"Omen" awarded at Sitges!
"Omen" by Baloji awarded the Best Director Prize at Sitges - International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia 2023!
SITGES - International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia is one of the world's most important festivals for fantastic cinema, featuring numerous meetings, exhibitions, presentations, and screenings of fantastic films from around the globe.
For its 56th edition taking place from October 5th to 15th, 2023, the Catalan festival has selected Omen, the debut feature film by multidisciplinary artist Baloji, in the Official Competition. It was awarded the Best Director Prize.
Four characters, regarded as witches or sorcerers by their families and communities, will have their destinies intertwine in a dreamlike Congo. Only mutual aid and reconciliation will allow them to break free from the curse that afflicts them.
The film had its world premiere in the official selection at the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, where it won the New Vision Award. It has since been selected for various festivals, including Sydney, Durban, Karlovy Vary, Sarajevo, and Angoulême, where it won the Best Director Award. With this selection, the film continues its festival journey. With this selection and award, the film continues to shine at festivals.
Omen is also the film that will represent Belgium at the 96th Academy Awards.
The film is produced by Wrong Men and co-produced by Tosala Films, New Amsterdam, Special Touch Studios, RadicalMedia, Serendipity, Sudu Connection, and Big World Cinema.
With the support of the Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, New Dawn, Netherlands Film Fund, Netherlands Film Production Incentive, Berlinale World Cinema Fund, Screen.brussels, CNC Cinéma du monde, Red Sea Film Fund, Fond de promotion culturelle, Gouvernement de la République Démocratique du Congo, Fonds Image de la Francophonie, BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance, RTBF (Télévision Belge), VRT, Proximus, VOO&Betv, Canal+ International, TV5 Monde.
Omen will be released in Belgium on November 15, 2023, distributed by Imagine Film. The film will be distributed in the USA by Utopia Distribution. International sales are handled by Memento International.