Katrien studied sinology at Ghent University and Nanjing University (南京大学) and wrote her thesis on Chinese movies in the 20th century. After her master she spent two years studying, working and travelling in China and Southeast Asia. Back in Belgium, she worked as a freelance interpreter and translator for various companies and public institutions and also translated Chinese literature, among which the novel ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ by Ai Mi - filmed by Zhang Yimou. Passionate about film from an early age and fascinated about Chinese culture, she founded in 2019, together with colleague Iege Vanwalle, Made in China Festival, for which she programs feature films, documentaries and short films. Katrien has been working in the cultural scene in Gent for more than 25 years and has been a member of the selection committee of Film Fest Gent for the Chinese and Southeast Asian submissions since 2009.