From November 10 to 13, the 21st edition of the Brussels Art Film Festival took place. First organized in 2000 by the visual arts institute ISELP, the festival is dedicated to films about art. Over the years, the festival has grown and expanded with new partners such as the Centre du Film sur I’Art, Bozar and CINEMATEK. For four days, BAFF celebrates national competition for art documentaries with a connection to Belgium, international films out of competition, children’s and youth screenings, and meetings. The festival provides an overview of artistic and cinematic production in Belgium by screening mostly unpublished films about art from both communities. Thanks to the prizes awarded by the festival, the films also gain visibility and find alternative distribution networks. Since 2018, an international panorama is equally presented during the festival. Out of hundreds of films, personal favorites are chosen, the crème de la crème of documentaries about art. These kinds of films, sometimes screened in art galleries for lack of movie theaters, deserve better visibility, a screening place, a festival.

Frank robbert is one of the organizers of the Brussels art film festival, he explains what the festival stands for and what purpose it pursues. He thinks that there is not enough attention to the world and to engage new people. This year, 117 art documentaries were submitted to BAFF from which a jury made a selection of 13 films to enter the national competition. The festival is subsidized by the Dutch and Belgian governments by being a bilingual festival. He indicates that the festival is primarily aimed at supporting documentary filmmakers and supporting the community. It should be a place where people can make a connection and so we do not focus on expansion. One selected documentary is shadow workers by Annelein Pompe. Her documentary is told from the eyes of an animal and highlights “ordinary life. It deals with the social aspect, that people work to survive and live their dreams only in thought. She says the collaborations for making the documentaries are mostly based on passionate creators and volunteers.