Cinema of Belgium refers to the

film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, p ...

based in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

. Belgium is essentially a bi-lingual country divided into the

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...

(

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

-speaking) north and the French-speaking south. There is also a small community of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

speakers in the border region with Germany. Belgium is further a federal country made up of three regions (the

Flemish Region The Flemish Region ( nl, Vlaams Gewest, ),; german: Flämische Region usually simply referred to as Flanders ( nl, link=no, Vlaanderen ) ; german: link=no, Flandern is one of the three regions of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and t ...

, the

Walloon Region Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...

and the

Brussels-Capital Region Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

) and three language communities (the Flemish Community (Dutch-speaking), the French (i.e., French-speaking) Community and the

German-speaking Community The German-speaking Community (german: links=no, Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft, or DG; french: links=no, Communauté germanophone; nl, links=no, Duitstalige Gemeenschap), since 2017 also known as East Belgium (german: links=no, Ostbelgien), is ...

). Due to these linguistic and political divisions it is difficult to speak of a national, unified Cinema of Belgium. It would be more appropriate to talk about

-language cinema of Belgium and Walloon or French-language cinema of Belgium.

History

Early history

While the invention of the

cinématographe Cinematograph or kinematograph is an early term for several types of motion picture film mechanisms. The name was used for movie cameras as well as film projectors, or for complete systems that also provided means to print films (such as the Cin ...

by the

Lumière brothers Lumière is French for 'light'. Lumiere, Lumière or Lumieres may refer to: * Lumières, the philosophical movement in the Age of Enlightenment People *Auguste and Louis Lumière, French pioneers in film-making Film and TV * Institut Lumière, ...

is widely regarded as the birth of cinema, a number of developments in photography preceded the advent of film. Among the people pioneering work on animation devices was a Belgian professor of experimental physics Joseph Plateau. Plateau, who was active at the

Ghent University Ghent University ( nl, Universiteit Gent, abbreviated as UGent) is a public research university located in Ghent, Belgium. Established before the state of Belgium itself, the university was founded by the Dutch King William I in 1817, when th ...

invented an early stroboscopic device in 1836, the "

phenakistiscope The phenakistiscope (also known by the spellings phénakisticope or phenakistoscope) was the first widespread animation device that created a fluent illusion of motion. Dubbed and ('stroboscopic discs') by its inventors, it has been known und ...

". It consisted of two disks, one with small equidistant radial windows, through which the viewer could look, and another containing a sequence of images. When the two disks rotated at the correct speed, the synchronization of the windows and the images created an animated effect. The projection of stroboscopic photographs, creating the illusion of motion, eventually led to the development of cinema. The first public projection in Belgium took place on 1 March 1896 at the Kings Gallery in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

. In the following years there was a surge in activity, initially dominated by the French industrial

Charles Pathé Charles Morand Pathé (; 26 December 1863 – 25 December 1957) was a pioneer of the French film and recording industries. As the founder of Pathé, Pathé Frères, its roots lie in 1896 Paris, France, when Pathé and his brothers pioneered ...

. One of his assistants, Alfred Machin founded the first production studio in 1910; some of his films are still preserved in the Royal Filmarchive in Brussels. The first Belgian movie producer was Hippolyte De Kempeneer, who produced several interesting films until his studio burned down in 1923.

1930 - 1980

The 1930s however saw the first serious attempt at cinema. Several prominent figures such as

Charles Dekeukeleire Charles Dekeukeleire (27 February 1905 – 2 June 1971) was a Belgian film director. He pioneered modern Belgian film with Henri Storck. He was inspired by French avant-garde cinema, particularly the works of Germaine Dulac. Biography Dekeukel ...

and

Henri Storck Henri Storck (5 September 1907 – 17 September 1999) was a Belgian writer, filmmaker and documentarist. In 1933, he directed, with Joris Ivens, ''Misère au Borinage'', a film about the miners in the Borinage area. In 1938, with Andre Thirifays ...

experimented with new filming techniques and founded the Belgian Documentary School, which was long regarded as one of the highlights of Belgian Cinema. With the advent of sound, directors such as

Jan Vanderheyden Jan Vanderheyden (10 October 1890 – 27 March 1961) was a Belgian film producer and director known for the Flemish comedies he made in the 1930s and 1940s. During the German occupation of Belgium between 1940 and 1944, he produced four of the ...

fully explored the possibilities of the medium, adapting popular literary works such as '' De Witte'' of

Ernest Claes Andreas Ernestus Josephus Claes (24 October 1885 in Zichem – 2 September 1968 in Elsene) was a Belgian author. He is best known for his regional novels, including ''De Witte'' ("Whitey"), which was the source material for the first Flemish mov ...

. '' De Witte'' proved to be a pivotal work in the history of Belgian Cinema. The film was a tremendous popular success and would spawn a future remake and a TV series that was widely acclaimed in its own right. While attempts to produce a serious feature-length film were frequently met with difficulty, Belgian animated films slowly gained a reputation abroad, led by animators such as

Raoul Servais Raoul Servais (born 1 May 1928) is a Belgian filmmaker, animator, and comics artist. He was born in Ostend, Belgium, and is a fundamental figure of the Belgian animation scene, as well as the founder of the animation faculty of the Royal Academy ...

, who won several awards throughout the sixties in a career that culminated with a

Golden Palm The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

for best short feature in 1979 for ''

Harpya ''Harpya'' is a 1979 Belgian short comedy horror film written and directed by Raoul Servais, which tells the story of a man (portrayed by ) who tries to live with a harpy (portrayed by Fran Waller Zeper), a mythical being that is half woman an ...

''. From 1964 on, film could be subsidized by the government, making way for a new generation of filmmakers such as

André Delvaux André Albert Auguste Delvaux (; 21 March 1926 – 4 October 2002) was a Belgian film director. He co-founded the film school INSAS in 1962 and is regarded as the founder of the Belgian national cinema. Adapting works by writers such as Joha ...

(''De Man Die Zijn Haar Kort Liet Knippen'', after

Johan Daisne Johan Daisne was the pseudonym of Flemish author Herman Thiery (2 September 1912 – 9 August 1978). Born in Ghent, Belgium, he attended the Koninklijk Atheneum before studying Economics and Slavic languages at Ghent University, receiving his do ...

's novel), Roland Verhavert (''Pallieter'', after Felix Timmermans's novel) and Harry Kümel.

1980 - 2000

The 1980s however saw a break with the tradition of the 60s and 70s, which was increasingly perceived as too stagy or otherwise preoccupied with rural dramas, giving rise to more personal and gritty filmmaking, led by people such as

Marc Didden Marc Didden (born 28 July 1949) is a Belgian film director. He and his family moved to Brussels when he was age 2. He grew up in Brussels and studied Film Direction and Playwriting there. Didden was rock journalist and critic for the Flemish ma ...

(''

Brussels by Night Brussels by Night is a Belgian drama film from 1983, directed by former Humo journalist Marc Didden. The low budget picture was financed partly by Herman Schueremans, organizer of the Flemish rock festival Rock Werchter. The film was named after ...

'') and

Robbe De Hert Robin François De Hert (20 September 1942 – 24 August 2020) was a Belgian film director. De Hert won the André Cavens Award for Best Film in 2000, with his film '' Lijmen/Het Been''. He died on 24 August 2020 at the age of 77 due to compli ...

(''Blueberry Hill'', ''Brylcream Boulevard''). 1985 however saw the release of the ambitious but spectacular failure '' De Leeuw van Vlaanderen'', written and directed by

Hugo Claus Hugo Maurice Julien Claus (; 5 April 1929 – 19 March 2008) was a leading Belgian literature, Belgian author who published under his own name as well as various pseudonyms. Claus' literary contributions spanned the genres of drama, the novel, a ...

, after

Hendrik Conscience Henri (Hendrik) Conscience (3 December 1812 – 10 September 1883) was a Belgian author. He is considered the pioneer of Dutch-language literature in Flanders, writing at a time when Belgium was dominated by the French language among the upper cl ...

's novel. Belgian acclaim in animation continued with an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for best animated short in 1987 with ''

A Greek Tragedy ''A Greek Tragedy'' is a 1985 Belgian animated short film written and directed by Nicole Van Goethem about three lady statues holding on to the remains of an ancient building. Accolades The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film ...

'', by

Nicole van Goethem Nicole Van Goethem (31 May 1941 - 3 March 2000) was a Belgian animator and illustrator. She wrote and directed ''A Greek Tragedy'', winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1987. Biography Van Goethem was born in 1941 in Antwerp ...

. Belgian cinema finally took flight during the 1990s, gaining international prominence with such films as ''

Man Bites Dog The phrase man bites dog is a shortened version of an aphorism in journalism that describes how an unusual, infrequent event (such as a man biting a dog) is more likely to be reported as news than an ordinary, everyday occurrence with similar cons ...

'' (with

Benoît Poelvoorde Benoît Poelvoorde (, ; born 22 September 1964) is a Belgian actor and comedian. Early life His mother was a grocer and his father a driver, who died when Poelvoorde was still a minor. He attended the Jesuit Boarding School of Godinne before ...

), ''

Daens Daens might refer to: * Adolf Daens, Belgian Flemish priest and politician * Pieter Daens (novel), a novel by Louis Paul Boon *Daens (film) ''Daens'' is a 1992 Belgian period drama film directed by Stijn Coninx, after a novel by Louis Paul Bo ...

'' (directed by Stijn Coninx), ''

Rosetta Rosetta or Rashid (; ar, رشيد ' ; french: Rosette ; cop, ϯⲣⲁϣⲓⲧ ''ti-Rashit'', Ancient Greek: Βολβιτίνη ''Bolbitinē'') is a port city of the Nile Delta, east of Alexandria, in Egypt's Beheira governorate. The Ro ...

'' (directed by the

Dardenne brothers Brothers Jean-Pierre Dardenne (; born 21 April 1951) and Luc Dardenne (born 10 March 1954), collectively referred to as the Dardenne brothers, are a Belgian filmmaking duo. They write, produce, and direct their films together. The Dardennes ...

) and ''

Toto le Héros ''Toto the Hero'' (french: Toto le héros) is a 1991 Belgian film (co-produced with France and Germany) by Belgian film director and screenwriter Jaco Van Dormael. It won the Caméra d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991, and the Cés ...

'' (''Toto the hero'') by

Jaco Van Dormael Jaco Van Dormael (born 9 February 1957) is a Belgian film director, screenwriter and playwright. His films especially focus on a respectful and sympathetic portrayal of people with mental and physical disabilities. Van Dormael spent his childho ...

. ''Toto le Héros'' gained wide critical acclaim, winning both the César Award for best foreign film and the

Camera d'Or A camera is an optical instrument that can capture an image. Most cameras can capture 2D images, with some more advanced models being able to capture 3D images. At a basic level, most cameras consist of sealed boxes (the camera body), with a ...

at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

. In 2000,

Dominique Deruddere Dominique Deruddere (born 15 June 1957) is a Belgium, Belgian film director, actor, screenwriter and producer. Career Dominique Deruddere was an actor before he became a director. Filmography * ''Crazy Love (1987 film), Crazy Love'' (1987) * ...

's '' Everybody Famous!'' was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Like ''

'', the Dardenne's 2005 film '' L'Enfant'' won the

Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

at the

. Other important Walloon directors include

Fabrice du Welz Fabrice Du Welz (born 21 October 1972 in Belgium) is a Belgian film director and screenwriter. He has directed several films including '' Calvaire'' in 2004, '' Vinyan'' in 2008 and '' Message from the King'' in 2016. Career Fabrice du Welz ...

Lucas Belvaux Lucas Belvaux (born 14 November 1961) is a Belgian actor and film director. His directing credits include the ''Trilogie'', consisting of three films with interlocking stories and characters, each of which was filmed in a different genre. The t ...

, Bouli Lanners and Vincent Lannoo.

Present

Pauline and Paulette ''Pauline and Paulette'' (original title: ''Pauline & Paulette'') is a 2001 Belgian comedy-drama film directed and co-written by Lieven Debrauwer. The movie was the Belgian entry for the Academy Awards 2001 in the category Best Foreign Langu ...

'' a 2001 comedy-drama film directed and co-written by Lieven Debrauwer was the Belgian entry for the Academy Awards 2001 in the category Best Foreign Language Film but failed to receive the actual nomination.

Dora van der Groen Dora van der Groen (10 March 1927 – 8 November 2015) was a Belgian actress and theatre director. She appeared in more than 120 films and television shows between 1945 and 2003. She played Vrouw Coene in ''Wij, Heren van Zichem'' and st ...

was awarded Best Actress in the Joseph Plateau awards for her role as Pauline. Erik Van Looy's detective movie '' The Alzheimer Case'' (known internationally as ''The Memory of a Killer'') was released in 2003. Van Looy's follow up thriller '' Loft'' opened in 2008 and had twice as many opening weekend admissions as ''The Alzheimer Case''. '' Ben X'' directed by

Nic Balthazar Nic Balthazar (born 24 July 1964 in Ghent) is a Belgian film director and a TV/radio personality (presenter, reporter, producer). Family Balthasar was born into a Ghent family of politicians active in the Socialistische Partij Anders. He is the ...

became an international success after its release in 2007. The movie was the Belgian

Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

entry in 2007, but failed to be nominated. Classic literary works continue to be adapted, in particular the work of

Willem Elsschot Alphonsus Josephus de Ridder (7 May 1882 – 31 May 1960), was a Belgian writer and poet who wrote under the pseudonym Willem Elsschot (). One of the most prominent Flemish authors, his most famous work, ''Cheese'' (1933) is the most translated ...

, and often in coproduction with

film companies. Adaptations of new literary works are also frequent. '' The Misfortunates'' directed by Felix Van Groeningen and released in 2009 is an adaptation of the book De helaasheid der dingen by Flemish writer

Dimitri Verhulst Dimitri Verhulst (born 2 October 1972) is a Belgian writer and poet. He is best known for his novels ''Problemski Hotel'' and ''The Misfortunates''. Biography Verhulst was an unwanted child in a violent home and spent his later childhood in a f ...

. The film won several awards including the Prix Art et Essai at the

's Quinzaine des Réalisateurs and three Golden Starfish Awards at the 17th

Hamptons International Film Festival The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) is an international film festival founded in 1992, by Joyce Robinson. The festival has since taken place every year in East Hampton, New York. It is usually an annual five-day event in mid-October ...

. The film is the official Belgian entry for the

82nd Academy Awards The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2009 and took place on March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m ...

in 2010 in the category

. Another example of a film adaptation of a modern novel is the 2007 movie ''

Ex Drummer ''Ex Drummer'' is a 2007 Belgian black comedy and rock music film directed by Koen Mortier, whose previous work was limited to television commercials. It is based on the 1994 book by Herman Brusselmans of the same name. While receiving mixed revie ...

'' directed by Koen Mortier that was based on the book by

Herman Brusselmans Herman Frans Martha Brusselmans (; born 9 October 1957) is a Belgian novelist, poet, playwright and columnist. He lives in Ghent. He is one of the best-selling authors in Flanders, but controversial at the same time for his profane language and ...

of the same name. '' Mr. Nobody'' directed by

and released in 2010 gained wide critical acclaim, winning both the Magritte Award for Best Film and the André Cavens Award. In 2012, the Belgian film '' Rundskop'' (''Bullhead'') by Michaël R. Roskam was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Belgium also annually hosts several film festivals, the most important of which are the

Flanders International Film Festival Ghent Film Fest Ghent, spelt Film Fest Gent in Flemish and also known as International Film Fest Gent, is an annual international film festival in Ghent, Belgium. The festival held its first edition in 1974, under the name Internationaal Filmgebeuren ...

and the

Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film The Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF), previously named Brussels International Festival of Fantastic Film (french: Festival international du film fantastique de Bruxelles, nl, Internationaal Festival van de Fantastische Fil ...

Belgian films

*'' De Witte'' (1934) *'' The Music Teacher'' (1988) *''

Home Sweet Home Home Sweet Home may refer to: Film * Home, Sweet Home (1914 film), ''Home, Sweet Home'' (1914 film), a film about the life of John Howard Payne * Home Sweet Home (1917 film), ''Home Sweet Home'' (1917 film), a British silent film * Home Sweet ...

'' (1973) *'' Le Choix'' (1976) *''

'' (''Toto the hero'') (1991) *''

'' (1992) *''

'' (1993) *'' Farinelli'' (1994) *'' Le Huitième Jour'' (''The Eighth Day'') (1996) *''

Camping Cosmos ''Camping Cosmos'' is a 1996 Belgian satirical comedy film and a sequel to ''La Vie sexuelle des Belges 1950-1978'', directed by the same director: Jan Bucquoy. It stars Claude Semal, Lolo Ferrari (Miss Vandeputte), Noël Godin (Pierre Mertens), H ...

'' (1996) *''

'' (1999) *''

Everybody's Famous! ''Everybody's Famous!'' ( nl-BE, Iedereen beroemd!) is a 2000 Belgian satirical comedy film directed by Dominique Deruddere about a young teenage girl who is pushed by her poor parents to become a musical star. It was nominated for Academy Award ...

'' (2000) *''

'' (2001) *'' The Alzheimer Case'' (2003) *'' Steve + Sky'' (2004) *'' L'Enfant'' (2005) *'' Ben X'' (2007) *''

Small Gods ''Small Gods'' is the thirteenth of Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' novels, published in 1992. It tells the origin of the god Om, and his relations with his prophet, the reformer Brutha. In the process, it satirises religious institutions, peop ...

'' (2007) *'' Loft'' (2008) *'' The Misfortunates'' (2009) *''

Dirty Mind ''Dirty Mind'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Prince. It was released on October 8, 1980, by Warner Bros. Records and produced entirely by Prince at his home studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota ...

'' (2009) *'' Mr. Nobody'' (2009) *'' Luke and Lucy: The Texas Rangers'' (2009) *'' Bo'' (2010) *''

Oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as ...

'' (2010) *'' Bullhead'' (2011) *''

The Broken Circle Breakdown ''The Broken Circle Breakdown'' (also known as ''Alabama Monroe'') is a 2012 Belgian drama film directed by Felix van Groeningen with a screenplay by Carl Joos and van Groeningen. It is based on the stage play of the same name by Johan Heldenber ...

'' (2012) *''

Two Days, One Night ''Two Days, One Night'' () is a 2014 Belgian-French-Italian drama film written and directed by the Dardenne brothers, starring Marion Cotillard and Fabrizio Rongione. It competed for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2014 Can ...

'' (2014) *'' Los Flamencos'' (2014) *'' N - The Madness of Reason'' (2013) *''

The Brand New Testament ''The Brand New Testament'' (french: Le Tout Nouveau Testament) is a 2015 fantasy dark comedy film written, produced, and directed by Jaco Van Dormael. It is a co-production among Belgium, France, and Luxembourg. The film was screened at the D ...

'' (2015) *'' Laundry Man'' (2016)

Notable people

Directors

* Pascal Adant * Chantal Akerman * Yaël André *

Jean-Jacques Andrien Jean-Jacques Andrien (born 1 June 1944) is a Belgian film director. Le Monde deem his film '' Le Grand Paysage d'Alexis Droeven'' (1981), to be ''the first great Film of a Walloon cinema'' ''This film addresses two problems; the first is that o ...

* Edmond Bernhard *

Jean-Marie Buchet Jean-Marie Buchet (born 24 February 1938 in Jemappes, Belgium, near Mons) is a Belgian author and filmmaker. Early life and education At the age of twelve, after failing an examination, Buchet said to a school-fellow "Later I will make cinema ...

* Jan Bucquoy * Frans Buyens * Stijn Coninx *

* Eric de Kuyper *

Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne Brothers Jean-Pierre Dardenne (; born 21 April 1951) and Luc Dardenne (born 10 March 1954), collectively referred to as the Dardenne brothers, are a Belgian filmmaking duo. They write, produce, and direct their films together. The Dardennes ...

* Lieven Debrauwer *

* Paul Demeyer *

Frederik Du Chau Frederik Du Chau (born 15 May 1965) is a Belgian film director, screenwriter and animator. Career Du Chau attended the Academy of Fine Arts in his hometown of Ghent, where he studied film and majored in animation under Raoul Servais. After gr ...

* Anna Frijters *

Noël Godin Noël Godin (born 13 September 1945) is a Belgian writer, critic, actor and notorious pie thrower or ''entarteur''. Godin gained global attention in 1998 when his group ambushed Microsoft CEO Bill Gates in Brussels, pelting the software magnate ...

Marion Hänsel Marion Hänsel (née Ackermann; 12 February 1949 – 8 June 2020)Patric Jean *

Yasmine Kassari Yasmine Kassari (born 3 October 1970) is a Moroccan film director, known for multi-layered diasporic cinema. Kassari moved to Paris as a teenager, where she graduated from high school and enrolled in a medical school. After studying medicine fo ...

* Peter Krüger *

Harry Kümel Harry Kümel (born 27 January 1940) is a Belgian film director. His 1971 vampire feature '' Daughters of Darkness'' (''Les lèvres rouges''; Fr, "The Red Lips"), starring Delphine Seyrig became a cult hit in Europe and the United States. He ...

Joachim Lafosse Joachim Lafosse (born 18 January 1975) is a Belgian film director and screenwriter. Career Lafosse studied at the IAD (Institut des arts de diffusion) at Louvain-la-Neuve between 1997 and 2001. His graduation film ''Tribu'', a 24-minute short ...

Benoît Lamy Benoît Lamy (; 19 September 1945 – 15 April 2008) was a Belgian film director, best known for his picture ''Home Sweet Home'' (1973). Biography Lamy was born in Arlon in the Belgian Province of Luxembourg and died in Braine-l'Alleud, Wal ...

* Bouli Lanners *

Boris Lehman Boris Lehman (born 3 March 1944, Lausanne), is a Belgian author-filmmaker of experimental cinema. Lehman initially studied piano, but in the early 1960s became interested in photography and cinema. In 1966, after graduating in Film Studies from ...

* Roland Lethem * Daniel Maze * Ernst Moerman * Koen Mortier *

Picha Jean-Paul "Picha" Walravens (Brussels, Belgium, 2 July 1942) is a Belgian cartoonist, comics artist, animator and film director. He is most famous for his adult animated films, such as '' Tarzoon: Shame of the Jungle''.

* Maurice Rabinowicz *

* Olivier Smolders *

Ben Stassen Ben Stassen is a Belgian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for directing and producing several computer-animated films such as '' A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures'' (2010), ''Robinson Crusoe'' (2016), and ''The Que ...

* Samy Szlingerbaum *

Boris Szulzinger Boris Szulzinger is a Belgian author, filmmaker and film producer. He is known for '' The Lonely Killers'' (1972) and '' Tarzoon: Shame of the Jungle'' (1975, directed with Picha). He was the founder of the group ''Cinédit'' with Boris Lehma ...

* Henri d'Ursel * Patrick Van Antwerpen *

* Felix Van Groeningen * Erik Van Looy *

Roland Verhavert Roland Verhavert (1 May 1927 – 26 July 2014) was a Belgian film director. He directed 44 films between 1955 and 1993. He co-directed the 1955 film '' Seagulls Die in the Harbour'', which was entered into the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. His ...

* Jan Verheyen * Julien Vrebos * Thierry Zéno *

Fien Troch Fien Troch (born 1978, in Londerzeel) is a Belgium, Belgian left field film director, producer and screenwriter. Career After graduating from the Hogeschool Sint-Lukas Brussel, Sint-Lukas art academy in Brussels in 2000, she achieved several nom ...

* Hans Herbots * Daniel Lambo

Actors and actresses

Matthias Schoenaerts Matthias Schoenaerts (; ; born 8 December 1977) is a Belgian actor. He made his film debut at the age of 13 in '' Daens'' (1992), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He is best known for his roles as Filip in ...

Jean-Claude Van Damme Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (, ; born 18 October 1960), known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme (, ), is a Belgian actor, martial artist, filmmaker, and fight choreographer. Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, at the ag ...

Jérémie Renier (; born 6 January 1981) is a Belgian actor. His film debut was in the critically praised (1996), directed by the Dardenne brothers. He became better known to worldwide audiences in ''Brotherhood of the Wolf'' (2001) and (2005). The latter ...

Annie Cordy Léonie Juliana, Baroness Cooreman (16 June 1928 – 4 September 2020), also known by her stage name Annie Cordy, was a Belgian actress and singer. She appeared in more than 50 films from 1954 and staged many memorable appearances at Bruno Coq ...

* Antje De Boeck *

Koen De Bouw Koen De Bouw (born 30 September 1964 in Turnhout) is a Belgian actor. He trained to be an actor at Studio Herman Teirlinck in Antwerp and made his breakthrough in Belgium with his role of serial killer ''Stef Tavernier'' in the TV-series Witte ...

Jan Decleir Jan Decleir (born as ''Jan Amanda Gustaaf Decleir'' on 14 February 1946) is a prolific Belgian movie and stage actor born in Niel, Antwerp. Career He had his first big role in Fons Rademakers's ''Mira'' (1971). Since then, he has appeared in ...

* Jacques Brel *

Cécile de France Cécile de France (; born 17 July 1975) is a Belgian actress. After achieving success in French cinema hits such as '' L'Art (délicat) de la séduction'' (2001) and ''Irène'' (2002), she gained international attention for her lead roles in ''H ...

Josse De Pauw Josse De Pauw (born 15 March 1952) is a versatile Belgian actor, film director, dramatist, author and columnist. He was married to modern dance performer Fumio Ikeda for over thirty years. Theatre After graduating from the Royal Conservatory i ...

* Émilie Dequenne * Ann Petersen *

Dora Van Der Groen Dora van der Groen (10 March 1927 – 8 November 2015) was a Belgian actress and theatre director. She appeared in more than 120 films and television shows between 1945 and 2003. She played Vrouw Coene in ''Wij, Heren van Zichem'' and st ...

* Stéphane de Groodt *

François Damiens François Georges Henri Marie Ghislain Joseph Damiens (; born 17 January 1973) is a Belgian actor. Career He has appeared in more than fifty films since 2000. He started out doing hidden camera videos in the 90s and became widely popular in B ...

Alexandra Vandernoot Alexandra Vandernoot (born 19 September 1965) is a Belgian actress. Career While having starred in a number of French films, she is known internationally as Tessa Noël, Duncan MacLeod's girlfriend, in the fantasy television series '' Highland ...

Natacha Régnier Nathalie "Natacha" Régnier (born 11 April 1974) is a Belgian actress. She received a Cannes Film Festival Award, a European Film Award, and a César Award for her role in the 1998 film '' The Dreamlife of Angels''. Régnier is the first Belgi ...

Déborah François Déborah François (; born 24 May 1987) is a Belgian actress. She is best known for her starring role in the Palme d'Or-winning film, '' The Child'' (2005), directed by the Dardenne brothers. In 2009, she won a César Award for Most Promising ...

References

Bibliography

Mathijs, Ernest (ed.), ''The cinema of the Low Countries'', Wallflower Press, London, 2004. Mosley, Philip, ''Split screen: Belgian cinema and cultural identity'', State University of New York Press, Albany, 2001.

External links

*
Flanders Image
a website dedicated to the Flemish film industry *
cinergie.be
a website dedicated to the Belgian film industry *(in French
Égérie
- a website dedicated to the Belgian film industry in French {{Europe in topic, Cinema of