VAF backs new blood

by Aurore Engelen

12/04/2011 - The Vlaams Audiovisual Fund selection committee has announced its decisions for April 2011. Nearly €1,650,000 has been awarded to 15 features (including two documentaries) and an animated short. On the production side, the VAF is investing a lot in two debut features.

VAF has decided to fund the writing of four projects: Continental Drift by Peter Krüger, who recently garnered attention with his documentary Antwerp Central; Lampedusa, the debut feature by young Flemish actor Senne Dehanschutter, who won acclaim for his graduation film, Fertilize; Tack, the new project by Erik Lamens (S&M Judge); and finally Electric Blue, the latest project by Alex Stockman (who helmed recent film Pulsar, shown at the Vancouver, Ghent, Los Angeles, Rotterdam and Hamburg festivals).

On the development side, prolific production companies Caviar Films and A Private View have received grants, respectively, for Black by Hans Herbot (Storm Force 10) and Brasserie Romantiek, the debut feature by Joël Vanhoebrouck, who has worked a lot on TV series like Vermist and Code 37.

Finally, on the production side, VAF is pumping €550,000 into Wim Vandekeybus’s debut feature. Better known as a choreographer, Vandekeybus has made a name for himself by working with artists like Jan Fabre, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and David Byrne, and has over the past few years directed films based on his shows. He recently directed a music video for Franco-Finnish band The Dø.

His film Galloping Mind centres on five characters, children and adults, whose paths cross by chance in a city between sea and desert. It is produced for Savage Films by Bart Van Langendonck, who managed the choreographer and his company Ultima Vez for many years.

Finally, Tomas Leyers of Minds Meet (Lost Persons Area [trailer]) will produce another debut feature, Just in Time for Something by Bas Devos, who attracted attention with his short films Taurus and Pillar.

(Translated from French)