13/06/2013 - Screen Flanders funds 6 Belgian projects, but also 8 Dutch, 3 French, 2 British and 1 German production in its first session

The first funding session of Screen Flanders thus concerns 20 productions for a total amount of 4,995,000 €. The stated aim of the programme is to attract international coproductions to Flemish territories, which will reinforce the Flemish audiovisual industry. Selected projects can receive up to 400,000 €. In fact, they actually receive between 100,000 and 400,000 €.

Amongst the 20 selected projects, 6 are of Belgian initiative, including the new Hans Herbot film, De behandeling, Kampioen zijn blijft plezant by Eric Wirix, which is based on a successful series, and De dwaaltuin by Douglas Boswell, a film project for a younger audience.

As for international coproductions, it is worth mentioning the strong and natural presence of eight projects initiated in the Netherlands, such as Kidnep by Anna van der Heide and Het leven volgens Nino by Simone van Dusseldorp (two projects for children), the thriller Schone Handen [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Tjebbo Penning, with Dutch pop star Jeroen van Koningsbrugge, who describes the project as a kind of Dutch Donnie Brasco, the romantic comedy De Surprise [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Mike Van Diem, the story of a depressed man who falls in love after having hired a firm to fake his suicide, and Tussen 10.00 en 12.00, Peter Hoogendoorn’s first feature film.

France is not far behind with three animation projects: Astérix: Le Domaine des Dieux by Louis Clichy, Phantom Boy [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli, the duo behind A Cat in Paris [+see also:
trailer
film profile], and La Mécanique du Cœur, the first feature film by Mathias Malzieu, the vocalist in the Dyonisos band, based on his own novel and co-directed with Stéphane Berla.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that a German animation project was selected, as well as two British projects: Roadgames, Abner Pastoll’s first movie, and The White Queen (notably with Flemish actress Veerle Baetens), a series produced by the BBC, which will be aired as of next August.

(Translated from French)