10/07/2008

Wallimage – the investment fund for the Walloon film industry – have just announced the results of their 31st committee session. Set to receive funding are a host of Belgian titles and a UK film with a Mancunian flavour.

Wallimage may be based in French-speaking Belgium but that doesn’t prevent them from casting a glance towards Manchester. Indeed, the investment fund are backing Ken Loach’s forthcoming film, Looking for Eric, produced by Eric Cantona and Sixteen Films (UK), Why Not Productions (France), BIM (Italy) and Les Films du Fleuve (Belgium). The latter company thus add another Palme d’Or-winning director to their slate, along with the Dardenne brothers.

Les Films de la Passerelle – renowned for their production of documentary works, in particular Thierry Michel ‘s films – are co-producing Stijn Coninx’s Sœur Sourire (“Sister Smile”), which stars Cécile de France as the famous Sister Dominique. The film has succeeded in securing funding from various Belgian sources: Wallimage, the CCA, VAF and Tax Shelter.

Lucas Belvaux’s upcoming film, Rapt, has also been selected by several funding bodies. Having recently received support from the RTBF, CCA and Eurimages, Wallimage are now on board. The film – which looks back at the kidnapping of Baron Empain in the 1970s – will be produced for a budget of around €6m by French company Agat Films and Belgium’s Entre Chien et Loup and les Ateliers de Baere. Mercure International are handling sales.

Encouraged by the success of Odette Toulemonde [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (2007), Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt has started work on another adaptation of one of his novels, Oscar et la Dame Rose (“Oscar and the Pink Lady”). Created with the film in mind, Belgian company Oscar Films will co-produce, along with France’s Pan-Européenne.

Finally, Wallimage are backing Bernard Bellefroid’s debut feature, La Régate (“Regatta”), produced by Artemis Productions. The film will shoot this summer and star Sergi Lopez.

(Translated from French)