Screen Flanders Brochure 2018

SCREEN FLANDERS 2018

THINK TANK Need water? Check out the tanks at AED Studios and newcomer Lites HOLLYWOOD AND BACK In-demand Flemish directors are building careers on both sides of the Atlantic RIDING THE PIPELINE The Flandriens, Europe’s hardest working animators, have something to show you

HERE COMES THE FLOOD

KURSK, WITH MATTHIAS SCHOENAERTS, LEADS A NEW WAVE OF WATER SHOOTS IN FLANDERS

SCREEN FLANDERS TOUGH LOVE Dutch director Roel ReinĂŠ teams up with Flanders for his new epic tale of love and freedom in the dark days of the Middle Ages

WATER WORKS The talent and facilities that brought the shoots for Kursk and State of Happiness to Flanders

DEEP BLUE A new studio near Brussels promises the perfect environment for underwater cinematography

DIGITAL DELUGE From high seas to gentle streams, Grid VFX is the master of digital water

TOON IN Flemish artists, studios and producers are taking the lead in the race to animate

2 }

4

6

10

11

14

CONTENTS 18

REAL EFFECTS

20

TALENT TRAVELS

24

PLUS: THE SCREEN FLANDERS CO-PRODUCTION GUIDE

Flanders Audiovisual Area

Directors have all kinds of crazy ideas, but Wulf FX has to make them real

To Hollywood and back again, Flemish directors are making international careers in fiction

SCREEN FLANDERS

screenflanders.com

CONTENTS | 3

SEEING RED

AN EPIC STRUGGLE FOR LOVE AND FREEDOM

Redbad is set against the wars of conquest and conversion that tore through northern Europe in the 8th Century AD. In the Friesian city of Dorestad, Prince Redbad challenges the old religion that has chosen the woman he loves as a sacrifice to the gods. At that moment, the Christian Franks invade, and the survivors blame Redbad for the defeat.

Cast adrift on the sea, he survives and is taken in by Vikings. Through them he learns to respect the old ways, proves himself in battle, and finds love once more.

Then he returns to Dorestad to claim his birthright.

Dutch director Roel ReinĂŠ has a busy career in Hollywood, but returns to Europe periodically to make full-blooded historical action films such as The Admiral, set in the 17th Century, and now Redbad. This latest epic is co-produced by Farmhouse Film & TV in the Netherlands and Bulletproof Cupid in Flanders, with support from Screen Flanders.

Flemish talent in front of the camera includes Tibo Vandenborre, Daphne Wellens, Gene Bervoets and Pieter Embrechts, rubbing shoulders with Dutch actors Gijs Naber (as Redbad), Loes Haverkort and Huub Stapel.

American actor Jonathan Ray Banks (Better Call Saul) also takes a leading role.

Behind the scenes, Flanders is represented by department heads Gideon van Essen (lighting), Joris Vandezande (grip), Ingeborg Van Eetvelde (make-up) and Joeri Verspecht (sound). Visual effects for the film are handled by Ghentbased post-production company Grid VFX (see p11-13).

Redbad is due for release in the summer of 2018.

REDBAD | 5

FLANDERS GETS INTO DEEP WATER KURSK DIRECTOR } THOMAS VINTERBERG WRITER } ROBERT RODAT MAIN PRODUCER } VIA EST (LU) CO-PRODUCER (BE) } BELGA PRODUCTIONS CAST } MATTHIAS SCHOENAERTS, COLIN FIRTH, LÉA SEYDOUX KEY LOCAL SUPPLIERS } AED STUDIOS, CINE DIVING, LITES, DECAFONIA BUDGET } 39.8 MILLION EUR FINANCED IN BELGIUM } 20.7% GENRE } HISTORICAL ACTION FEATURE INTERNATIONAL SALES } EUROPACORP INTERNATIONAL

A successful water shoot needs everything to fall into place: the right facilities, skilled crews, and a financial environment that delivers the whole package at a reasonable price. It’s a balancing act that Flanders is good at, attracting underwater shoots for two major international co-productions last year alone.

Both Kursk, the latest feature from Thomas Vinterberg, and prestigious Norwegian TV series State of Happiness chose AED Studios in Lint for their underwater work. Meanwhile a new water studio is being built at Vilvoorde, near Brussels, which will take Flanders’ capacity for water work to a whole new level.

A SUBMARINE DISASTER Kursk follows events that unfolded in 2000 after explosions on board a Russian submarine sent it to the bottom of the Barents Sea. The film shows the sailors’ fight for survival in the stricken submarine, while their families on land battle political obstacles to save them.

The project first caught the eye of coproducer Belga Films when Matthias Schoenaerts was cast in the role of the Kursk’s captain. A major Flemish star, his involvement would not just be an audience draw, but also an opening to involve the Belgian Tax Shelter.

“We just had to co-produce this one,” says Christophe Toulemonde, Belga’s head of productions.

The company has a long history as a distributor in Belgium, but only

} CONSTRUCTION OF THE SET OF KURSK AT THE AED STUDIOS - © VIA EST/ BELGA PRODUCTIONS

6 }

“You don’t have many tanks in Europe that are inside, with filtered water, and big enough for such a project” Christophe Toulemonde } UNDERWATER SHOOT OF KURSK

started co-producing three years ago.

“The idea is to produce the content we would like to distribute, and our focus is on high-quality movies for a wide audience.”

Kursk fits the bill, combining Vinterberg’s reputation as a director with an exciting story and acting talent such as Schoenaerts, Colin Firth and Léa Seydoux. It also meant familiar partners in lead producer Via Est from Luxemburg and for international sales, EuropaCorp, whose films Belga has distributed in the Benelux for many years.

BRINGING KURSK TO FLANDERS Discussions about where to shoot the film initially included Canada, South Africa and Romania. Aware of the potential of the project, Belga asked to make the case for bringing the production to Belgium. “What made that possible was the unique combination of financing, the quality of the crew and the quality of the facilities,” Toulemonde says.

On the finance side, the production could draw on the Tax Shelter and the regional economic funds, with Screen Flanders, Screen Brussels and Wallimage all making contributions.

Meanwhile AED Studios offered conventional studio space and a large water tank. “You don’t have so many tanks in Europe that are inside, with filtered water, and big enough for such a project.”

The main challenge was building the submarine set so that it would resist the water and the stresses of the shoot. “How we would construct it, set it in the water, and move it in and out of the water in spite of its 20-ton weight were big issues,” Toulemonde explains.

The production was at AED for nearly

} CHRISTOPHE TOULEMONDE OF BELGA

BELGA PRODUCTIONS Selected filmography

KURSK* } 2017 BASED ON A TRUE STORY } 2017 BIG FOOT JUNIOR } 2017 RENEGADES } 2017 THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT* } 2015 COPPERS (TV SERIES) } 2015 TRANSPORTER REFUELED } 2015 *Screen Flanders supported

F L A N D E R S G E T S I N TO D E E P W AT E R | 7

© PETTER SKAFLE HENRIKSEN - MAIPO FILM } JAN DE CLERCQ OF LUNANIME

} STATE OF HAPPINESS

four months, with the shoot itself taking six weeks. The studio’s location, between Antwerp and Brussels, was a further advantage for such a long project. “People can stay in a big city where there are things to do, or they can live quietly near the studio,” Toulemonde says. } TIM MARTENS OF LUNANIME

LUNANIME

Selected filmography

STOCKHOLM REQUIEM, FREDRIKA BERGMAN (TV SERIES) } 2018 BULLETS (TV SERIES) } 2018 CLEO } 2018 STATE OF HAPPINESS (TV SERIES)* } 2018 THE TEAM II (TV SERIES)* } 2017 HASSEL (TV SERIES)* } 2017 OCCUPIED II (TV SERIES)* } 2017 FUNAN* } 2017 LE CIEL FLAMAND* } 2016 PHANTOM BOY* } 2015 LES COWBOYS } 2015 THE TEAM I (TV SERIES)* } 2015 OFFLINE } 2012 RUST AND BONE } 2012 A CAT IN PARIS } 2010 * Screen Flanders supported

8 }

CREATING A VISUAL LANGUAGE A key part of the Flemish crew on Kursk was Wim Michiels of Cine Diving (see also p.10), who worked closely with Oscar-winning DoP Anthony Dod Mantle on the underwater camerawork.

“He wanted to have a language of underwater filming of his own,” Michiels recalls. “He was searching for a way to film it without having the same shots as other underwater films.

That took us through a whole period of searching for cameras, lenses and lighting, and the way to use those underwater.”

During the shoot, they communicated through an intercom, with Dod Mantle keeping up a constant stream of instructions. “He doesn’t tell you: ‘now left’ or ‘now right’, he gives you

} DIRECTOR PETTER NÆSS (LEFT) ON THE SET OF STATE OF HAPPINESS AT THE AED STUDIOS

the right atmosphere. He is telling stories, and you have the freedom to interpret that. It’s a very special way of working.”

Another challenge came from scenes shot underwater in near darkness, where the actors were both submerged and unable to see properly. “Making the sets safe for the actors and filming safely with them was a big concern,” says Michiels.

“For Kursk we did underwater training for 42 people: actors, stand-in divers, body doubles and some extras.”

STATE OF HAPPINESS Cine Diving was also involved in State of Happiness, a TV series about the 1969 discovery of a massive oil field in the North Sea. Directed by

BUILDING THE SEABED One of the main technical challenges was recreating the floor of the North Sea in AED’s tank. This had to be done without contaminating the water with free-floating sand, since replacing the water would have been time consuming and very expensive.

One idea was to build a sea floor on plates, which could then be lowered into the tank, but these would have been much too heavy. “So Kurt Loyens and his team in the art department developed a very interesting solution by gluing the sand onto sheets with latex. These could then be unrolled underwater,” says Head of Productions Tim Martens.

© MAIPO FILM

Petter Næss, the series is produced by the Norwegian company Maipo Film and co-produced in Flanders by Lunanime, part of the Lumière group.

The collaboration is the fruit of Lumière’s long history as a distributor of Scandinavian series. When producer Jan De Clercq heard that State of Happiness was in the works, he was immediately attracted to the project.

“It’s a series about the start of the oil industry and how it changed society in Norway. I think that’s something interesting that people will want to know about.”

It was also a chance for Lunanime to partner with one of Norway’s most experienced producers on a prestigious project. “I think State of Happiness has the biggest budget of any TV series made in Norway so far,” says De Clercq.

With the financial support of the Tax Shelter and Screen Flanders, plus its own contribution of a minimum guarantee as distributor, Lunanime was able to put together an attractive package bringing the studio work to AED.

} STATE OF HAPPINESS

Another challenge was the diving bell that features in the underwater scenes. “It’s a replica of a diving bell that came from Norway, but it still weighed three tonnes, and it was not so obvious how to get this into position.”

TIGHT SCHEDULES All of the underwater shots needed to be completed in two days, a tight schedule typical for TV work. “You have to find a way to work rapidly, because the budgets are more limited, but they still want to tell the story in a nice way. So you have to find the way to get there,” says Michiels.

His solution, devised with DoP Lars Vestergaard, was to make a series of long sequence shots for each scene: first a general shot, then following the actor from the front, then over the shoulder, then in close-up. “We could do that because we had installed lighting that worked for all of those shots.”

This proved so effective that initial plans to limit the shoot were dropped.

“In the end, it went so well that we were able to do the additional shots that had been skipped because we thought we didn’t have enough time,” Martens says.

“Anthony Dod Mantle wanted to have a language of underwater filming of his own” Wim Michiels

STATE OF HAPPINESS DIRECTOR } PETTER NÆSS SCREENWRITER } METTE M. BOLSTAD MAIN PRODUCER } MAIPO FILM (NO) CO-PRODUCER (BE) } LUNANIME CAST } BART EDWARDS, ANNE REGINE ELLINGSAETER, AMUND HARBOE KEY LOCAL SUPPLIERS } AED STUDIOS, LITES, CINE DIVING, DECOSFEER, CINE QUA NON BUDGET } 10.3 MILLION EUR FINANCED IN BELGIUM } 6.4% GENRE HISTORICAL } DRAMA SERIES SALES } DR SALES

F L A N D E R S G E T S I N TO D E E P W AT E R | 9

DIVER’S DREAM STUDIO COMES TRUE } LITES STUDIO

Wim Michiels set up LITES around 1992 to fill a gap in the market for high-quality lighting rental that he spotted while working as TV cameraman. The company thrived, becoming a full-time job in 2002, and in 2010 he expanded to camera rental.

} WIM MICHIELS OF LITES & CINE DIVING

CINE DIVING

Selected filmography

STATE OF HAPPINESS (TV SERIES)* } 2018 KURSK* } 2017 BASTAARD } 2017 REVENGE } 2017 UNDERCOVER (TV SERIES) } 2017 I KILL GIANTS* } 2016 THE SWELL (TV SERIES)* } 2016 RAID DINGUE } 2016 CARGO* } 2016 RENEGADES } 2015 AU DELA DES MURS } 2015 DEATH IN PARADISE (TV SERIES) } 2015 MEGA MINDY VS ROX } 2015 THE ARDENNES* } 2015 GALLOPING MIND* } 2014 HIGH RISE } 2014 THE MISSING I (TV SERSIES)* } 2014 FULL CONTACT } 2014 *SCREEN FLANDERS SUPPORTED

Then another gap in the market became apparent, as people started to ask about shooting underwater. “It was clear that not a lot of people were doing that, and few good systems were available, so we decided to invest in those and specialise.”

Since setting up Cine Diving in 2014 Michiels has completed assignments from the open sea and swimming pools to studio work. But the constraints he sometimes experienced made him think about building the ideal studio for underwater work. After several years of planning, the LITES studio will be operational in 2018.

The complex, conveniently located in Vilvoorde close to Brussels, will include three conventional studios, along with space for facilities such as production offices, wardrobe and make-up. But the star of the complex will be the water stage, which will be larger and deeper than most stages of its kind.

10 } DIVER’S DREAM STUDIO COMES TRUE

The stage will have a surface area of 1400m2, of which 1200m2 can be flooded with warm water for surface shoots. The tank will measure 21x24m, with a depth of 9m, allowing camera angles impossible in a conventional 3m or 6m tank. Meanwhile a moveable floor means that sets can be built dry and then submerged, reducing the time and cost of preparations.

Particular attention has been paid to integrating special effects in the design, so that rain, vapour effects, water currents and waves can all be produced at the touch of a button.

Different water quality effects will also be possible, from clear to dirty, including various kinds of debris.

One third of the tank will be curved, allowing an ‘infinity view’, and built-in lighting will provide different colour backgrounds.

Together with lighting and camera equipment tailored to the studio, this means that water work should become a lot less daunting. “An underwater shoot is never simple,” Michiels says, “but it becomes simple when everything is already prepared.”

MAKING WAVES Whether you want a stream running gently over pebbles or a flood to cover a whole city, Grid-VFX is the place to go for digital water effects.

Grid’s first big water project was the animated feature Ooops! Noah Is Gone, about the animals who did not make it onto the Ark. “From then on, we got a lot of requests to work on the water for other projects,” says Mark Mertens, the company’s general manager.

One was Deep, a 3D animated movie full of water, following a group of undersea creatures on a quest to save their community. Then for the forthcoming feature Captain Morten

} BLACK SAILS

and the Spider Queen the challenge was to match digital water with stop-motion characters.

“Every time we start a new movie there is some research and development that needs to be done,” Mertens says. Another example is Hedgehog Latte, a 3D tale of forest folk, where a new way has been found to model a stream running over small stones.

AFTER THE FLOOD In parallel with this animation work, Grid has been bringing water effects to live-action films and series.

For the series In Flanders Fields it reconstructed the moment in the First World War when battlefields

“The more detail you can put in, the more realistically the water behaves” Jan Goossen

} OOOPS! NOAH IS GONE

M A K I N G W A V E S | 11

“The puzzle that we are trying to solve is how to globalise craftsmanship”

© BART DEWAELE

Mark Mertens

} CAPTAIN MORTEN AND THE SPIDER QUEEN

© BART DEWAELE

} JAN GOOSSEN OF GRID

} THE ADMIRAL

} MARK MERTENS OF GRID

GRID VFX

Selected filmography

REDBAD* } 2018 FC DE KAMPIOENEN 3: FOREVER* } 2017 CAPTAIN MORTEN AND THE SPIDER QUEEN } 2017 BLACK SAILS (TV SERIES) } 2016 CARGO* } 2016 DEEP } 2016 IN MY FATHERS GARDEN* } 2016 THE SWELL (TV SERIES)* } 2016 THE ADMIRAL* } 2015 OOOPS! NOAH IS GONE* } 2015 IN FLANDERS FIELDS } 2014 WIPLALA* } 2014 *Screen Flanders supported

12 }

in Belgium were flooded to stop the German advance.

This lead to Grid being asked to provide water effects on The Swell, a Dutch-Belgian series about the threat of extreme climate change. “It’s about a flood that drowns half of Flanders and Holland,” co-founder Jan Goossen says. “Of course, none of that can happen in reality, so we needed to create the water.”

While the underlying techniques for bringing digital water to live action and animation are similar, liveaction makes greater demands for realism, for example when digital water encounters real objects such as buildings or vehicles. The biggest challenge in achieving this is computing power.

“The more detail you can put in, the more realistically the water behaves, but then the greater the costs,”

Goossen explains. “It takes a massive amount of data and memory to get the job done.” That said, there are tricks to help you get there. “It’s a combination of evolving technology and trying to be clever with the resources you have.”

THE HIGH SEAS Grid also has a growing body of experience working with ships, thanks to an ongoing collaboration with Dutch director Roel Reiné. It began with The Admiral, a movie about the 17th Century Dutch sea captain Michiel De Ruyter, which was full of naval battles. And when Reiné was asked to contribute to the US series Black Sails, a prequel to the events in pirate classic Treasure Island, he asked Grid to provide the effects.

That season of Black Sails went on to win the Hollywood Professional

Association award for outstanding visual effects on television.

Now Grid is working with Reiné on Redbad (see p. 4-5), an epic feature film set in the Middle Ages. “There we have a huge amount of water shots, for example with ships coming ashore while battles go on at the same time, and also massive crowd simulations for the armies fighting one another.”

While Grid’s ingenuity can be seen on the screen in all these projects, the most important innovation is behind the scenes, with a project pipeline that allows creative people to collaborate flexibly and efficiently from locations around the world. “The puzzle that we are trying to solve is how to globalise craftsmanship,” says Mertens.

} THE SWELL

GRID TAKES THE LEAD Grid set up its animation outfit in 2011, rapidly winning recognition at Cartoon Forum 2013 as producer of the year.

In 2016, it shared the same honour at Cartoon Movie with its partners in Ooops! Noah Is Gone.

“That really put us on the map,” says Mark Mertens.

“Together with the quality of the intellectual property that we were developing, it put us on a tidal wave that pushed us forwards.”

Initially a partner in coproductions, Grid soon stepped up to take the lead. “Today it’s our catalogue and the way we feel European co-productions

need to be established that makes us who we are,” says Mertens.

An important part of that approach is the Tinker Group, a partnership of European producers, animation and VFX studios who share Grid’s vision.

“Instead of finding partners on a project by project basis, we wanted to turn that around and set up a steady relationship and keep control over those projects,” Goossen explains.

“Over the past years that has turned into something bigger, and it is still evolving.”

Grid is also busy with liveaction, developing properties

for the international market through Grid Labs. The most advanced is Stryx, an adaptation of French comic book ‘Le Chants des Stryges’, about a disgraced American secret agent who teams up with a mysterious mercenary to clear his name.

“It’s a production primarily oriented towards the American domestic market, although we also hope it will be picked up in Europe.” Mertens says.

Stryx is being developed with Element 8 in Los Angeles, and was recently picked up by US distributor Dynamic TV. “That is a really big step for us.”

M A K I N G W A V E S | 13

FLANDRIENS OF ANIMATION The animation industry in Flanders is growing and maturing, its producers taking the lead in international projects and its artists creating winning characters and stories. In fact, if animation was a cycle race, the Flemish would be out in front.

“They may like our money, but if you don’t do a good job, they never come back” Eric Goossens

14 }

Cycling and animation might seem an odd comparison, but it chimes in Flanders, where the sport is a national obsession. The top riders -- called flandriens -- are venerated for their grit and determination, characteristics which can also be seen in the way Flemish animators have developed their industry over the past couple of decades.

“We have been working on it from 1999, building up talent,” says Eric Goossens, co-founder of boutique studio Walking the Dog. The industry’s development has also been underpinned by the economic support for co-productions, through Screen Flanders and the Tax Shelter.

} WHERE IS ANNE FRANK?

But more than that, it’s the reputation of Flemish producers and animators that attracts international partners.

“They may like our money, but if you don’t do a good job, they never come back,” Goossens says.

SATISFIED CUSTOMERS Goossens is currently developing two projects with satisfied customers who have come back for more. The first is Ari Folman, who called on the studio for last-minute help completing his 2013 feature The Congress. He was so impressed that he invited Walking the Dog to collaborate in making his next film, Where Is Anne Frank?, which explores the legacy of the young Dutch Holocaust victim.

The offer was very attractive: a director with a strong artistic vision, plus the backing of the foundation that safeguards Anne Frank’s memory.

“He asked us to become the main animation studio, and to co-produce, so we had to embrace that,” says Goossens.

The other project is Fox and Hare, based on stories by Sylvia Vanden Heede and veteran illustrator Thé Tjong-Khing, whose Picnic With Cake was a past Walking the Dog project.

The series is set in a forest, where good-humoured Fox and sensitive Hare solve problems in an original and creative way.

Mascha Halberstad and Tom Van Gestel direct, with Submarine in the Netherlands and Doghouse in Luxembourg co-producing.

The bulk of the animation, which combines the look and feel of stopmotion with CGI, will take place at Walking the Dog’s studios in Genk and Brussels.

be established that makes us who we are.”

It also makes Grid very busy. For the big screen it recently completed work on Deep and Harvie and the Magic Museum, and it is currently busy with Marnie’s World, Captain Morten and the Spider Queen and Hedgehog Latte.

For TV, it recently finished Ziggy and the Zootram, the first series developed in-house, and Yo Yo, a co-production with Rai. It is also ramping up the second season of Little Luke and Lucy, an adaptation of iconic Flemish comic strip Suske en Wiske. Then it moves on to Mouse Mansion, Fabeltjeskrant, and Interstellar Ella (with the BBC) amongst other projects.

} MOUSE MANSION

} INTERSTELLAR ELLA

TAKING THE LEAD Grid Animation attributes its rise, along with the rest of the industry, to simple sociability. “We are two nice guys,” says Mark Mertens of himself and co-founder Jan Goossen, only half joking. “Flemish people are easy to work with, and we connect just as easily with the French, Germans and the English.”

But Grid has also seen a rapid evolution, from being a useful partner to a project leader. “Today it’s our catalogue and the way we feel European co-productions need to

} DRAGON RIDER

A N I M A T I O N S S P E C I A L : F L A N D R I E N S O F A N I M A T I O N | 15

} THREE LITTLE NINJAS DELIVERY SERVICE

} SIR MOUSE

“The Flemish are hardworking, focused, correct and have an eye for detail” Iris Delafortry

16 }

RIDING THE DRAGON For 3D specialist Cyborn the rise of Flemish animation is down to a mix of professional, technical and creative talent. “The Flemish are hardworking, focused, correct and have an eye for detail,” says associate producer Iris Delafortry.

Cyborn recently co-produced its first feature, Ploey – You Never Fly Alone, with GunHil in Iceland, completing the bulk of the 3D production work in its Antwerp studio. Now it is busy with its second, Dragon Rider, based on a best-selling fantasy novel by Cornelia Funke. This tells the story of Ben,

a boy who goes on a quest to find a place where the the dragons can live in peace.

On top of the fascinating story, it was a chance to partner with experienced German co-producer Constantin Film.

“We play an important role within the production: all character modelling, rigging and animation, which are the parts that we prefer and that have a large impact on the final quality of the film,” says Delafortry.

Cyborn is also developing its own feature, Hubris, a tale of space travelling assassins told in a hyper-realistic 3D animation style.

“This universe will be coming to life in both a theatrical film and as a full 360˚ virtual reality version.”

KNIGHTS OF CREATIVITY Creativity is the key for Perrine Gauthier, producer at Thuristar.

“Flanders is a strong creative hub:

talented artists and animators, but also a high of standard facilities and studios, both in image and sound -and Flemish producers who strive for originality and quality.”

Thuristar is the Flemish production company and studio founded by animator and director Joeri Christiaen. His series My Knight and Me has been sold globally by CAKE Entertainment and was recently nominated twice in the European Animation Awards, for its writing and soundtrack.

Thuristar is also developing MushMush and the Mushables, its first series not originated by Christiaen.

Mushables are Guardians of the Forest, each with a special talent.

Even so, they still have a lot to learn about the unique world that surrounds them, and about themselves.

“It was really love at first sight,” says Gauthier. “We were charmed by the character designs created by Elfriede de Rooster, who at the time didn’t really know what this little community would or could become.”

ANY TIME, ANY PLACE For Mieke Vanhoucke, producer at Creative Conspiracy, the strength of Flemish animation comes from its need to collaborate. “We have a lot of stories to tell, but because we’re a small territory we have to collaborate with international co-producers.

So, we are obligated to think internationally from the start.”

Its own international success has come with Three Little Ninjas Delivery Service, where space and time are no barrier to getting clients what they need. “Everyone knows Ninjas, but you’ve never seen them so tiny and under such absurd circumstances,” says Vanhoucke. “The series is

targeted at children, but the visual and verbal humour has a strong slapstick vibe which makes that anyone can enjoy watching it.”

The series pilot has been selected for 38 festivals and caught the attention of some well-established broadcasters.

Creative Conspiracy has partnered with eOne for distribution and the series will have a full international roll-out.

Two more series are in development: BaDaBoo and Mr. Biscuit. “We explore different styles and techniques to give every project that extra special touch to make it unique, timeless and appealing for different audiences.”

“We explore different styles and techniques to give every project that extra special touch” Mieke Vanhoucke

ALSO IN THE PIPELINE And there is more to come. Sir Mouse from Fabrique Fantastique is about the unusual friendship between Mouse and her best friend Dragon. Ollie from Lunanime is about a baby owl and his friends who gather in a quiet city park.

And Mister Paper from A Private View and Beast Animation deploys a classic cut-out animation style to tell the story of a man who uses scissors and his imagination to shape the world.

} MY KNIGHT AND ME

A N I M A T I O N S S P E C I A L : F L A N D R I E N S O F A N I M A T I O N | 17

“We can build it, we can decorate it, we can blow it up.

We love every new challenge” Eric De Wulf

} ERIC DE WULF

WULF FX

Selected filmography

MANDY } 2017 DOMINO } 2017 IRON SKY: THE COMING RACE* } 2017 I KILL GIANTS* } 2017 SILK ROAD } 2017 LE JEUNE KARL MARX } 2017 A QUIET PASSION* } 2016 THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT* } 2015 MOONWALKERS* } 2015 RENDEZ-VOUS } 2015 WIPLALA* } 2014 THE HOT POTATO } 2012 *Screen Flanders supported

18 }

EFFECTS YOU CAN FEEL Life is never dull for special effects team Wulf FX. One day they’ll be making it rain on Emily Dickinson, the next they’ll be pouring blood over Nicolas Cage. Or they might be blowing up a miniature building, creating a tree giant, or designing a chariot made of dinosaur bones.

What they like best is the challenge of creating something new. “You always learn something,” says company founder Eric De Wulf. “Even when you’ve done an effect before, the production always adds something extra, so you have to rethink it.”

De Wulf started to do special effects (SFX) while working as a set builder, mainly on kids’ films and TV series. } TRAIN MODEL OF I KILL GIANTS

In 2014 he decided to specialise, setting up Wulf FX with props expert Roos Voorsluis. Together they provide a wide range of SFX services, from hard and soft props to pyrotechnics, from atmospheric effects to body fluids.

They made it rain in Terence Davies’ Emily Dickinson biopic A Quiet Passion, as well as providing props such as breakable plates. Although set in Massachusetts, the film was shot at AED Studios near Antwerp, where Wulf FX now has its workshop.

SO MUCH BLOOD And for the Nicolas Cage slasher movie Mandy, directed by Panos Cosmatos, they modelled giant wasps, built realistic chainsaws that were

safe for fight scenes, and doused the set with blood. A lot of blood.

“Usually just a small amount of blood is needed, but here the director wanted more and more,” Voorsluis recalls.

“You have five litres of blood in your body... well, much more than that was coming out here. But you have to adapt to every new situation, and with every movie we keep adding things to the list of things that we can do.”

The pair are passionate advocates of live-action effects, such as models and miniatures. “Often productions don’t think about live-action ways to do things,” says Voorsluis. “They think of VFX and post-production, and sometimes you have to show them that it can be a good solution to have something on-set.”

Not only does this give an immediate result, but it adds a touch of realism.

“When you do something in live action you often get results that you don’t expect, or you might not think to do with VFX.” GIANT STEPS For example, in Anders Walter’s teen fantasy film I Kill Giants there is a moment when a tree giant has to kick a train towards the camera. “It’s a scale model we made so that, when the tree giant kicks it, it bends in two and you can see the metal bend and the glass explode,” De Wulf explains.

“We made three trains and they filmed the shot three times, and all three gave useful material. Talking to the VFX guys afterwards, they didn’t have a lot of work to do on the shot, just adding some smoke and some extra pieces of glass.”

Another recent international project was sci-fi action film Iron Sky: The Coming Race, directed by Timo Vuorensola. Here the main challenge

} ROOS VOORSLUIS WORKING ON THE MODEL OF A GIANT FROM I KILL GIANTS

} DINOSAUR JAW BONE CHARIOT FROM IRON SKY: THE COMING RACE

was to build a full-size chariot based on a dinosaur’s jaw bone. “We made a few other props for the film, but that was the most difficult,” says De Wulf.

“They needed to do a lot of stunts with the chariot, and also there was an explosion and the chariot needed to fly into the air.”

After working up the concept on a computer, De Wulf used a 3D printer to produce a scale model to show the production. “Once they said OK, we used all the digital information to make the full-sized chariot really quickly and exactly like the design.”

Being able to build effects from A to Z is important to De Wulf. “We have everything in house,” he says. “We can build it, we can decorate it, we can blow it up. We love every new challenge.”

“When you do something in live action you often get results you might not think to do with VFX” Roos Voorsluis

E F F E C T S Y O U C A N F E E L | 19

TALENT TRAVELS Successful Flemish directors used to face a dilemma: settle for a safe career at home, or take the risk of moving to Hollywood. But the present generation can have it all. } HANS HERBOTS AND JULIA STILES ON THE SET OF RIVIERA

“As a director, you have more power in an international co-production”

The traditional way for a Flemish director to win international success was through the top international film festivals, hopefully followed by an Oscar nomination. This worked for Felix van Groeningen, when the festival

Hans Herbots

} THE DROP

20 }

success of The Misfortunates was followed by an Oscar nomination for The Broken Circle Breakdown.

After a fifth Flemish feature, Belgica, he is now finishing his US debut, Beautiful Boy. Michaël R. Roskam seemed to be on the same track when he followed Oscar-nominated Bullhead with his US debut feature The Drop. But his next move, to the series Berlin Station, was not part of the playbook. He directed the pilot and second episode of this contemporary spy story, and took an executive producer credit. After that he returned to Belgium for his third feature, Racer and the Jailbird, and now has an HBO series Buda Bridge in the pipeline.

FEATURES THAT OPEN DOORS This mixture of European and American productions, of feature films and long-form drama, is now the way

SERIES CONNECTIONS Local TV series have also proved effective at opening up international careers. For Jakob Verbruggen it was directing cop show Code 37 and its movie spin-off that lead to BBC series The Fall. Since then his credits have

© JO VOETS/CAVIAR

} BLACK

included the US remake of The Bridge, BBC drama series London Spy, and the season four finale of House of Cards for Netflix. More recent assignments include the satirical sci-fi series Black Mirror and historical crime drama The Alienist.

Jan Matthys went international after directing the First World War drama In Flanders Fields, going first to Scotland for BBC crime series Shetland, then to South Africa for its medical drama Our Girl. Meanwhile Pieter van Hees went to France after working on Flemish series Generation B. and Highway of Love, to direct the third season finale of Versailles for Canal+. More recently, he has worked on the Flemish historical drama Jan De Lichte.

Like Verbruggen, Tim Mielants cut his teeth on Code 37, before working on the first season of Cordon, multistrand drama following the outbreak of a deadly disease in downtown } THE ALIENIST

© KATA VERMES - TURNER -TNT

directors build an international career.

Features are still important calling cards, but they don’t have to be Oscarwinners to open doors.

For Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah it was the raw urban thriller Black which paved the way to Hollywood (see p.23).

Similarly, Hans Herbots’ dark crime film The Treatment opened doors in Britain. “It was released theatrically in the UK and got very good reviews,” he recalls. “I think that caught the attention of film director Neil Jordan, who was developing Riviera.”

This series follows a woman’s investigation of her rich husband’s death on board a luxury yacht in the south of France. Herbots directed two episodes of the 10-part series, and was then approached to work on Rellik, a London-based serial killer tale made for the BBC and HBO Cinemaxx.

Meanwhile he worked closer to home on The Swell, a DutchFlemish eco-thriller that explores the consequences if the dikes and dams that hold the sea back from the Netherlands and Belgium were to collapse. Even though this coproduction involved neighbouring countries, it felt more international than the British series.

“As a director, you have more power in an international co-production than on a strictly UK project,” Herbots says.

“But it is nice to go back and forth between these different kinds of projects.”

T A L E N T T R A V E L S | 21

} ESHREF REYBROUCK (MIDDLE) ON THE SET OF UNDERCOVER

“It’s a Netflix Original Series, so the pressure is on!”

Eshref Reybrouck

22 }

© BBC

© JO VOETS

} HASSEL

} PEAKY BLINDERS

Antwerp. When the series was picked up abroad, he got offers to work on The Tunnel (an Anglo-French re-imagining of The Bridge) and to direct the third season of period crime drama Peaky Blinders for the BBC. He has also stepped over the Atlantic, directing an episode of US superhero series Legion, part of the Marvel universe.

CALLING CARDS Eshref Reybrouck is another Cordon alumnus who found the series opened doors. The second season of the series was a calling card in discussions to direct the season finale of Hassel, a re-boot of a classic Swedish cop show. Staring Ola Rapace, the series is produced by industry veteran Malte Forssell.

“Malte and Ola (who is also executive producer) saw my work on Cordon and they liked the roughness, the ugliness,

and the organic, intense human feel of the show,” Reybrouck recalls. “They wanted to stay away from the more traditionally styled, cold policiers like The Killing.”

Reybrouck was brought in by Jan De Clercq of Lumière, which co-produced the series, to handle the finale’s plot transition from Stockholm to Brussels.

“I wanted my episodes to suck you into a mood, rather than just a detective plot,” he says. “Also, I invested a lot of time in finding the right locations.

With the help of my DoP, Christophe Nuyens, I think we gave a beautiful impression of Brussels.”

Reybrouck’s next assignment is Undercover, a Belgian-Dutch coproduction about the plot to catch a major ecstasy producer. “It’s a Netflix Original Series which is going to be broadcast worldwide. So yes, the pressure is on!”

Every year entertainment industry bible Variety names 10 directors to watch in the year ahead.

Michaël R. Roskam made the list for 2012, following the sensational reception of Bullhead.

Now directing duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have been listed for 2018, looking forward to their third feature Gangsta.

While this recognition will raise their profiles in Hollywood, El Arbi and Fallah have already made their mark. Their names are linked to a planned fourth film in the Beverly Hills Cop series, with Eddie Murphy, and they have directed for TV, with episodes of the series Snowfall and a pilot for Scalped.

Their breakthrough was the feature Black, a Romeo-and-Juliet tale set among warring gangs from different ethnic communities in Brussels. “The thing with Black is that it is really edgy and really raw, but at the same time universal and open, and slick in the way the camera moves,” says Fallah.” That’s the style that we are always asked for.”

Snowfall is set in Los Angeles during a crack cocaine epidemic in the 1980s, while Scalped is a modern-day crime story set on a Native American Indian reservation. “They saw Snowfall and they saw Black, and they were confident that we could do it.”

Working in the US has been an eye-opening experience. “In Hollywood you get everything you want, so we can make things bigger. And in

© JOE VOETS

ADIL & BILALL: TWO TO WATCH

} ADIL EL ARBI AND BILALL FALLAH

our heads things are always big!”

But with more money on the table, producers are far more involved. “You really have to work with the producers’ vision, whereas in Belgium you have the freedom to do strictly your own, director’s vision.”

Their own vision returns in Gangsta, the story of four small-time drug dealers from Antwerp who are catapulted into the big league when they steal a shipment of cocaine. “Gangsta is a Belgian story, but every time we make something we want it to go international.”

Now the pair are looking forward to their next US project. “Maybe it’s going to be another pilot or a series, but we hope that, in 2018, we can make our first Hollywood movie.”

} GANGSTA

“In Hollywood you get everything you want, so we can make things bigger” Bilall Fallah

T A L E N T T R A V E L S | 23

} FOX AND HARE, DIR. TOM VAN GESTEL, MASCHA HALBERSTAD, BE CO-PROD. WALKING THE DOG

SCREEN FLANDERS ECONOMIC FUND

CO-PRODUCTION GUIDE

With an annual budget of 4.5 million EUR, the Screen Flanders Economic Fund offers support to audiovisual productions and co-productions that spend all or part of their budget within the Flanders region. The budget of the fund is provided by Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Agentschap Innoveren & Ondernemen). The Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) manages the applications and promotes the fund.

Belgian producers can apply to receive up to 400,000 EUR of refundable advances as an economic support to cover their audiovisual expenses in the Flanders region.

Every euro invested in a production by Screen Flanders must yield at least one euro of audiovisual expenditure in the region. Financing of up to 15% of the eligible costs in Flanders is possible to a maximum of 400,000 EUR. The support is awarded in the form of refundable advances on net receipts. From these net receipts, a percentage needs to be repaid corresponding to the proportion of total support awarded by Screen Flanders in the overall financing of the audiovisual work. The Fund is entitled to this percentage even if the advance has been repaid.

Periodical calls are made, each with a specific budget.

Applications are presented to a jury consisting of both economic and cultural experts who assess and prioritise all projects based on qualitative and quantitative criteria.

These criteria focus mainly on the economic potential of the project and the impact of the production on the Flemish audiovisual industry. Available funding is then allocated to the highest-ranking applications in descending order until the allocation is exhausted.

} I KILL GIANTS, DIR. ANDERS WALTER, BE CO-PROD. UMEDIA

WHAT KIND OF PROJECTS QUALIFY FOR SUPPORT?

}

Fiction features with a minimum length of 60 minutes can apply for support. Documentary and animated features (min. 60 min.) and series may also apply for support. Fiction series spread over multiple episodes are only eligible if they involve an international co-production in which the total Belgian share stated in the co-production contract is less than 50%.

To be eligible, at least 50% of the financing of the overall production budget needs to have been secured at the time of application and the producer needs to spend a minimum of 250,000 EUR on eligible costs in the Flanders region.

Furthermore, the project must enrich the cultural heritage of Flanders (the cultural test).

WHAT QUALIFIES AS AUDIOVISUAL EXPENDITURE?

}

Only certain types of expenditure are eligible when it comes to assessing how much support a project might be awarded.

These expenses: • must be invoiced by a VAT paying company that has its operating headquarters in the Flanders Region; • must be made with the aim of completing the audiovisual work in question; • and must benefit the structure of the Flemish audiovisual industry.

Expenditure qualifying for support is exclusive of VAT and may not have been invoiced for at the time of application.

It must be realistic and in line with market rates. }

HOW TO APPLY?

Applications must be submitted by Belgium-based producers.

Foreign producers must work with a Belgian co-producer that meets all conditions.

Screen Flanders applications can only be made in response to a call. Screen Flanders has three calls a year with deadlines on 9 March, 7 September and 30 November.

Information regarding the exact deadlines can be consulted on screenflanders.com. }

OTHER INCENTIVES

Screen Flanders support is easily combined with other mechanisms such as the Belgian Tax Shelter (see pages 2629) and the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), (see page 30). }

CO-PRODUCERS

For foreign producers interested in accessing Screen Flanders support, the best and easiest way to find a local producer is through the producers’ associations (see page 31).

Visit screenflanders.com for the full set of rules and regulations.

}

CONTACT

SCREEN FLANDERS FUND Jan Roekens E jroekens@vaf.be SCREEN FLANDERS FILM COMMISSION Katrien Maes E kmaes@vaf.be FLANDERS FILM HOUSE Bischoffsheimlaan 38 1000 Brussels - Belgium T +32 2 226 0630 W screenflanders.com

} THE MUTE, DIR. BARTEK KONOPKA, BE CO-PROD. EARLYBIRDS FILMS

S C R E E N F L A N D E R S | 25

BELGIAN TAX SHELTER The Belgian Tax Shelter is an efficient and transparent government-approved tax incentive designed to encourage the production of audiovisual works in Belgium. The system is open to Belgian productions as well as to qualifying international (mainly European) co-productions with Belgium.

It is a win-win-win situation for the three parties involved: the producer is offered a very attractive way to finance projects; the investor obtains tax exemption through a virtually risk-free investment; and the Belgian state benefits from increased economic activity and spend.

The first and necessary step for any foreign producer who wants to benefit from the Tax Shelter is to find a local co-production partner (see page 31).

BELGIAN PRODUCER Sells Tax Shelter Certificates based on the eligible direct and indirect AV costs in EEA & Belgium

Optimal cash investment of 48.315% of the Tax Shelter Certificate value

Intermediary (not mandatory) charges a fee

interest on investment (Euribor + 4.5%) x 18/12

Eligible AV direct and indirect costs in Belgium = 90% of the Tax Shelter Certificate value

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE

BELGIAN INVESTOR Tax benefits based on the final Tax Shelter Certificate value = audited Belgian AV expenditure

} PLOEY – YOU NEVER FLY ALONE, DIR. ÁRNI ÓLAFUR ÁSGEIRSSON & IVES AGEMANS, BE CO-PROD. CYBORN

WHAT KIND OF PRODUCTIONS QUALIFY FOR TAX SHELTER?

}

Animation, documentary and fiction features, medium-length and short films qualify for the system as well as series, telefilms and TV documentaries.

The audiovisual work must be approved by the competent departments of the Flemish, French or German-speaking communities of Belgium as a European audiovisual work: • as defined by the Audiovisual Media Services (AMS) Directive of 10/03/2010 (2010/13/EU); • or produced within the framework of a bilateral coproduction agreement concluded between Belgium (or one of its communities) and another state. There are currently bilateral co-production agreements with Israel, Canada and Tunisia.

} LILY THE WITCH SAVES CHRISTMAS, DIR. FLORIAN BAXMEYER, BE CO-PROD. POTEMKINO

}

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Based on the amount of direct and indirect qualifying audiovisual costs the production will spend in the European Economic Area, a producer can sell Tax Shelter Certificates to investors. The total value of the Tax Shelter Certificates may amount to a maximum of 70% of the direct and

indirect qualifying audiovisual costs incurred in the European Economic Area, insofar as these expenses are specifically related to the production of the audiovisual work. The value of all the Tax Shelter Certificates sold for one audiovisual work may not exceed 15 million EUR. A minimum of 90% of the Tax Shelter Certificate’s value needs to be spent in Belgium on qualifying audiovisual costs, of which a minimum of 70% needs to be directly related to the production and exploitation of the audiovisual work. This refers to costs related to the creative and technical production and post-production of the audiovisual work. Costs related to the administration and financial management of the audiovisual work do not qualify as audiovisual spend and can only be taken into account to a maximum of 30% of the required expenditure in Belgium.

In order to achieve an optimal return on investment, the investor will purchase the Tax Shelter Certificate for 48.315% of its audiovisual expenditure value. In return for purchasing the Tax Shelter Certificate, the investor benefits from a temporary exemption of any retained taxable profits worth up to 356% of the sum paid for the Certificate. The investors also receive interest on the sums paid to the producer; the applied rate is based on the Euribor 12-months rate augmented with 450 basis points.

Investors can be approached directly by certified producers to arrange investment under the Tax Shelter, which will involve some legal work. An alternative is for the producer to work with an intermediary company certified by the Belgian authorities. The intermediary will match potential investors with productions and handle all the paperwork. In return for these services, the intermediary charges a fee to the producer. As well as specialised intermediary companies, the major Belgian banks have created film funds or investment products to bring the advantage of the Tax Shelter to those of their clients who want to invest.

Once the audiovisual work has been completed, the Ministry of Finance delivers the final Tax Shelter Certificate based upon the audited expenditure. The final tax exemption for the investors may then be recalculated: if at the end of the production the required spend is not fully met, the value of the Tax Shelter Certificate will be reduced pro rata with the qualifying expenditure in Belgium at a level of 10/9.

B E L G I A N T A X S H E L T E R | 27

}

CASH FLOW & TIMING

The investors must make full payment within three months of signing the framework agreement. The investors thus pre-finance the production and/or post-production costs by purchasing a temporary tax exemption.

The producer must make the qualifying expenditure within 18 months of signing the framework agreement.

For animated features, the maximum term is 24 months after signing the framework agreement.

WHAT’S THE ADVANTAGE FOR THE PRODUCER?

}

If we take the example of a production with a 2 million EUR direct and indirect qualifying audiovisual spend in the European Economic Area, this means that Tax Shelter Certificates can be sold to a total value of 70% - in this case 1,400,000 EUR. 90% of this expenditure (1,260,000 EUR) needs to be spent in Belgium on qualifying audiovisual costs, of which a minimum of 70% (882,000 EUR) needs to be directly related to the production, post-production of the audiovisual work.

To acquire the optimal investment rate (48.315%), the investors buy the Certificates with a total value of 1,400,000 EUR of qualifying expenditure for an amount of 676,410 EUR. In order to find potential investors and deal with the framework agreement and legal documents, a producer may hire the services of an intermediary company. In return for its services, the intermediary will charge a fee, in this example 15% or 101,461 EUR. In addition to a tax benefit, the investor also earns interest on the sums paid to the producer. The interest percentage is defined by the Euribor interest rate (in this example -0.174% over 12 months) augmented with 450 basis points x 18 months/12, in this case 43,892 EUR. The net advantage of the Tax Shelter Certificate for the producer comes to 676,410 EUR - 101,461 EUR (commission) 43,892 EUR (interest) = 531,057 EUR = 42% of the qualifying audiovisual spend in Belgium.

} THE NIGHT DAD BROUGHT US HOME, DIR. STEFFAN STRANDBERG, BE CO-PROD. WALKING THE DOG

} IRON SKY: THE COMING RACE, DIR. TIMO VUORENSOLA, BE CO-PROD. POTEMKINO

}

WHAT’S THE ADVANTAGE FOR THE PRODUCER? 48.315% optimal investment rate

2,000,000 EUR Direct & indirect qualifying AV costs in the EEA

676,410 EUR Cash investment based on the Tax Shelter Certificate value

70% Interest on investment (Euribor*** +4.5%) x 18/12 = 43,892 EUR

Tax Shelter Certificate 1,400,000 EUR*

=

90% 1,260,000 EUR 90% spent in Belgium on qualifying AV costs

Min. 70% 882,000 EUR Min. 70% spent on direct AV costs

Commission intermediary** f.e. 15% = 101,461 EUR

Net Tax Shelter available for production Investment – Interest – Commission = 531,057 EUR = 42% of the qualifying spend in Belgium

Max. 30% 378,000 EUR Max. 30% spent on indirect AV costs

The net advantage of the Tax Shelter Certificate for the producer comes to 676,410 EUR - 101,461 EUR (commission) - 43,892 EUR (interest) = 531,057 EUR = 42% of the qualifying audiovisual spend in Belgium

* The value of the Tax Shelter Certificate may amount to a maximum of 10/9 of the qualifying spend in Belgium, in this case 1,400,000 EUR. ** Using an intermediary is not mandatory. In the schedule, an indicative percentage of 15% was used to calculate the intermediary’s fee. *** In this example -0.174% over 12 months (average H2 2017).

The value of all the Tax Shelter Certificates sold for any audiovisual work may not exceed 15 million EUR.

B E L G I A N T A X S H E L T E R | 29

} OCCUPIED II, DIR. ERIK SKOLDBJÆRG & JENS LIEN, BE CO-PROD. LUNANIME

THE FLANDERS AUDIOVISUAL FUND (VAF) The Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) is the cultural public funding body of Belgium’s Flemish Community. It includes three specialised funds: The VAF/Film Fund co-finances the production of individual films in various genres: fiction, animation, documentary and experimental film. Feature films, medium-length and short films are all eligible. For applications concerning foreign films, financing must be at least 50% in place or the project must have obtained production support from the lead territory’s selective film fund. The Film Fund receives an annual grant from the Flanders government, of which in 2017 10.4 million EUR was allocated to production support.

The VAF/Media Fund focuses on the co-financing of highquality television series developed in co-production with a Flemish TV broadcaster. This includes fiction, animation, documentary and cross-media applications of TV series. In the case of foreign series, at least 50% of the financing must be in place, or the project must have obtained production support from the lead territory’s selective fund. At least 20% of funding must come from Flanders. It is also a requirement that a Flemish TV broadcaster is financially involved in the production of foreign series. The total budget for production support of the Media Fund for 2017 was 5.6 million EUR.

30 }

The VAF/Game Fund co-finances the development of video games by game companies in Flanders and Brussels.

The Game Fund supports serious games for educational purposes and other types of serious and entertainment games. The total budget for support of the Game Fund for 2017 was 675,250 EUR. In addition, VAF has a promotional department, known as Flanders Image (flandersimage.com) along with a wide range of accompanying activities and support measures in the area of talent development, research and film culture.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT VAF: T +32 2 226 0630 E info@vaf.be W vaf.be

CO-PRODUCING WITH THE FLANDERS REGION SCREEN FLANDERS & TAX SHELTER: YOUR 55% SOLUTION Support from the Screen Flanders Economic Fund can easily be combined with other financing mechanisms such as the Belgian Tax Shelter and in some cases the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF).

If, for example, an audiovisual cost is eligible for the regional Screen Flanders Fund, it can also be taken into account for the federal Tax Shelter system, which makes it simple to combine both mechanisms. Depending on the overall production budget, the Screen Flanders Fund can add an additional 13% to 15% (up to a maximum of 400,000 EUR) to the 42%Tax Shelter financing.

PRODUCTION BUDGETS The fees listed in the budget model used by Flemish producers include all labour costs. No additional fringe benefits or percentages need to be added. This is also the case for employees’ fees.

CO-PRODUCTION PARTNERS The first step for any foreign producer wishing to benefit from one or more of the above-mentioned incentives is to find a local co-production partner. An overview of Flanders-based producers can be found in the Screen Flanders online Industry Database (screenflanders.com).

FLEMISH INDEPENDENT FILM & TV PRODUCERS’ ASSOCIATION (VOFTP) Bosdellestraat 120, bus 15 1933 Zaventem (Sterrebeek) Belgium T + 32 2 731 3708 E info@voftp.be W voftp.be ANIM.BE Deschampheleerstraat 24-26 1081 Brussels Belgium T +32 2 412 4110 E info@anim.be W anim.be FLANDERS DOC Mark Daems Helmstraat 139A 2140 Antwerp Belgium T +32 3 236 6663 E info@flandersdoc.be W flandersdoc.be

CREDITS SCREEN FLANDERS EDITION 2018 COVER MATTHIAS SCHOENAERTS © FILIP VAN ROE @INITIALS-LA.COM EDITORIAL BOARD CHRISTIAN DE SCHUTTER, KATRIEN MAES, JAN ROEKENS ART DIRECTION KARIN PAYS CONTENT & COPY EDITING IAN MUNDELL PRINT WILDA.BE PUBLISHED BY SCREEN FLANDERS / VAF All stills copyrighted by the respective producers.

This brochure can be viewed online on issuu.com and screenflanders.com More news and features on screenflanders.com

} HASSEL, DIR. AMIR CHAMDIN & ESHREF REYBROUCK, BE CO-PROD. LUNANIME

SCREEN FLANDERS IS POWERED BY:

C R E D I T S | 31

SCREENFLANDERS.COM

LES MISERABLES VERSAILLES III STATE OF HAPPINESS COLD COURAGE THE MISSING II HASSEL OCCUPIED II THE TEAM II HIGH TIDES FOX AND HARE GEORGE & PAUL RUSTY DIMITRI ZIGGY AND THE ZOOTRAM KURSK REDBAD THE MUTE BRECHTS DREIGROSCHENFILM ELECTRIC GIRL RACER AND THE JAILBIRD GANGSTA I KILL GIANTS 55 STEPS IRON SKY: THE COMING RACE FUNAN HARVIE AND THE MAGIC MUSEUM PLOEY YOU NEVER FLY ALONE DRAGON RIDER WHERE IS ANNE FRANK?

2018 DEADLINES

9 MARCH - 7 SEPTEMBER - 30 NOVEMBER SCREENFLANDERS.COM

follow us on