rights, is funded by the Communauté Française.  Secondly, the jury awards the Prix Cinédécouvertes (valued at 10,000) to two films that do not yet have distribution in Belgium.

In its first several years Le Prix de l’Âge d’Or organized its competition around the experimental film genre.  Kenneth Anger, Claes Oldenburg and Martin Scorsese were among those that were honored for their work.  However, in 1973, the competition changed direction and became a juried competition.  Selected films were screened for the public at the Musée du Cinéma and the Belgium jury began to award feature films with cash prizes.

In the spirit of Jacques Ledoux, the Prix de l’Âge d’Or may not award the best film, the best actors or even the best director; but it does honor those brave and original films that have a revolutionary vision which deviate from the typical formulaic film rules.