In 2o18, Belgian director probably came close to seeing his feature Girl nab an International Feature Film nod. It came up short, but he’s got another shot this year with Close.
The coming-of-age drama re-teams him with Girl screenwriter Angelo Tijssens. While it didn’t win the top prize Palme D’Or at the French film festival, it did tie with Stars at Noon for the Grand Prix (essentially second place).
With a 94% Rotten Tomatoes rating, I would expect Belgium could make this their selection for the Academy’s derby. If it makes the shortlist, it certainly stands a decent chance at inclusion. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…