Joe Vanhoutteghem
Joe started out as an animation director for commercials but quickly developed into a versatile all-rounded director. In 1999 he joined fellow director Koen Mortier to establish Czar in Brussels which quickly became one of the most creative production companies on the Belgian market.
His distinguished style and taste are known worldwide. He has directed many remarkable and award-winning films for international clients such as Sexual Abuse Awareness ‘Innocence and Danger’ (Silver Lion for Direction), Amnesty International, Arte, Randstad, Unicef, and Nike.
He also has a sweet spot for music videos. In particular his work for The Hickey Underground earned him ‘Blond Fire’: Best Video at Camerimage Festival, Best Pop Promo International Short Film Festival Louvain, and ‘The Frog’: Best Alternative Music Video UKMVA.
Recently, his ‘Ice Skating’ film for Ikea won two awards at Eurobest 2018: Silver for Best Film and Bronze for Best Direction.
Additionally, under the alias of Lionel Goldstein, he directs films with his friend and fellow director Koen Mortier; both adepts of the absurd, they are set on constantly pushing the boundaries. They have won 17 Cannes Lions with their commercials.