Lukas Dhont’s Cannes Grand Prix winner Close has been selected as Belgium’s entry for the international feature film category at the 95th Academy Awards.
Close stars Eden Dambrine and Gustav De Waele as two boys whose tender friendship is tragically broken. After its Cannes premiere in Competition, it shared the festival’s Grand Prix with Claire Denis’ Stars At Noon.
Considered an early frontrunner to make the Oscar shortlist, Close was also selected as one of Screen critics’ top films from Cannes 2022.
Sales agent The Match Factory has already sold distribution rights to more than 100 territories worldwide. Mubi acquired the rights for UK/Ireland, Latin America, Turkey and India, and A24 for North America. In Belgium, Close is to get a theatrical release through distributor Lumière, after opening the Ghent Film Festival on October 11, while Diaphana is to release the film on November 1 in France.
Recent Belgian titles that have garnered Oscar nominations are The Broken Circle Breakdown (2013), Bullhead (2011), Everybody Famous! (2000) and Daens (1992).
Lukas Dhont co-wrote the script of Close with Angelo Tijssens. The producers are Dirk Impens and Michiel Dhont for Menuet, in co-production with Diaphana Films, Topkapi Films, Versus Production, VTM and RTBF. Close was made with the support of the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF).
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