Is Brussels director Fabrice du Welz really leading the jury at Locarno 2026?
Brussels magazine Bruzz reports that Fabrice du Welz — the Belgian director behind Calvaire and Alléluia — has been named jury president at this year's Locarno Film Festival, one of Europe's most prestigious summer showcases.
In 30 seconds
- Bruzz reported on 15 July 2026 that Brussels director Fabrice du Welz has been named jury president at this year's Locarno Film Festival.
- Du Welz is known for Calvaire (2004), Alléluia (2014), Adoration and Inexorable (2021).
- Locarno is held each August in Ticino, Switzerland; its main competition awards the Pardo d'Oro (Golden Leopard).
- Du Welz's Inexorable previously screened at Locarno in 2021.
Fabrice du Welz is a Brussels-born film director associated with atmospheric, genre-inflected cinema — notably Calvaire (2004), Alléluia (2014), Adoration and Inexorable (2021). The Locarno Film Festival is an annual August event in Ticino, Switzerland, known as a discovery-oriented showcase; its central competition (the Concorso Internazionale) awards the Pardo d'Oro, or Golden Leopard, and open-air premieres take place on the Piazza Grande. A jury president leads the panel that decides those awards. Bruzz is the Dutch- and French-language magazine covering Brussels culture and civic life.
Background
Belgium has a strong recent record in international cinema, from the Palme d'Or-winning Dardenne brothers to a vibrant fantastical and genre tradition celebrated at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival. Du Welz emerged from that milieu, building an international profile on the festival circuit since Calvaire in 2004. His own 2021 film Inexorable screened at Locarno, making his reported turn as jury president a full-circle moment.
What to do
Curious readers in Belgium can revisit du Welz's films ahead of the festival — Cinematek in Brussels programmes Belgian auteurs on the big screen, and titles such as Calvaire and Alléluia surface on curated platforms like MUBI (both are intense, not for the squeamish).
Impact
Regional — Brussels' cultural identity is enriched by having one of its own directors in a high-visibility European role; institutions such as Cinematek and the city's festival scene benefit from the reflected attention, and it strengthens the case for Brussels and Flanders as exporters of distinctive cinematic talent.
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- Published:
- 15 Jul 2026, 02:00
- Retrieved by ODIN:
- 5 Aug 2026
- Publication date unavailable
- Retrieved by ODIN:
- 5 Aug 2026
- Publication date unavailable
- Retrieved by ODIN:
- 5 Aug 2026
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This story was assembled from verified evidence, with its sources and reasoning recorded as it was written.