Belgian Culture Shines: Cannes Jury, 20km Run, Antwerp Fair

Belgium’s cultural scene is making headlines on multiple fronts this week. Belgian filmmaker Laura Wandel is serving on the prestigious Cannes Film Festival jury for the first time in over two decades, organizers of the 20km of Brussels have released a data-driven analysis of the course’s toughest sections, and Antwerp’s historic Sinksenfoor fair opens this weekend with thrilling new attractions.

Laura Wandel Brings Belgian Cinema to the Cannes Jury

Laura Wandel, the Belgian director and screenwriter born in 1984, has been selected as a member of the Feature Films Jury for the 79th Cannes Film Festival, running from May 12 to 23. She is the first Belgian to serve on the jury since actor Benoît Poelvoorde in 2004, and before him, novelist Georges Simenon in 1960, as RTBF reported.

Wandel sits alongside an illustrious panel presided over by South Korean director Park Chan-wook, with fellow jurors including Demi Moore, Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao, screenwriter Paul Laverty, Stellan Skarsgård, Ruth Negga, Isaach De Bankolé, and Diego Céspedes.

Wandel is no stranger to Cannes. Her short film “Les Corps étrangers” was selected for the Short Film Competition in 2014, and her debut feature “Un monde” (Playground) premiered in the Un Certain Regard section in 2021, winning the FIPRESCI prize and earning an Oscar shortlist nomination. Her second feature, “L’Intérêt d’Adam” (Adam’s Sake), opened the Semaine de la Critique in 2025.

Her cinema is deeply influenced by the Dardenne brothers, who are now her producers through their company Les Films du Fleuve. In an interview with RTBF, Wandel reflected on the purpose of the festival: “The Cannes Film Festival is also a place where we come together, where we talk about films, where it allows us to talk about the world, about the state of the world. That’s what cinema is too.”

20km of Brussels: Data Reveals the Course’s Hidden Challenges

With the 46th edition of the 20km of Brussels set for Sunday, May 31, RTBF’s Décrypte team has analyzed GPS traces from approximately 2,000 finishers of the 2025 edition to identify the most challenging sections of the course for different runner profiles, as RTBF Décrypte detailed.

The key finding: the Avenue de Tervueren becomes particularly punishing when runners have more than 17 kilometers in their legs. The analysis aims to help each participant prepare for their personal “wall” — the point where the course becomes most difficult for their specific profile.

The 2025 edition set a participation record with nearly 49,000 runners, including Queen Mathilde of Belgium. The course, which passes through Brussels’ most iconic monuments, is widely regarded as one of Europe’s most beautiful urban running routes.

Sinksenfoor Opens in Antwerp with King Kong and 85-Meter Free Fall

Antwerp’s beloved Sinksenfoor returns to Park Spoor Oost from Saturday, May 23 to Sunday, June 28, promising six weeks of carnival excitement. Last year’s edition attracted approximately 800,000 visitors to the fair’s more than 150 attractions and stalls, as HLN reported.

This year’s headline attractions include “Kong,” a King Kong-inspired ride with rotating benches that swing in multiple directions, and “Mission Impossible,” a free-fall tower reaching 85 meters (279 feet) with a drop speed of approximately 90 km/h. The Ferris wheel has also been renovated with new enclosed cabins to meet stricter safety standards.

The fair, which traces its origins to a 13th-century Pentecost trade fair, offers special events including Kids Day every Friday, a Day for Persons with Disabilities on June 2 with free access to attractions, and a closing day “Big Bang” with discounts on June 28.

A Vibrant Week for Belgian Culture

Together, these three events showcase the breadth of Belgian cultural life — from the global prestige of Cannes to community traditions that have endured for centuries. Laura Wandel’s jury service highlights Belgium’s outsized influence in world cinema, the 20km of Brussels demonstrates how data journalism can enhance sporting experiences, and the Sinksenfoor proves that centuries-old traditions can evolve while remaining beloved by hundreds of thousands.

For those looking to experience Belgian culture firsthand, the Sinksenfoor opens this Saturday, the 20km of Brussels takes place on May 31, and the Cannes Film Festival concludes with its awards ceremony on May 23.