A Belgian short film has been nominated for the 2020 edition of the European Film Awards, set to take place virtually this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The European Film Academy (EFA) are the latest in the film industry to give the nod to Brussels-born director Dorian Jespers for his 20-minute debut 'Sun Dog.'
The nomination follows a string of accolades notched by Jespers' Belgo-Russian production since his 2019 graduation from KASK, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Ghent, which crowned his film as best graduation project.
Jespers' film follows a locksmith in the Russian city of Murmansk, the largest city north of the Arctic Circle, who dips in and out of reality as he roams the alleyways of his frozen home city, becoming increasingly immersed in a "phantasmagoric universe."
The film's main character was inspired by real-life encounter Jespers had after he fell asleep on a train to Murmansk out of Moscow, which saw locksmith and filmmaker navigate the streets of the arctic city in silence due to the language barrier between them.
The 27-year-old filmmaker, who also trained in Brussels' film and drama school INSAS, is one of five contenders shortlisted by the EFA, which, in the light of the coronavirus pandemic, enlarged its feature film and documentary categories to give more exposure to filmmakers who had suffered from cancelled or postponed screenings or openings.
Originally set to take place in Iceland's capital Reykjavik, the 33rd edition of the event will instead be held online over five days beginning on 12 December.
Winners in each category will be selected by the EFA's 3,800 members and announced on 10 December.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
