10/02/2025 - The 15th edition of the Flemish film and television awards crowned Koen Mortier’s film and also recognised Leonardo van Dijl and Wannes Destoop’s works

The Flemish cinema awards, the Ensors Awards, were handed out last Friday during the Ostend Film Festival, crowning veteran director Koen Mortier, whose latest feature Skunk received the Best Film Award, but also young filmmaker Leonardo van Dijl, whose debut feature Julie Keeps Quiet [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Leonardo van Dijl
film profile] received no fewer than five prizes. Inspired by true events, Skunk [+see also:
film review
interview: Thibaud Dooms
film profile] paints the uncompromising and disturbing portrait of a young boy broken by violence, both familial and systemic, a trying and intense film and a real uppercut that shines a light on childhoods in peril.

In a completely different register, Julie Keeps Quiet also paints the portrait of a young girl as though crushed by the dominating violence of her tennis coach, who will find her own path to emancipation from this weight and break her silence. The film, presented last May in Critics’ Week in Cannes, has been met with critical success in Belgium, but also in France, where it was just released. Leonardo van Dijl received the Best Directing Award, as well as the Best Screenplay Award, for the script he co-wrote with actress Ruth Becquart. The film also received awards for Best Cinematography for DoP Nicolas Karakatsanis (who also shot Skunk and is a frequent collaborator of Koen Mortier, as he is for Michael Roskam, for instance), Best Costumes and Best Sound.

Another popular film, Holy Rosita [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Wannes Destoop, received the Best Art Direction and Best Score Awards, and was rewarded for the quality of its performances. The surprising Daphne Agten received the Best Actress Award, while Mieke De Groote received that for Best Supporting Actress. Finally, the film also received the Audience Award.

Amongst the many prizes handed out on Friday night, considering that the Ensors celebrate both cinema and television series, we will note the more than enthusiastic reception with which the excellent Soundtrack to a Coup d’État [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Johan Grimonprez
film profile] by Johan Grimonprez was met, as it won the Best Documentary Award as well as the Best Newcomer Award given to its young editor, Rik Chaubet.

Finally, the Best French-language Film Award went to Night Call [+see also:
film review
interview: Michiel Blanchart
film profile] by Michiel Blanchart, perhaps giving us a preview of the Magritte Awards, which celebrate French-language cinema and will take place on 22 February.

The full list of winners:

Best Film
Skunk [+see also:
film review
interview: Thibaud Dooms
film profile] – Koen Mortier (Belgium/Netherlands)

Best Series
Moresnet - Jef Hoogmartens, Jonas Van Geel, Frank Van Passel

Best Directing (feature)
Leonardo van Dijl - Julie Keeps Quiet [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Leonardo van Dijl
film profile] (Belgium/Sweden)

Best Directing (series)
Frank Van Passel - Moresnet

Best Actor (feature)
Daphne Agten - Holy Rosita [+see also:
film review
film profile]

Best Supporting Actor (feature)
Mieke De Groote - Holy Rosita

Best Actor (series)
Isabelle Van Hecke - Nonkels

Best Supporting Actor (series)
Greg Timmermans - Assisen: De Insulinemoord

Best Screenplay (feature)
Leonardo van Dijl, Ruth Becquart - Julie Keeps Quiet

Best Screenplay (series)
Jelle De Beule, Floris Schillebeeckx – Nonkels

Best Documentary (feature)
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Johan Grimonprez
film profile] - Johan Grimonprez (Belgium/France/Netherlands)

Best Documentary (series)
Zij Hen Wij - Zaïde Bil, Sam Peeters, Heleen Declercq

Best Animation
Bad Bad Belgium - Jasper Declercq, Jonas Wellens, Wouter Medaer (short film)

Best Co-production
Emperors of Nothing [+see also:
film review
film profile] - Cédric Gerbehaye (France/Belgium)

Best French-language Film
Night Call [+see also:
film review
interview: Michiel Blanchart
film profile] - Michiel Blanchart (Belgium/France)

Best Newcomer
Rik Chaubet - Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat

Best Cinematography
Nicolas Karakatsanis - Julie Keeps Quiet

Best Editing
Thomas Pooters, Nico Poedts, Stijn Deconinck, Koen Timmerman, Pieter Smet - Moresnet

Best Sound
Arne Winderickx, Boris Debackere, Gustaf Berger - Julie Keeps Quiet

Best Music
David Martijn - Holy Rosita

Best Art Direction
Toon Mariën - Holy Rosita

Best Make-Up
Evalotte Oosterop - Skunk

Best Costumes
Ellen Blereau - Julie Keeps Quiet

Best Short Film
Upper - Lennert Madou

Best Youth Series
Hawa & Adam - Mathias Brouns

Best International Performance
Malin-Sarah Gozin

Audience Award
Holy Rosita - Wannes Destoop

Impact Award
Angelo Tijssens

Life Achievement Award
Guido Henderickx

(Translated from French)