What's on this week: 30 October

Sixteenth-century Europe suffered no shortage of master painters, but few were as successful in their day and as neglected in ours as Michiel Coxcie. The Mechelen-born artist spent a decade perfecting his art in Rome before returning home to put his stamp on altarpieces, stained-glass windows and tapestries across Flanders and the Netherlands. These works earned him the nickname “The Flemish Raphael” and the lofty position of court painter to Charles V. Ironically, Coxcie’s legend was eclipsed by those he heavily influenced. So artists, like Peter Paul Rubens, remain household names, but their master was forgotten. Until now.
31 October-23 February │ M Museum, Leuven
www.mleuven.be 

Free tickets!
Email [email protected] with “Coxcie tickets” in the subject line by Monday, 4 November, for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the exhibition. Winners will be notified the following day.

Brussels’ International Children’s Film Festival turns seven this year, which is about the median age of its target audience. The week-long family film binge features more than 80 screenings at nine venues. The offerings cover all cinematic styles, genres and formats, and many of them are in harmony with this year’s theme: fairy tales. The film programme is complemented by a host of other events, including filmmaking workshop. And don’t miss the pupils from Laken’s Leidstar elementary school performing live soundtracks in front of some of the early 20th century’s most whimsical silent shorts. In partnership with the Europalia biennale, which focuses on art and culture from India, festival organisers have hand-picked a selection of family films from the subcontinent.
Until 3 November │ Across Brussels
www.filemon.be

We all dream at one time or another of getting away from it all and living the simple, wholesome life that must exist somewhere in fly-over country. If you’d like to go from dream to reality, the annual Countryside+ is your fair. Organisers are expecting some 40,000 city slickers to mosey on down this year. Dozens of vendors will be there to greet them with a smorgasbord of all things rustic, from home decor to garden furniture to cracker-barrel crockery to travel kit to farmer’s overalls. If you need more, there’s also delicious, down-home cooking to be had.
Until 3 November│Flanders Expo, Ghent
www.countryside.be

Mark Lanegan: The husky-voiced American folk rock musician performs acoustic together with London’s multi-instrumentalist Duke Garwood
31 October 20.15 at Flagey, Heilig-Kruisplein 1
www.flagey.be

Accordion Festival: Festival honouring one of the most celebratory instruments: the accordion, with free concerts by Brussels group Jaune Toujours and Ghent group Broes, among others
2-3 November at GC Spikkerelle and in cafés across Avelgem
www.avelgem.be/accordeonfestival

Ecobouwers Open Door: Opportunity to visit ecologically friendly homes, with an eye for sustainability and organic materials, featuring more than 150 inspiring buildings
1-11 November across Flanders
www.ecobouwers.be/opendeur

International Model Car Swap Meet: First edition of the event for model car enthusiasts and collectors, featuring hard-to-find automobilia and model cars of 200 exhibitors from Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Germany and the UK
3 November 10.00-14.00 at Autoworld, Jubelpark
www.autoworld.be

Razor Reel: Annual fantastic film festival featuring the Belgian premiere of opening film App by Dutch director Bobby Boermans, plus a range of 40 sci fi, horror and fantasy features, a multitude of shorts, a Young Blood competition for debuting filmmakers, the European fantastic shorts competition and Q&A sessions with international guests
Until 2 November at Ciné Liberty, Kuipersstraat 23
www.rrfff.be

Japan Expo Belgium: Third edition of the fair covering all aspects of Japanese culture, from its entertainment and cuisine to sports, fashion and more
1-3 November at Tour & Taxis, Havenlaan 86
www.japan-expo.be