Admissions in Belgium reached a record-breaking 2.25 million for the month of July, up 30% from the same month in 1999. This resulted in an unprecedented box office gross of more than $12m (BFr500m).

Similar to southern European countries July and August are traditionally slow months in terms of cinema-going in Belgium. But bad weather, combined with releases such as box office toppers Gladiator (600,000 admissions after six weeks) and Mission: Impossible 2 (200,000 admissions in one week) as well as The Whole Nine Yards (pictured - 400,000 admissions in four weeks) and Me, Myself and Irene (165,000 admissions in three weeks) have boosted attendances.

Leading Belgian exhibitor Kinepolis Group reported a 40% increase in admissions to 1,330,000 at its theatres last month. "These results underline that this is now a 12 month business and the low season belongs to the past," said Kinepolis' Christian Nolens.