Home News & events Screen Flanders invests 3 million euros in 14 new projects

Screen Flanders invests 3 million euros in 14 new projects

News 03.12.2024

Screen Flanders, the economic fund of VLAIO for the audiovisual industry, is investing 3 million euros in 14 new audiovisual productions. Due to the high demand and exceptional quality of the applications, Flemish Economic Affairs Minister Matthias Diependaele decided to double the budget of this second session of 2024. This additional investment of 1.5 million euros enabled Screen Flanders to support six more projects.

Gangstas

The 14 supported projects will generate more than 24.4 million euros in eligible audiovisual expenditure in the Flanders Region. The support awarded within this call varies between 50,000 and 350,000 euros per project. The list of supported projects includes seven fiction films, six fiction series and one animated series, including new projects by directing talents Lukas Dhont, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, and Ana Teodora Mihai.

These very high-quality productions, from both Flemish talent and international productions with a significant Flemish involvement, provide a leverage effect for the Flemish economy that should not be underestimated,’" Diependaele points out. "And who knows, in a few years time these productions may also be ranked among the best in film and TV history.

Matthias Diependaele Flemish Minister of Economy

14 supported projects

Seven fiction films will receive support within this call: Coward, Dust, Julian, Jonah Was Here, Heysel 85, Gangstas for Life and Life is Cruel to Basilia Belushi. The list of supported projects also includes the animated series Ewilan’s Quest and six fiction series: The Best Immigrant, Juliet S2, The Twelve – The Botox Murders, Vero Forever, The Golden Hour S2 and Hidden Assets S3.

Majority Flemish: Feature films

Coward

Flemish director Lukas Dhont joins forces once more with co-writer Angelo Tijssens for his new feature film. The Flemish producer The Reunion takes the lead in this production, with Lumière Publishing releasing the feature inthe Benelux.

Dust

When two successful entrepreneurs in 1990s Belgium are told that their fraudulent activities in speech technology will be exposed, they have just one rain-soaked Sunday to come to terms with their loved ones, themselves and each other. Anke Blondé directs, from a script by Angelo Tijssens. Arieh Worthalter and Jan Hammenecker star, alongside Janne Desmet, Thibaud Dooms and Fania Sorel. The feature will be shot in Flanders, inthe neighbourhood of Ypres, with a mainly Flemish crew. Dust is produced by Flemish company A Private View, in co-production with Shipsboy (PL), Heretic (GR) and Bêtes Sauvages (UK) and Tarantula (BE). Kinepolis Film Distribution will distribute the film inthe Benelux.

Heysel 85

When 39 people die before the start of the 1985 European Cup final at Brussels' Heysel Stadium, the mayor's daughter must confront her father, those in power and human nature. The script of this feature film based on real events is by Lode Desmet and Isabelle Darras, with Ana Teodora Mihai directing. Violet Braeckman, Matteo Simoni and Josse De Pauw will perform the leading roles. The film will be mainly shot in Flanders, more specifically in Antwerp. Flemish company Menuetto is producing the feature in co-production with Les Films du Fleuve (BE), Topkapi (NL), Leitwolf Filmproduktion (DE) and Mobra Film (RO). The distributor for the Benelux is Kinepolis Film Distribution.

Julian

Fleur and her wife Julian want to get married in all 22 countries where they are allowed to do so. After their fourth marriage their journey is suddenly interrupted when Julian falls severely ill. Julian is the first majority Flemish feature film to be undertaken by The Reunion, the production company set up by Michiel and Lukas Dhont. The co-producers are Les Films du Fleuve (BE) and Topkapi (NL). Angelo Tijssens and Cato Kusters wrote the script, based on the best-selling novel by Fleur Pierets. The film will also mark the feature film debut of director Cato Kusters.

Jonah Was Here

When a divorced neurologist, overcome with grief, moves into his late son's dorm room, he also decides to take over his student life in the hope of coming closer to him. Nathalie Teirlinck directs, from a script written in collaboration with Angelo Tijssens. The film will be shot on location in Flanders with a Flemish crew, and with Flemish talent in front and behind the camera. Jonah Was Here is produced by De Wereldvrede, inco-production with Frakas Productions (BE) and Volya Films (NL).

Gangstas for Life

In the final part of this trilogy, the Gangstas try to escape the police by fleeing to Dubai. But even there, they are not safe. The Dutch drug criminal Dzhengis Khan is out for revenge and wants to settle scores once and for all. But Badia also has a plan, putting pressure on the entire friendship. The script of this action feature is by Ruben Vermeersch, with Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah directing. The cast sees Matteo Simoni, Norah Gharib, Said Boumazoighe and Junes Lazaar reprising their leading roles. The film will be mainly shot on location in Antwerp, in addition to scenes shot in Dubai. Gangstas for Life is produced by the Flemish company A Team Productions, in co-production with 10.80 Films (BE) and Fiction Valley (NL).

Minority Flemish: Feature Film

Life is cruel to Basilia Belushi

Life is cruel to Basilia Belushi is a Cypriot-Greek-Belgian co-production by Felony productions (CY), Blonde S.A. (GR) and Menuetto Film (BE). It is written and directed by Stelios Kammitsis, and will be entirely shot on location in Ghent with a Flemish DOP and art director. After many years apart, three sisters in their forties meet in Ghent to celebrate their mother Basilia’s eightieth birthday. But there is a strange atmosphere, and then suddenly Basilia disappears. International sales are handled by M-Appeal.

Minority Flemish: Animated series

Ewilan's Quest

Based on the books by French author Pierre Bottero, Ewilan's Quest tells the story of 13-year-old Camille, whose life takes a dramatic turn when she accidentally enters the wonderful world of Gwendalavir. Anastasia Heinzl, Alexandre Manneville, Diane Morel, Pierre-Gilles Stehr and Xavier Vairé wrote the script of the series. Eve Ceccarelli, Fabien Daphy and Justine Metller are directing. Ewilan’s Quest is produced by the French company Andarta Pictures in co-production with the Flemish production company Vivi Film. Part of the layout posing and animation will be undertaken by the Flemish animation studio Creature inGhent. In Belgium, the series will be broadcast by VRT/Ketnet and RTBF.

Majority Flemish: Fiction series

The Best Immigrant

When the new government of independent Flanders decides to deport all inhabitants not born in the region, a couple decides to take their chances by participating in the ruthless game show The Best Immigrant, which offers a residence permit as its grand prize. This dystopian series was developed inthe Streamz Academy by Raoul Groothuizen and Cristina Poppe. The writing team is completed by Michel Sabbe, Hasse Steenssens and Michael De Cock. The series will be directed by Michael Abay in collaboration with Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, attached to the project as executive producers. Caviar is handling international financing and sales.The Best Immigrant is produced by the Flemish company Lompvis in co-production with Streamz.

Juliet S2

The second season of the Flemish crime series Juliet, revolving around chief inspector Juliet Dumon, will again be set in De Haan and on the Belgian coast. Wouter Van Haver and Tyche Beyens collaborated on the script and Caroline de Maeyer is directing. The leading roles will be played by Charlotte De Bruyne, Nabil Mallat and Amber Naert. Juliet is produced by the Flemish company Eyeworks Film & TV Drama in co-production with Flemish public broadcaster VRT and ZDF in Germany. Leonine will distribute the series internationally. Filming is scheduled for the spring of 2025.

The Twelve - The Botox Murders

In the series The Twelve – The Botox Murders, 12 jury members must judge guilt or innocence at a spectacular trial that will also change their lives forever. Willem Wallyn and Marie Enthoven wrote the script for this third season, which will be directed by Brecht De Groot. Flemish producer Eyeworks Film & TV Drama is producing the series in co-production with VRT, RTBF and Proximus. Federation Studios will handle international sales. Filming is scheduled for the spring of 2025.

Vero Forever

Benoit Vanhaverbeke decides he wants the second half of his life to be happy. To do this, he needs to get rid of his wealthy wife Veronique so he can move in with the new love of his life. But when he confronts Veronique with his plan, she is ahead of him. She announces that she is terminally ill and has only three months to live. To finally get rid of his wife, Benoit decides to stay with her. Dries Heyneman and Emilie De Roo co-wrote this dramedy, which will also be De Roo’s debut as a director, working inpartnership with Jeroen Dumoulin. Vero Forever is produced by Flemish producer Lunanime in co-production with MadeFor Film (DE) and Flinck Film (NL). The series will be entirely shot in Flanders. The distribution partners in Belgium are Play4 and Streamz.

Minority Flemish: Fiction series

The Golden Hour S2

After preventing a large terrorist attack in the Netherlands in the first season, Mardik discovers that the extreme right-wing organisation Blue Front now has a much bigger plot in hand. Following this lead takes investigators Mardik and Joelle around the whole of Europe, until everything leads back to Brussels, where Blue Front plans to attack a European Convention. Simon De Waal wrote the script of the series and Bobby Boermans directs. The cast includes NasrdinDchar, Sophie Veldhuizen and Ellen Parren, alongside Flemish actors Sebastien Dewaele, Violet Braeckman and Joke Devynck. The Golden Hour S2 is produced by NL Film in the Netherlands, inco-production with the Flemish producer Polar Bear. The series is produced for Avrotros in the Netherlands.

Hidden Assets S3

In the third season of this Irish series, we once again follow Sergeant Claire Wallace and her team from the Criminal Assets Bureau in their fight against white-collar crime, which this time leads them to Bilbao. Peter Mc Kenna, Mary Fox, Marty Thornton, Susan E Connolly and Cara Loftus collaborated on the script. The series will be directed by Flemish director Kadir Ferati Balci and Irish director Mia Mullarkey. More than half of the series will be shot in the Antwerp area with a mainly Flemish crew. Saffron Moon inIreland is producing the series in co-production with Flemish company Potemkino Port. The series will be broadcast by RTE, BBC, Acorn and Streamz.