Karlovy Vary celebrates Belgian cinema

This year’s 45th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (2-10 July) is to present an eight-title strong Belgian Focus. Consisting of four Flemish and four French-speaking Belgian films, the programme includes such highlights as The Misfortunates, A Perfect Match, My Queen Karo, Lost Persons Area and Mr Nobody. The festival calls them 'remarkable films'.

In its press release, Karlovy Vary recognises Belgium as a household name for the festival and praises the selected films as ‘a collection of exceptional movies that attest to the versatility of Belgian film’. It looks forward to the Czech premiere of Jaco van Dormael's Mr Nobody (in which Flemish co-producer Caviar is involved).

The Flemish selection of films features strong names which have proved their worth at countless international film festivals. Felix van Groeningen's The Misfortunates (produced by Menuet) had its world premiere in Cannes last year, as did Lost Persons Area by Caroline Strubbe (produced by Minds Meet), while A Perfect Match by Miel Van Hoogenbemt (produced by A Private view) got to screen at fests like Montréal. For Dorothée Van den Berghe (My Queen Karo, produced by Caviar), this won't be the first time at Karlovy Vary, as her feature debut Meisje screened at the festival in 2003.

Lost Persons Area director Strubbe and actor Matthias Schoenaerts, who stars in My Queen Karo, will be attending the festival to present their films. The Belgian Focus is supported by the Flemish representation in the Czech Republic.