Cato Kusters has won the Jo Röpcke Award, the prestigious annual film prize awarded by the magazine Knack, which was presented on Saturday at the Ghent Film Festival.
Kusters received the award for her debut feature film, "Julian." The film, based on the book by Fleur Pierets, tells the story of a couple embarking on a journey to marry in every country where same-sex marriage is legal. "Julian" premiered on Wednesday in Ghent.
Dave Mestdach, film critic at Knack, praised "Julian" as a “sensitive, empathetic, and socially engaged love story” and called it a “successful and mature debut.” He added that the film’s exploration of “urgent topics” such as marriage equality contributed to the jury’s decision.
Speaking about the win, Kusters said, “Receiving recognition for your work is always gratifying. But stepping into the footsteps of directors who dare to experiment is an enormous motivation to continue and keep pushing boundaries.” Previous winners of the Jo Röpcke Award include Leonardo Van Dijl (2024), Robin Pront (2015), and Felix Van Groeningen (2009), whom Kusters described as “people I deeply admire.”
