23/09/2015 - Jaco Van Dormael and his divine vision have been chosen to represent Belgium in the Best Foreign-language Film category

The jury, comprising six Flemish-speaking and French-speaking film professionals, unanimously hailed the inventiveness and "Belgianness" of Jaco Van Dormael’s film The Brand New Testament [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jaco van Dormael
film profile], as well as its public and international potential. It therefore follows in the footsteps of Two Days, One Night [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne
film profile] by the Dardenne brothers, which was last year’s candidate, and The Broken Circle Breakdown [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Felix van Groeningen
interview: Felix Van Groeningen
interview: Felix Van Groeningen
film profile] by Felix Van Groeningen, which was one of the five finalists in 2014.

This is the third time that Belgium has chosen Jaco Van Dormael as its representative, following Toto the Hero in 1991 and The Eighth Day in 1996. He also received the Special Oscar for Best Foreign-language Short Film for Maedeli-La-Breche in 1980.

Having been presented as a world premiere in the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in May, the film has racked up some superb figures since its theatrical release on 2 September, both in Belgium (157,000 viewers) and in France (610,000 viewers). The Brand New Testament, which has dominated the top spot in the Belgian box-office charts since its release, pulled off the best ever opening for a French-language Belgian movie (read the news). Its catchy and implausible tagline ("God is alive. He lives in Brussels") and attractive cast (Benoît Poelvoorde, Yolande Moreau, François Damiens and Catherine Deneuve) have managed to draw in the crowds.

Distributed abroad by Le Pacte, The Brand New Testament has been sold in over 50 territories. It will have its US premiere at the Austin Fantastic Fest, and is one of the 52 movies vying for the European Film Awards. Produced by Terra Incognita Films, Climax Films and Caviar in Belgium, Après le Déluge in France and Juliette Films in Luxembourg, The Brand New Testament received backing from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation Film Centre, Wallimage, RTBF, Casa Kafka, Voo-Betv, Belga Films Fund, the VAF, Screen Flanders, the Fortis film fund and Orange Studio.

The Oscars ceremony will take place on 28 February 2016 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The nominated films will be unveiled on 14 January.

(Translated from French)