07/05/2003

Philippe Reynaert and Serge Kubla, respectively the director of Wallimage and regional minister Serge Kubla, announced that the Belgian regional film production support fund had worked so well that they had decided to develop its powers further. Wallimage was set up two adn a half years ago, and in that time supported some 20 feature for a total of Euros5m and brought an additional Euros8m to the Walloon region. Without the contribution of Wallimage, films like Pas si grave by Bernard Rapp and Folle embellie by Dominique Cabrera would never have been made. Although these titles underperformed at the box office, Minister Kubla announced that the Walloon regional government would renew its funding of Wallimage for a further three years.
Reynaert announced that Wallimage was lending its support to a number of new film production companies, the first of which, Cinéservices is scheduled to open for business in July in Saint-Servais, near the Walloon capital of Namur. Cinéservices will cover every aspect of the film production process from pre to post-production and it is hoped, will attract more foreign filmmakers to Walloon.