27/11/2012 - The Wallonia-Brussels Federation holds discussions to sign a film co-production agreement with Chile, after one with China last April

The Film and Audiovisual Centre has contacted its Chilean counterparts (Chile’s Arts and Audiovisual Industry Council and International Cooperation Agency), in order to launch negotiations for a cinematic co-production agreement between Chile and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, which would definitely open up new and very interesting international co-production prospects for our professionals. It represents a potential new space for co-production, after the agreement signed with China last April.

The Film Centre thus responds to a demand from Belgian (Saga Film) and Chilean (Indigo) production companies to reinforce cinematic ties between Chile and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation within the framework of a bilateral co-production agreement. Indeed, Hubert Toint is about to film his feature film Mirage d’amour avec fanfare (lit. “Love mirage with brass band” - read more) in Chile. This initiative perfectly reflects our will to continue to open up our cinematography to the world, including outside Europe.

While the federation has co-production agreements with almost all European countries, via bilateral agreements or the European Convention of Cinematographic Co-production, it is quite different for third countries. Yet the federation also has to allow its professionals to discover other artistic universes, other cultures, and new contexts of professional cooperation, as well as, of course, new markets for the circulation and exhibition of works.

The agreement also represents the federation opening up to the South American continent, in terms of co-production as well as circulation.

To this day, the Wallonia-Brussels Federation has signed seven co-production agreements with Portugal, Tunisia, Morocco, Italy, France, Switzerland, and China, as well as a cooperation agreement with the SODEC in Quebec. The Kingdom of Belgium has also signed co-production agreements with France, Germany, Italy, Israel, Tunisia, Canada, and Switzerland.

(Translated from French)