All the emotions of sport, experienced on the big screen

With the aim of spreading sport’s finest values and thrills far and wide, the Wallonia-Brussels Panathlon association – presided by Dr Philippe Housiaux – is organising the second edition of the “Brussels & Wallonie SPORT E-MOTIONS 2016 – International FICTS Festival”, from 3rd to 6th October. Courtesy of the cooperation of the local councils in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Charleroi and Liège, twenty cinematic productions will be presented free of charge at three different venues; the Wolubilis Cultural Village, the Cinéma Le Parc (in Charleroi) and the Cité Miroir (in Liege).

The Festival is inserted in the “SPORT E-MOTIONS World FICTS Challenge” World Championship of Television, Cinema, Communication and Sport Culture organized by FICTS – Federation Internationale Cinema Television Sportifs (joined with 114 Countries) recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

Festival Director is Philippe Soetens.

In parallel with these screenings, there will also be events for schools, encounters with athletes, exhibitions and conferences, in order to address the theme of “sport, spirit of humanity” in respect of the entire sporting community, irrespective of their origin, conditions or objectives, but always with the same common denominator: a passion for sport. With 2016 offering such a wealth of major sporting events, this second edition of the festival is designed to be educational and accessible to all, while also offering an opportunity to reflect on the impact of sport in our lives, in our environment and in our society as a whole. And to allow sport to be discovered from another perspective.

Sport’s value as an educational tool

Active since 2003 in the defence and promotion of sporting values, the Wallonia-Brussels Panathlon’s activities have one overarching aim: to promote sport as a tool for integration, emancipation and education (www.panathlon.be/nos-actions). This festival fits in fully to this philosophy, with the films featured having been chosen both for the messages they convey and their artistic quality. This year’s stand-out productions include “Free to run”, “Langtang: Summit of my life III” and “Inside Haiti”.  These films and many others will be offered free of charge to the public and will help remind all sports lovers why sport is such a social phenomenon today.

Much more than just a Festival

Alongside the film screenings, numerous other activities will also be offered free of charge, in order to encourage the spread of sport’s finest values and emotions, and to help stimulate reflections on the subject. See below for the full programme of activities taking place on 03.10 at Wolubilis (Woluwe-Saint-Lambert), on 04.10 at the Cinéma Le Parc (Charleroi) and on 05.10 at the Cité Miroir (Liege). Here is the full programme.

Screenings for primary schools

In conjunction with the School Sports Federation (AFFSS), Belgian state broadcaster RTBF and with the participation of UNESCO’s Division of Ethics, Youth and Sport, primary schools are invited to attend special screenings, complete with additional fun educational activities.

Screenings for secondary schools

After the screening of a full-length feature film, top-level athletes will personally share their experiences with the youngsters, to underline the importance of practising sport and of not giving up on your dreams, despite the difficulties which can be encountered.

Screenings and discussions on the universal nature of sport

In special collaboration with the Special Olympics Belgium and the association A World of Football, you will discover, through the eyes of athletes with widely varying aims and ambitions, just how vital passion and commitment are in sporting activity.

Exhibition

Created this year, UNESCO’s photo exhibition “The Power of Sporting Values” is a collection of superb shots that illustrate the finest aspects of sport. It can be viewed at the Wolubilis Cultural Village on 3rd October. At the same time, the Cité Miroir will, from 11th September to 23rd December, be presenting the “Human Zoos” exhibition in conjunction with the association MNEMA, the Liege Province Centre for Secular Action, the ACHAC research group (Paris) and the Lilian Thuram Foundation.

A closing conference:

To close the festival, on the afternoon of 6th October, the Wallonia-Brussels Panathlon will be holding a conference in the hemicycle of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation’s Parliament, during which we will take the unique step of calling for the worlds of sport, religion and politics to clearly state their position on sport, its practice and its operation. Should sport be neutral terrain? Can religion (or faith) have an impact on an athlete’s life? How can religion help to share the values conveyed by sport and to promote gender equality and solidarity between peoples? On these and many other issues, we are keen to hear the views of the different faiths recognised in Belgium (including secularism), and of all athletes. Consequently, there will be in attendance representatives of federated sport (the Association Interfédérale du Sport Francophone), sport for persons suffering from a physical disability (Paralympics) and sport for persons suffering from a mental disability (Special Olympics), as well as those from the political world such as the President of the Parliament of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. As a sporting and citizens’ movement, our overriding wish is to generate an exchange of viewpoints on the contribution and/or difficulties brought about by political and religious acts for the practice of sport and for the conditions of athletes in general, without making any value judgments.

“11mm goes to Brussels”

Finally, the Wallonia-Brussels Panathlon is teaming up with the “11mm” Festival – the festival of football films in Belgium, which is preparing for its own second edition on 13th, 14th and 15th October. This event offers a selection of recent films that deal with the social and, of course, sporting aspects of football and which are mainly being screened at the Den Dam sociocultural centre in Auderghem, as well as at Auderghem cultural centre and the Free University of Brussels.

The Wallonia-Brussels Panathlon

Spawned by an international movement, the Wallonia-Brussels Panathlon association was founded in 2003. Ever since, the association has been pursuing a sole aim: to restore all of sport’s colourful splendour by promoting its finest values, namely Fair Play, Respect, Solidarity and Friendship. Via its actions conducted daily on and off the fields of play and through its vast network of members, the Wallonia-Brussels Panathlon aims to be one of the key players in all issues connected with the promotion of sporting values and ethics. Website: www.panathlon.be