About Czar

Czar is an international production company, that produces and co-produces feature films, short films, documentaries, tv shows and commercials. Above all, Czar is about talent, guts and the creativity of its directors and producers.

The production company was founded in 1999 by Belgian directors Koen Mortier and Joe Vanhoutteghem and quickly became one of the most influential production companies in Belgium and beyond. The work of Lionel Goldstein, the alias of directing duo Koen and Joe, played a key role in this success. Their projects have been awarded an impressive 17 Cannes Lions, including five gold, as well as a Grand Prix at Eurobest and numerous other prestigious awards. To this day, they continue to create films that surprise and innovate.

In 2010, CZAR FILM & TV was established under the leadership of executive producer Eurydice Gysel, focusing on author-driven films, documentaries, and TV series. A recent highlight is the success of “Skunk”, directed by Koen Mortier. The film won the Best Film Award at De Ensors 2025, gained international recognition, and became the most-visited Flemish film of 2024. Skunk also ranked second most-watched Flemish film on Streamz last year.

In 2024, CZAR also released “Waarom Wettelen?”, the first feature film by renowned Belgian writer Dimitri Verhulst. Additionally, the experimental documentary “The Anchor” by Jen Debauche, starring Charlotte Rampling, had its world premiere at DocLisboa.

Currently, we are working on several projects: “Garden of Earthly Delights” (Morgan Knibbe), a co-production with Baldr Film, is in post-production. “The Isle of the Demoiselle” by Micha Wald, in collaboration with Stenola Productions, is also in post-production. The film adaptation of the acclaimed youth novel Joe Speedboot, co-produced with Baldr Film, is in post-production. Our first animation film, “Black Wolf” by Raf Wathion, is in pre-production.