Home News & events Screen Flanders invests 2 million euros in 12 new projects

Screen Flanders invests 2 million euros in 12 new projects

News 17.05.2024

These include five fiction films, six fiction series and one animation series. The 12 productions supported in total will generate a total of 18,046,542 euros in eligible audiovisual expenditure in the Flemish Region. The support awarded within this call varies between 40,000 and 390,000 euros per project.

On the set of Frontera © Andrea Resmini / Coming Soon Films / Diagonal (Banijay Iberia) / Bulletproof Cupid

12 supported projects

Seven series will receive support within this call. Four are international co-productions: Day and Night season 2, Desire, Kugel and Surface. Three are majority Flemish productions: Breendonk, Tourists and the animated series Mister Paper season 2.

The fund will also support five feature films. Four are majority Flemish live-action films: Coup de Foudre, Foley Man, Heartbreak for Beginners and Sunday the 9th. The fifth is the international fiction feature Frontera.

Of the 12 supported projects, seven are majority Flemish, and five minority Flemish or Belgian.

Minority Flemish: Fiction feature

Frontera

A Spanish-Flemish feature film about Jewish refugees attempting to escape from France into Spain via the Pyrenees during WWII. Judith Colell directs, from a screenplay by Miguel Ibáñez Monroy and Gerard Giménez. Besides a number of Flemish cast and crew, the entire post-production and soundtrack will be completed in Flanders.Frontera is produced by Crespeth Films in Spain, and co-produced by Bulletproof Cupid in Flanders. It is supported by Spanish ICAA and Catalan ICEC. Public TV in Spain (RTVE) and Catalonia (3CAT) are on board, with Filmax handling international sales.

Majority Flemish: Fiction feature

Coup de Foudre

Flemish crime film written by Christophe Dirickx with Indra Siera directing (his film debut). The film is based on Frédéric Dard's French crime novel 'Le monte chargé', a film noir set during one eventful and dramatic night in which a criminal plan is thwarted by an unexpected and overwhelming encounter. Coup de Foudre is a production of Eyeworks Film & TV Drama, in co-production with Dutch Phanta Film. Kinepolis Film Distribution will release the film in the Benelux.

Foley Man

Scripted and directed by Frank Van Passel, Foley Man tells the love story of a young soundman at a public radio station and a promising voice actress. Their paths cross in Brussels’ iconic Flagey radio building in May 1940, just before the tumult of the approaching war invades their lives. Young talents Jef Hellemans and Femke Vanhove play the leading roles, alongside Arieh Worthalter, Peter Van Den Begin, Els Dottermans and Koen De Bouw, among others. Foley Man is produced by Lompvis, in co-production with Caviar, Beluga Tree and Sunny Pictures in the Netherlands. Kinepolis Film Distribution will distribute the film in the Benelux.

Heartbreak for Beginners

A film adaptation of Tom Lanoye’s 1991 novel Cardboard Boxes, which has become a classic of Dutch-language literature. Bavo Defurne and Yves Verbraeken wrote and directed the film, which is set in a boys' school in the mid-1970s. Tom, a strikingly small, bespectacled boy with a big mouth, strives to declare his love to Z, his classmate, sports hero and friend, within a hundred days. Heartbreak for Beginners is a produced by Lecter Scripted & Docu, Minds Meet and Altitude100.

Sunday the 9th

"All is forgotten and forgiven". Sunday the 9th is written and directed by Kat Steppe, and stars Josse De Pauw, Peter Van Den Begin, Kristien De Proost and Frank Lammers. Its unique approach spans fiction and documentary, with part of the shoot taking place in a residential care home for people with Alzheimer's, which becomes part of the story. Other aspects of the film were shot in Belgium, France and Ireland. It was produced by Panenka, in co-production with VRT and Isabella Films in the Netherlands. Streamz and Proximus hold the SVOD rights, and Paradiso will distribute the film.

Minority Flemish / Belgian: Fiction series

Day and Night season 2

A Dutch-Flemish fiction series about the paediatrics department in a modern hospital, continuing the story from the first season. The set will be built at Lites Studios in Vilvoorde. Day and Night season 2 is produced by Lemming Film NL, in co-production with Lemming Film Belgium, VRT and Avrotros.

Kugel

The international fiction series Kugel is a spinoff of the popular series Shtisel. It is produced by Abot Hameiri in Israel with Menuetto Film as Flemish co-producer. Yehonatan Indurski wrote the series, Erez Kan El directs. Filming took place in Antwerp's Jewish Orthodox district, with a mostly Flemish crew. Fremantle handles international sales.

Surface

A French fiction series based on Olivier Norek's novel of the same name, published by Michel Lafon Publishing, about a 20-year-old missing persons case, set on the shores of a small flooded village. Laura Smet, Tomer Sisley and Théo Costa-Marini perform the lead roles. Marie Deshaires, Catherine Touzet, Laura Piani and Gaëlle Bellan wrote the screenplay, Slimane-Baptiste Berhoun (Vortex) directs the series. Underwater filming takes place at Lites. Surface is produced by French Quad Drama for France Télévisions, in co-production with Anga Productions, Panache Productions, La Compagnie Cinématographique and Nadcon Film in Germany, and supported by CNC and the Région Occitanie in France. Newen Connect handles international sales.

Desire

A German-Belgian fiction series from Fandango Film und TV Produktions and Velvet Films, about how a passionate encounter between Marie and Luis is soon overshadowed by Luis' sex addiction. Bettina Oberli directs, from a screenplay by Silke Eggert and Sebastian Ladwig. A large Flemish crew worked on the production. Desire has been developed by Fandango for the German television network WDR, part of public broadcaster ARD.

Majority Flemish: Fiction series

Breendonk

With this Flemish fiction series for VRT 1, actor Kevin Janssens makes his debut as both screenwriter and director, working in tandem with Filip Lenaerts. Set in and around Breendonk Fort in 1942, Breendonk is inspired by true events. It is produced by Gardner & Domm, part of Flemish production house De Mensen, in co-production with VRT. Newen Connect handles international sales.

Tourists

A Flemish-Dutch fiction series from production house Gardner & Domm, part of Flemish production house De Mensen. The series is written by Mathias Claeys, Sophie Jans and Luuk van Bemmelen, and directed by Filip Lenaerts and Sander Brants. Tom Waes plays the lead role. Filming will take place on the Wadden island of Terschelling in the Netherlands. VRT, KRO-NCRV and Pupkin are the co-producers. The series will be broadcast by VRT 1 and NPO.

Majority Flemish: Animated series

Mister Paper season 2

An animated series for children based on the popular books by illustrator Gerda Dendooven and writing duo Elvis Peeters (Jos Verlooy and Nicole van Bael), who also wrote the script. Ben Tesseur and Steven De Beul are directing the series, with Koen De Graeve providing the voice of Mister Paper. Mister Paper season 2 is produced by Mockingbird Productions in Flanders, in co-production with Greece. Confirmed broadcasters are Ketnet in Flanders, Avrotros in the Netherlands and ERT in Greece.