Flemish drama entered for inclusion in the Best Foreign-Language Film Academy Award submissions 2013.

The Broken Circle Breakdown

Felix van Groeningen’s The Broken Circle Breakdown has been chosen as the official entry of Belgium to the Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Language Film Award.

The decision was made unanimously by a national jury.

The film centres on a love affair between tattoo artist Elise (Veerle Baetens) and bluegrass musician Didier (Johan Heldenbergh). After bonding over their shared enthusiasm for American music and culture, they enter into a sweeping romance but when an unexpected tragedy hits their new family, everything they know and love is put to the test.

Baetens won the award for best actress at the Tribeca Film Festival, where the film also won best screenplay, which was co-written by Groeningen and Carl Joos.

It also won the Label Europa Cinemas prize and Panorama Audience Award at the Berlin International Film Festival in February; nine Ensor Awards (including Best Film, Director, Actress, and Music) in Belgium; and is nominated for the People’s Choice Prize at the European Film Awards, which will be presented in December.

The Broken Circle Breakdown will be released in the US by distributor Tribeca Film in select theaters on Nov 1.

The film was produced by Dirk Impens for Menuet and received support from the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF).

The nominations for the 2014 Academy Awards will be announced on Jan 16, 2014. The 86th Oscar Ceremony will take place on March 2, 2014.

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