Obskuur Ghent Film Festival Rebrands as Ghent International Film Week

A new name for the same bold cinema experience

Ghent, Belgium — One of Europe’s most daring underground film festivals is stepping into a new era. The Obskuur Ghent Film Festival is officially rebranding as the Ghent International Film Week—a name that better reflects both its location and its global scope.

Founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival quickly established itself as a platform for uncompromising cinema and video art—films that provoke, disturb, inspire, and often defy categorization. What started as an inventive workaround to lockdown restrictions has evolved into a full-scale international event, presenting more than 50 films over the course of one week each autumn, right in the heart of Ghent Art Week.

Festival director Kris De Meester explains the decision behind the new name:

“The original name—Obskuur Ghent Film Festival—was a bit confusing,” says De Meester. “It mixed Dutch and English, and didn’t clearly reflect what the festival had become. We host a full week of cinema from around the world, and it all takes place in Ghent. So why not just call it what it is?”

The name change marks a move toward greater clarity and accessibility, without compromising the festival’s core identity. The programming remains as bold as ever, with a strong focus on experimental, underground, independent, and cross-disciplinary works. Screenings will once again be held at the Velvet Room, a two-story contemporary art space where the lines between cinema and visual art blur.

In keeping with its roots, the festival continues to offer real support to filmmakers. All selected films receive a film festival submission package worth $500, giving them access to a global network of partner festivals.

The festival’s striking new logo—a crying lamb—is another nod to Ghent’s cultural DNA. Inspired by the Mystic Lambin the world-famous Ghent Altarpiece by the Van Eyck brothers, the image symbolizes sacrifice, vulnerability, and raw truth—key themes that resonate throughout the festival’s curation.

The Ghent International Film Week 2025 will run from September 29 to October 5, as part of the broader Ghent Art Week, which transforms the city into a vibrant hub of exhibitions, performances, and experimental art projects.

Though the name has changed, the mission remains the same: to spotlight urgent, innovative, and emotionally honest cinema in a world that desperately needs it.

More information and 2025 program details will be available soon at:  https://www.ghentfilmweek.com