10/02/2026 - Cato Kusters wins gold, leaving the ceremony of the 16th Flemish Film Awards clutching five trophies thanks to his feature film debut

On Saturday 7 February, the 16th ceremony for the Flemish TV and film awards, the Ensors, unspooled within the Filmfestival Oostende. And two works definitely played their cards right on the night: the feature film Julian [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Cato Kusters
film profile], which earned its director Cato Kusters five prizes, and the series Putain [+see also:
interview: Frederik Daem, Deben Van Dam
series profile].

Unveiled in a world premiere within the Toronto Film Festival’s Discovery section, Cato Kusters’ first feature film is a sensitive and shifting depiction of a love: the love between Fleur and Julian, who are besotted with one another to the point they decide to get married, at home, in Belgium, as well as in all the other countries of the world which allow two people of the same sex to wed. But the young couple are caught out by illness and their shared struggle subsequently takes a totally different turn. Inspired by a true story, the film is based on the memories of Fleur Pierets. Penned by the director alongside screenwriter Angelo Tijssens (notably Lukas Dhont’s long-time collaborator), this adaptation was awarded the Best Film Screenplay Prize. It was also crowned Best Film, and Cato Kusters won Best Director as well as Most Promising Director of the Year. For her part, actress Laurence Roothooft scooped Best Acting Performance in a Feature Film.

The other big winner on the night was the series Putain, created by Zwanguere Guy (a well-known Belgian rapper) and Frederik Daem, which tells the story of Gigi, a Brussels-based teen who finds out his mother Anaïs is back with her toxic, drug-addicted ex and who gives her an ultimatum: it’s either him or her lover. Anaïs can’t make up her mind, so Gigi decides to leave home… Awarded a Special Mention at Séries Mania, the series has now nabbed another eight trophies, namely Best Series, Best Screenplay, Best Director of a Series, Best Editing, Best Make-Up, Best Photography, Best Acting Performance and Best Acting Performance in a Supporting Role.

Young Hearts [+see also:
film review
interview: Anthony Schatteman
film profile] - a film aimed at young audiences which was discovered in Berlin’s Generation line-up in 2024 and which has since met with considerable success - walked away with Best Fiction Film for Young Audiences, Best Acting Performance in a Supporting Role and the Audience Award. Last but not least, the Dardenne brothers went home with the Ensor for Best Belgian Co-Production via Young Mothers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne
film profile], while Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah bagged the Box Office Award for Patsers.

The full list of winners is as follows:

Best Film
Julian [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Cato Kusters
film profile] - Cato Kusters (Belgium/Netherlands)

Best TV Series
Putain [+see also:
interview: Frederik Daem, Deben Van Dam
series profile] - Zwangere Guy & Frederik Daem (Belgium)

Best Director (film)
Cato Kusters - Julian

Best Director (TV series)
Deben Van Dam - Putain

Best Acting Performance (film)
Laurence Roothooft - Julian

Best Acting Performance in a Supporting Role (film)
Emilie De Roo - Young Hearts [+see also:
film review
interview: Anthony Schatteman
film profile] (Belgium/Netherlands)

Best Acting Performance (TV series)
Liesa Van der Aa - Putain

Best Acting Performance in a Supporting Role (TV series)
Felix Heremans – Putain

Best Screenplay (film)
Angelo Tijssens & Cato Kusters - Julian

Best Screenplay (TV series)
Deben Van Dam & Frederik Daem & Nadège Bibo-Tansia – Putain

Best Documentary (film)
Schaap - Ruud De Keyser (Belgium, mid-length film)

Best Documentary (TV series)
Basisschool Balder - Mike (Belgium)

Best Animated Film
Le Parfum d’Irak - Leonard Cohen (France/Belgium)

Best Film for Young Audiences
Young Hearts - Anthony Schatteman

Best Belgian French-Language Film
Young Mothers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne
film profile] - Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne (Belgium/France)

Best Co-Production
Köln 75 [+see also:
film review
interview: Ido Fluk
film profile] - Ido Fluk (Germany/Poland/Belgium)

Best Short Film
Shutterspeed - Jasper De Maeseneer (Belgium)

Best Sound
Matthias Hillegeer & Gedeon Depauw - How To Kill Your Sister [+see also:
interview: Jonas Geirnaert
series profile] (Belgium/Germany)

Best Music
Hannes de Maeyer & Justine Bourgeus - This Not a Murder Mystery (Belgium/Ireland)

Best Artistic Direction
Bart Van Loo - This Is Not a Murder Mystery

Best Make-Up
Labhise Allara Mandango Ciratu - Putain

Best Costumes
Charlotte Willems - This Is Not a Murder Mystery

Best Photography
Jordan Vanschel - Putain

Best Editing
Stijn Deconinck & Joppe Van Den Brande - Putain

Box Office Award
Patsers - Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah (Belgium/Netherlands)

Kinepolis Audience Award
Young Hearts - Anthony Schatteman

Best International Director
Tim Mielants

Lifetime Achievement Award
Josse De Pauw

(Translated from French)