The Match Factory has acquired international sales rights for “Julian,” the debut feature from Belgian director Cato Kusters. The film is set to premiere in the Discovery section at Toronto Film Festival.
“Julian” marks the first majority production from The Reunion, the new production company of Belgian filmmaker brothers Lukas and Michiel Dhont, the writer-director and producer, respectively, of 2022 Cannes Grand Prix winner and 2023 Oscar nominee “Close.”
Both “Close” and Lukas Dhont’s debut “Girl,” which won Cannes’ Camera d’Or in 2018, were represented by The Match Factory.
Kusters works as an editor and director on short films and music videos. Her graduation short “Finn’s Heel” (2022) won the jury prize at the Ghent Film Festival and the audience award for best international short film at the Festival de Films de Femmes. The film caught the attention of the Dhont brothers, and she began developing “Julian” with them in 2022.
“Julian” is based on the book of the same name by Belgian artist, writer and LGBTQ+ advocate Fleur Pierets, which draws from her own life story. The film is co-written by Kusters and Angelo Tijssen. César award winner Nina Meurisse, who was in “Souleymane’s Journey” (2024), stars alongside Laurence Roothooft, known for “Blackout” (2020).
After an unexpected encounter, Fleur and Julian fall madly in love. Soon after Julian proposes, an ambitious, yet challenging idea starts to dawn on Fleur. Slowly but surely she works out a plan to get married in every country where she and her wife are allowed to do so. Fueled by their love and a rising sense of urgency, they take a leap of faith. After only four marriages, their journey comes to an inevitable, painful halt.
“Julian” is co-produced by Les Films Du Fleuve and Topkapi Films in co-production with VTM, RTBF, Proximus and Be Tv & Orange. It had the support of the Media Fund of the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) of Minister for Media, Caroline Gennez, the Netherlands Film Fund and the Netherlands Film Production Incentive, Film and Audiovisual Center of Wallonia Brussels Federation, Screen Flanders, an Initiative of VLAIO the tax shelter measure of the Belgian federal government and Lumière Invest.
The film will be distributed in Belgium by Benelux Lumière and is set for release this fall.