Dingie

The series was developed by Dingie and financed by Belgian public broadcaster VRT, Netflix, the Belgian Tax Shelter and Screen Flanders. The result was a critical and popular success, appearing in the Netflix top 10 in 57 countries around the world.

Knokke Off features rising stars Pommelien Thijs, Willem De Schryver and Eliyha Altena in the three main roles. “We worked with a highly talented crew, led by director Tom Goris for the first season, and writers Luk Wyns and Nele Vandael, who delivered sublime scripts.”

The action in the first two seasons centres on the seaside resort town of Knokke, the Flanders equivalent of the affluent Hamptons in the USA. “It was important for us to shoot there, because they have wonderful houses and beautiful beaches, which helps the audience to escape to a wonderful world within Belgium,” Van Biervliet says.

The third season ventures further a field, with storylines in the Swiss ski resort of Verbier. But for a key scene, the production turned to a studio in Flanders. “We needed a controlled filming environment for a terrace scene, with the whole cast and lots of extras, so we built a very high-end virtual production set at the AED Studios in Lint.”

Dingie is currently in pre-production with the psychological thriller Omerta, a high-end tv-series about a young boy who seeks revenge on three sisters who did him wrong. Commissioned by Streamz in Flanders, with partners in the Netherlands and Spain, and supported by Screen Flanders, it will be distributed internationally by StudioCanal.

“The series is directed by Tom Goris and shot with a completely Flemish crew on location in both Belgium and Spain,” says Van Biervliet

With co-productions planned in France, the Netherlands and Germany, Dingie is open to offers for other international projects.

Meanwhile, bringing projects to Flanders has distinct advantages, he says. “Co-producing in Flanders allows you to move quickly, with highly talented crew, top-notch studios production and wonderful locations, such as Bruges, Antwerp and, of course, Knokke.”