Throwback Filmfest Ghent 2025 🎞️📽️

⭐️Let’s highlight our (y)early October’s cinemahigh ! ArtistCongratz strolling through Filmfest Ghent. In this year’s opener; the unique fragile yet strong story about Julian, Director Cato Kusters tells a true story about a love between two women in the most moving way. No wonder Julian will also premiere this November 7th, powered by FFO, Filmfest by the Sea.
⭐️How about L’interet d’Adam? What’s in the best interest of a small child, accompanied by a young mother, close to dispair. A driven nurse, followed non stop by the camera throughout the entire movie, is determined to find that out. This mustsee can be seen in Belgian cinemas as we blog about it.

And what about a remarkable view on how mother Theresa became MOTHER Theresa…

An endeavour to discover, but most of all a story about human doubt, portrayed by a director filming like a painter on a canvas, finding just the right balance between (audio)visual art and storytelling.

ArtistCongratz witnessed a talkie at Filmfest Ghent with director Teona Strugar Mitevska and Belgian actress in a supporting role Marijke Pinoy, shining alongside Noomi Rapace.

Quotes of the talkie that stuck with ArtistCongratz ❤️

“Allow yourself to go into unknown waters”

“Embodying a character to the best of one’s ability” 

Historical character 

How the script come about: 

Leading a convent like a CEO

No power struggle

Feel the 

Human doubt 

In this movie

Act while doubting 

She decides to act with or without help

Mother Teresa: Her idea: women for women 

A movie about power

Discipline, very harsh for herself 

Structural way of life 

Like watching a painting

Details that only a woman director can bring, like the confirmation of a myth that sisters’ cycles are n sync.

Unity 

Beauty 

Proudly presenting at the Castle : Janine Kitzen, Marina Barskaya, Katerin Theys and Daniel Verstappen 🥻👘🎶🎻🎹

Building bridges between different worlds has been Daniel Verstappen’s mindset for quite a while. Always aware of new sources of inspiration crossing his path, The pianist and composer clearly has found a new one in the «silhouettes» of designer Katerin Theys.

At his latest Castle concert at Alden Biesen Belgium last Sunday (September 7th) he improvised live 🎹to pay tribute to her creations🥻👘

The designer, based in Belgium as well as Hong Kong, and the maestro’s first collaboration goes back to earlier this year when Daniel was touring through Japan and South Korea, while wearing her designs on stage.

Also starring last Sunday at Alden Biesen 🏰: the amazing soprano Janine Kitzen and the one and only Marina Barskaya and her inseperable fiddle 🎻🎼.



Congratulations are in order once again!

We gladly share some more images of ArtistCongratz proudly presenting all this extraordinary talent…

All on stage (including your presenter;)) wore Katerin’s silhouettes, as the designer herself likes to call them. (See pics below)
All ears & eyes on a fiddle fairy
🎻
Marina Barskaya
Along with Daniel she made classic pieces and iconic movie soundtracks composed by Hans Zimmer and Karl Jenkins among others come to life.
Daniels latest musical bridge leads to Janine Kitzen, a well known soprano from The Netherlands who has also performed alongside André Rieu. 🎶
🎶More live performances of Daniel Verstappen & Guests coming 🆙
👉Check all dates on http://www.danielverstappen.com
ArtistCongratz presenting live at the Castle 🏰

Care to read even more about Daniels performances at the World Expo in Japan ? Please check out my article in BJA magazine ⤵️

Throwback to a memorable opening night by the Sea 🎭🌊

Last month ArtistCongratz managed to witness and interview a particular actress and singer with more experiences than most of us combined. Not only has she been around for more than ten decades, she’s doing it while sharing her talent and stories with us on stage to this day, celebrating a century full of life.

At 101, Alice Toen still has the twinkle of a youngster in her eyes. Like a living story book seasoned with poetry and songs she matches extremely well with young(er) musicians in a unique formula of spoken word meets nostalgia through intimate vocals and strings. Her mantra ? Keep on creating, love your time on stage and healthy food.

Enjoy a visual glimpse of her performance  at the opening night of this years TAZ-edition at Kursaal Ostend ⤵️

About Last Night 🎵 How Dua Lipa enlights 💡

The Way She Shines 🎤

The way she makes other people shine.

The way she embodies sheer creativity.

The way we relate to her lyrics.

The way she moves.

People. 

And on stage. 

Like the one last night at Sportpaleis in my first-ever-hometown Antwerp. 

Extra Congratz to true artists
like Dua Lipa 🪽, who’s music and lyrics I found so inspirational it lead me to writing my first novel.

Your editor

But first, let me «tell📽️🤳» YOU

about last night, 

how Dua Lipa enlights 👁️⤵️ 🔥

🤍🦢
🐎🐎🫶
🪑🌹
🫶🙌
🦋
💃
🏆🩱👸🏻
🪽🤍🏳️
👉
💪
🫶🎤
🧜🏼‍♀️
Please also give it up for Alessi Rose, Congratz on your scintillating performance in the pre show 🌹as well as my country’s pride and joy & special guest star Angèle & TikTok revelation Pierre De Maere 🇧🇪🎶
« Hope we took a good Selfie » 🤳 🤪
«Thank you to ‘Backstage-Messenger Mr. M
Hope my jukebook finds Dua well 🤞»
Meet Dua Lipa’s personal Chef 🧑🏻‍🍳
🤞🤞
«Dua Lipa’s favourite dish ?
All kinds of pasta 🍝 😋»

Firsttimers at BOLOGNA CHILDREN’S BOOK FAIR 🇮🇹📚

33318 trade visitors in just four days, taking part in over 500 events.

Curated by BCBF and its 1,577 exhibitors from approximately 95 countries.

Covered by journalists from over 40 countries. ArtistCongratz 🇧🇪being one, took part for the first time. While blogging; accompanying, spotting and matching fine young talented illustrators and authors on their journey towards discovery💡✍️

📖🖼️🇧🇪🇸🇦
the only way, look 🆙 😉
Belgium meets Saudi Arabia
at Bologna’s Children’s Bookfair 2025

So far some impressions, facts and figures of the 62nd Bologna Fiere in a nutshell.

Care for more sneak peeks of our own journey as Bologna Fair Firsttimers?

Keep up the viewing ⤵️

Nice meeting Hooria from Germany/Iran (on the left in the picture). She is studying
educational science, working on a dentist project to be illustrated for kids AND parents. This was at the PublisHer Booth network event on Wednesday, while she’s watching drawings from Lauren, a young emerging Belgian illustrator who’s latest publication “Nachtraafmeisje” (author Gitta Van Lommel) was highlighted at the Fiere by Belgian Publisher Clavis ⤵️
Find out more about Lauren’s impressive work as an illustrator ➡️https://www.laurenpletinckx.com
Lauren Pletinckx, Belgian illustrator of “Nachtraafmeisje” written by Belgian author Gitta Van Lommel, published by Clavis
Harper Collins, one of the biggest international bookpublishers world wide, of course also present in Bologna
Presenting this year’s Guest of Honour Country: Estonia 🇪🇪
Nice booktalks in English & “un poco Italiano” over Dolce 🧁 & Espresso ☕️
at PublisHer Booth on
Wednesday morning 👌How about a story totally written in a fictitious language ?
Belgian and internationally renowned author Wally De Doncker taking a look at Lauren’s portfolio 🖼️🖌️Thank you for recognizing and encouraging young illustrating talent !

“Building new professional relationships”

ArtistCongratz is definitely on the same networking page as Antonio Bruzzone, General Director of BolognaFiere, who looks back on this 62nd extraordinary edition as a fair that continues to grow in participation and quality.

The success of the exhibitor numbers from all over the world is the result of the scouting work that the fair carries out, a constant and global commitment: being present worldwide, all year round, is essential to understand the trends of markets, including emerging ones, and to build new relationships.

Antonio Bruzzone
General Director of BolognaFiere

Antonio Bruzzone: We are also honoured to continue our collaboration with the United Nations, a prestigious partner with whom we share a commitment to sustainability, both in editorial content and in industrial processes, a theme that is increasingly crucial for the future of publishing and beyond.

Among new participating countries this year Albania, Azerbaijan, Ecuador, Georgia, Guatemala, Iceland, Madagascar, Malta, North Macedonia, Peru, Sri Lanka (Thailand) and Saudi Arabia, where ArtistCongratz received a warm welcome 📸 while promoting the work of Belgian emerging illustrator Lauren Pletinckx

The fair confirms itself as the most important global stage for the exchange of rights and copyrights in the children’s and young adult sector, promoting content that develops throughout the entire book chain and beyond
⤵️

From scouting new talents to seeking new voices in emerging publishing markets. Additionally, among the main novelties of this edition was the new Games Business Centre – in collaboration with Frankfurter Buchmesse and created with Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids – which joined the second edition of the TV/Film Rights Centre, completing Bologna’s book-to-screen offering: a success with over 600 meetings held between publishers and professionals from the gaming and audiovisual industries.

The theme of sustainability was at the heart of the debate, through renewed collaboration with the United Nations and a focus this year also on the sustainability of publishing industry processes, in a meeting curated together with BBPlus, the space dedicated to general publishing that completes the fair’s editorial offering.

BolognaBookPlus 2025 was sold out with a waiting list for the first time. Rights were traded among the 56 participating countries. With an AI Summit run with Shimmr, an Audio Forum and a multitude of seminars featuring industry leading.

Along with the Fiere more than 100 underground events were organised by exhibitors at the exhibition centre and around the city. Four days of the event during which Bologna becomes the global capital of children’s publishing every year. But the fair is also international in terms of digital presence and media coverage, with over 2 million pageviews from more than 180 countries.

The 63rd edition of Bologna Children’s Book Fair, along with BolognaBookPlus and Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids, is expected to take place at BolognaFiere from April 13 to 16, 2026, with Norway as the Guest of Honour Country.

BolognaFiere 2025 (31.03-03.04) is organized by BolognaBookPlus (BBPlus) – in collaboration with the Italian Publishers Association and Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids (BLTF/Kids).
Our Aftermovie entitled: “Rockin’ it at BCBF 🇮🇹”
📺🎞️

World Piano Day at the Castle 🏰 Meet the Maestro, the Soprano, the Piano Prince And the Fiddle Fairy

Did you know that World Piano Day is held on the 88th day of the year because most piano’s have 88 keys? Who else than a pianist would know and want to share this scintillating fact?

The one playing a keyrole in this story we have been following for quite a few years. 

Wonderyears that is. As in plural. As Daniel Verstappen continues to grow as an artist every season of every year. No wonder Vivaldi inspires him so much ;)☀️❄️

His golden formula: connecting and reconnecting with cultures and like minded artists through his piano play. The instrument being his absolute Soulmate 🎹 and inspiration, also has become a signature song 🎶. Extra to be celebrated on March 30.

In 2024 his worldtour took Daniel to iconic playgrounds like Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall New York. 

Just a few weeks ago he dazzled part of India along with the Belgian-Indian soprano Turiya Haudenhuyse.

Scroll to see which Belgian Royal was in admiration of these two talented artists who happened to be former co students at the music academy.

We could and would not deprive you from sharing our latest live encounter with these mesmerizing artists. Enjoy last Sunday at Castle Alden Biezen, not far from Daniel’s hometown, as if you had frontrow seats 👏

Impressions of an impressive improvisation 🎶🎹

Daniel also likes to encourage young pianotalent and introduces them at his concerts⤵️this particular young maestro is only 15 years old (!)

Meet the maestro, the soprano, the piano prince and the fiddle fairy 🎹🎤🧚 🎻
Daniel Introducing Juul Smekens, winner of the latest piano talent hunt
https://www.turiyahaudenhuyse.com

In June the Bridges Between Cultures-story is to be continued in the far east…as Daniel is headed for…Japan. And last but not least he is working on a brandnew album. Looking forward 🙌 but first another royal flashback⤵️

👑

This highlight in Mumbai just a few weeks ago in the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium is also one for the books.

Special ArtistCongratz at Sea 🩰🌊

Coming across highly talented international creators and performers at sea…probably means you are on… a cruise in international waters ☀️🚢.

This post is dedicated to all the magnificent artists and gentle people I came across on MSC Lirica in early March.

Congratz to all of you ! 

And we were lucky to be able to personally meet and greet one particular dancing duo 🩰 💃🕺nice to meet you Sam and Laura!

Thank you for treating the audience every single night to your dazzling twists and turns on the ship’s Broadway theater stage. Not to mention your stunts at last Thursday’s White Goodbye-Party of course 🤍 👋

⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️🕺🤍💃

Special Congratz
to Sam and Laura from Columbia 🇨🇴 !!

Thank you for sweeping us away with your avant garde state-of-the-art-modern-meets-classic-choreographies 🔥

Buena suerte para ambos !! Hasta la vista y muy bienvenidos en los escenarios belgas en el futuro 🤗 🎶🩰

ArtistCongratz

Mia-fever-(comic)-trip lead by melodic heroines 🦸🏻‍♀️ 💥

No Belgian Music Week without Flanders Music Industry Awards 🇧🇪

I assure you, ArtistCongratz does not have one of these 🔮 to predict awardwinners…🤔💭Although our “hunches” rarely turn out to be deceiving;). Just two weeks ago we managed to have three time winner Sylvie Kreusch in front of our mic at ESNS Groningen. She confided in ArtistCongratz that her spending hours at her granny’s addic amidst tons of books might have something to do with the birth of her album Comic Trip 🦸🏻‍♀️🎶

Sylvie Kreusch sure knows how to pass a “contest” with flying colours 🇧🇪 she is on the verge of her international tour across Europe.
Check tourdates: https://www.sylviekreusch.com/tour
pics by Jokke (VRT)
K Choaw wham bam💥, Cheers 🍸and Congratz 👏to leading ladies Sylvie Kreusch, Pommelien Thys & Eefje De Visser.
No less than 7️⃣🏆 in total here,
GirlPowered by Sylvie Kreusch & Pommelien Thys 🎤💃🩰
Not to mention this young gentleman Maksim, thanking first and foremost
his grandmother aka Babooshka ❤️ after winning this year’s Breakthrough-MIA 👏 His duet with Hannah Mae might be in Dutch but sounds beyond international⤵️
Despite the title “Ik wil dat je liegt”/ “Need you to lie” turns out to be such a thruthful song to so many 🎶
Maksim also beautifully performed the song live in Dutch and English at tv awardsshow De Kastaars with singer Barbara Dex
And the equally enchanting Berre who wins best Album happens to live in our neighborhood. Make sure to check our previous ESNS post for upclose and personal live footage 🎶

Let’s move on to the somewhat little less gentlemen Average Rob among others. They manage to create a new Belgian Anthem I will not deprive you from⤵️

Our newest Belgian Anthem🎶🙌😎 by these two “playful scoundrels”, infamous YouTubers
Omdat Het Kan & Average Rob, performed live at the Awards &
preferably to be consumed with Belgian fries, yes they are Belgian, 🇧🇪 the fries 😉
🥔🍟🔥☄️

Absolute GOAT of the MIAs (Music Industry Awards) remains Stromae with a stunning number of 20 but QueenPommelien and her 12 statues now share the runner up position with international Belgian artists Angèle and Milow. Congratz 👸🏼👏

ArtistCongratz 🙌
Interviewing Stromae @ The Mia’s in 2011 🎶

This MIA-edition, Pommelien, who is immensely popular with the youngest youngsters, cashed in 4 of her 7 nominations. She wins in the audience categories ‘Dutch-song’, ‘Pop’ and ‘Solo artist’. With ‘Het beste moet nog komen (The Best is Yet to Come) she also has the ‘Hit of the year 2024’ up for grabs. During the MIAs 2022 she won 3 awards and last year 5. Including this year’s 4, she has collected a total of 12 MIAs. Impressive to say the least.

And how about the well deserved reward of A Live Experience with Capital L from Brutus, extra Congratz & All Round Applause to Stefanie, Peter & Stijn please 👏🎸🥁🎶 AC had the opportunity to interview the band in Bruges back in 2023⤵️

Lifetime Achievement Goes to an absolute icon, still very much active on stages across the continents. Special Congratz to Salvatore Adamo 🙌🎶

Voted by the Audience 🙌

  • ALBUM: I’ll Call You When I’m Home – Berre
  • ALTERNATIVE: Eefje de Visser
  • DANCE: Lost Frequencies
  • BREAKTHROUGH: Maksim
  • BAND; Clouseau
  • HIPHOP: Brihang
  • DUTCH LYRICS; Pommelien Thijs
  • POP: Pommelien Thijs
  • SOLO ARTIST: Pommelien Thijs
  • Flemish POPULAR: Sam Gooris
  • HIT 2024: Het beste moet nog komen – Pommelien Thijs
  • LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Salvatore Adamo

Chosen by the Peers in the Industry

  • ARTWORK: Comic Trip – Sylvie Kreusch
  • AUTHOR/COMPOSER: Sylvie Kreusch & Jasper Segers
  • LIVE ACT: Brutus
  • MUSICIAN: Victor Defoort
  • PRODUCER: Pieterjan Coppejans
  • VIDEOCLIP: Comic Trip – Sylvie Kreusch
  • SECTOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Pukkelpop

Punkrevival by a junior, wrapped up in…Plastik Bags

Now and then ArtistCongratz likes a colorful refreshing trip down memory lane. Preferably on crossroads where different music generations inspire each other.

This actual refresh of an extra colorful iconic Antwerp based band from the seventies embodies such a vibe like no other could. 

As yours truly their driving force today, Björn Eriksson jr., also happened to be a toddler in the seventies. Back then, his father Karl Eriksson, the original guitar player, pulled his strings alongside Gowie Meeusen, Ben Bervoets, Bo Spaenc and Gene Bervoets. Their In your face punk would turn out to be legendary.

Discover stories featuring two generations of Plastik Bags, chatting with both Gene and Björn.

Gene: Björn did all the remastering. It’s his project now actually…but I can only guess what he experienced  as a toddler listening to us (laughs).

Björn: Although I have a great beard myself now, (Gene laughs) My father looks younger than I do. (Laughs) 

“Teaming up with some Plastik Bags”

Björn: I can still remember seeing some concerts as a small child. The original bandmembers definitely had some fascination for plastic bags. They used to dress up in them, that’s all I can remember. I think there was this roadie, a good friend, who came up with the idea to hang a couple of 💯 plastic bags on the ceiling during the concerts.

Gene: We all wore them at the time.

AC: You’d have to have model like features to show them off…

Gene: Not all of us do I guess (laughs)

AC: Ageless music and charisma could also do the trick 😉 Do all ages come to the concerts nowadays ?

Björn: We did a release concert of the new album  in Antwerp. For a lot of old fans of course but also very young people really seem to like it.

Gene: There is some kind of punk revival going on at the moment…it appeals to young people because there is a lot of energy in it. When I listen to the radio, I hear a lot of “low profile music”, while punk is really “in your face”. 

I think that youngsters are surprised that older people also used to think that people in their fifties or sixties were practically not able to walk anymore 😉

That’s actually the spirit of the Plastic Bags pioneers: We’re still in our twenties 🙂

 T b c

https://www.destudio.com/en/project/plastik-bags

Starring by the sea ✨🎼

Last Thursday we went anything but WRONG. Yet this is the title of a worldly Belgian popsong, now eternalized in the same Hall of Fame, we also blogged about last year, traditionally hosted by the seaboard 🌊🎵@Kursaal Ostend.

The concept: one of our popular radiostations unites young and established talent in a dazzling music celebration 🏆

Picture by Jook
Scroll to discover our amazing photo gallery of Belgian music legends🎤like this incredible productive composer and talented producer Steve Willaert🎹⤵️🎖

CongratZ are also in order for Novastar aka Joost Zweegers🎶, singer songwriter of “Wrong” among other evergreens, maybe yet to come in this very Hall of Fame⭐️

(Not) Novastarstruck 👩‍🎤
Striking poses with the enchanting 🎶Joost Zweegers🙌
Before Wrong, best served with few introduction according to the Singersongwriter, became an instant hit in 2000, the song remained hidden for many years. Luckily we can give it its well deserved evergreen status 23 years later.
Besides for Steve and Joost, CongratZ retrostyle are also in order for Margriet Hermans, leading lady in more ways then one, as well as Wim Soutaer & his all time local classic
“Allemaal”
📻📺🎙
Meet Steve Willaert, one of our most productive and versatile composers. 🎶🎖Want to witness his high soundwizard-level ? Go see the latest Studio 💯 musical
RED STAR LINE 🚢 or watch this small appetizer of soundtracks ⤵️, played by himself 🎹
Spotlights 🔛maestro Willaert
Steve also delivers
breathtaking songs in musicals like this one: Red Star Line
And accompanies young talents like these two 👯‍♀️ the performance of CAPPAERT was a tribute to their maestro
A moving tribute for Lifetime achievement awarded Margriet, by her lovely also very talented daughter Celien 🎤♥️
Crowd picture perfect
by Stef Keynen/VRT