28/10/2003 - Company representatives from the two countries are meeting in Valladolid to discuss co-production partnerships. In spite of many differences of opinion, there’s a determination to collaborate

A meeting of Belgium and Spanish producers, held as part of the 48th International Film Week at Valladolid, has ended. This year, Belgium was the featured guest of honour at the main event. The Producers’ meeting didn’t just bring together producers, there were also representatives from the major institutions, and the whole event aroused a great deal of interest from the industry.
Following on from the other co-production agreements signed with other countries, this meeting featured representatives from the three areas involved, Flanders, Belgium-Walloon and Spain, to explore the different forms of funding available, outlined by Frédéric Wauters (CGRI),Thierry Vandersanden (French community in Belgium), Philippe Reynaert (Wallimage), Paul Vandevelde (Flemish Community), Christian Deschutter (VAF), Pilar Torre (ICAA) and Pancho Casal (FAPAE).

There were around 20 Belgium and Spanish producers chosen to attend depending on their affinity, and they presented their projects and outlined their expectations, which were then evaluated together with the actual possibilities of working together.
Belgium was represented by
Cobra Films, Need Production, Entre Chien et Loup, Saga Film, Man's Film productions, Walking the Dog, YC Aligator Film, SOIL, Fobic Films and Wajnbrosse Productions.

But the overall situation that emerged at the meetings wasn’t an easy one by any means, especially because of totally different points of interest for the two countries. If, on the one hand, Belgium wants to produce art-house cinema, on the other hand, Spain aims more at the commitment to commercial productions, as is enshrined in the laws governing its funding system. And if Belgium has a series of legal agreements with its communities, Spain doesn’t authorise the signing of agreements with its regions. Nevertheless, an agreement is possible between the Film Institutes. And there were a number of conclusions reached with this framework, for example the need for ad hoc meetings between professionals and the film institutes from Belgium and Spain, with the aim of planning co-productions. The authorities from the two Belgium communities will now consult the professional associations about the text proposed by the ICAA, and in particular the Memorandum on Film Relations, and they will look at ways of setting up an agreement with the ICAA. On its part, the ICAA will carry out the necessary research and the hope is that a definite agreement will be in place by the end of next year.

Another problem discussed at the meetings was the nationality of films. Given its frequent participation as a minority producer in many co-productions, Belgium recognises a film as a national work from the moment that a part of the production is from Belgium. Whereas Spain, given the size of its national film industry, has a much more complicated set of rules for a film to be awarded the status of a Spanish work, and thus be eligible for funding calculated on gross box office takings. "A minority share in the co-production without one of the big Spanish distributors would be crazy" stressed Pancho Casal, the vice president of the Association of Spanish Producers. One thing of that may of interest to Spanish co-producers is the tax-shelter system in Belgium, even though it still hasn’t been applied, in spite of being given official authorisation.
A more realistic agreement between the two countries could be one based on a percentage arrangement, like 90%-10%. But Belgium co-productions are currently standing at 20%, and in fact the agreement of co-productions of 10% with Strasbourg still hasn’t been ratified.
But in spite of the apparent difficulties, the Belgium and Spanish institutions have stressed the obvious interest in a concrete plan shown by professionals from the two countries. They will continue to look for ways of working together and producing films together, making productions that would be judged as being of both nationalities and which could reach a wider audience.
The other proposal that was widely discussed was the development of the regions. As part of a future European coordination of regional funds, expected in February 2004, Philippe Reynaert, director of the Walloon Film Fund, Wallimage, invited the Spanish regional funding schemes to enter into a closer collaboration with their Belgium counterparts.

(Translated from French)