Nic Balthazar's debut feature Ben X has been chosen as this year's Belgian Oscar candidate.
The decision was made on Friday and was agreed on unanimously by both Flemish and French-speaking communities.
Since its world premiere last month in Montreal, where it won the audience prize and shared the Grand Prix, Ben X has been generating considerable buzz.
It has been picked up for world sales by Paris-based Films Distribution. Equinoxe this week picked up Canadian rights.
Meanwhile, leading US talent agents are reported to be courting Balthazar.
Ben X had an unusual gestation., It began as a novel that Balthazar wrote in a bid to increase literacy among Belgian kids.
The novel, a bestseller, spawned a very successful play. Then the play gave birth to
the film.
Produced by Belgian company MMG, it is a hard-hitting drama about a young autistic student who is the victim of bullying.
Balthazar is a TV personality in Flanders, presenting gameshows, cultural programmes, consumer programmes, travel shows and talkshows.
For 11 years, he presented a popular movie show, Film Factory, on VRT's
second channel, Canvas.
The decision was made on Friday and was agreed on unanimously by both Flemish and French-speaking communities.
Since its world premiere last month in Montreal, where it won the audience prize and shared the Grand Prix, Ben X has been generating considerable buzz.
It has been picked up for world sales by Paris-based Films Distribution. Equinoxe this week picked up Canadian rights.
Meanwhile, leading US talent agents are reported to be courting Balthazar.
Ben X had an unusual gestation., It began as a novel that Balthazar wrote in a bid to increase literacy among Belgian kids.
The novel, a bestseller, spawned a very successful play. Then the play gave birth to
the film.
Produced by Belgian company MMG, it is a hard-hitting drama about a young autistic student who is the victim of bullying.
Balthazar is a TV personality in Flanders, presenting gameshows, cultural programmes, consumer programmes, travel shows and talkshows.
For 11 years, he presented a popular movie show, Film Factory, on VRT's
second channel, Canvas.
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