Flemish Economy Minister doubles budget; Screen Flanders invests three million in 14 new projects.
Due to the high demand and high quality of the submitted dossiers, Flemish Minister of Economy Jo Brouns has doubled the 1.5 million euros budget initially allocated to the call. This has allowed Screen Flanders to grant support to nine additional projects. The 14 productions supported in total will generate more than 26 million euros in eligible audiovisual expenditure in the Flemish Region. The support awarded within this call varies between 30,000 and 400,000 euros per project.
“Our Flemish audiovisual productions are praised worldwide for their high quality. This is certainly reflected in the number and high quality of projects submitted for funding, so we have doubled the budget in the present call and can support no fewer than nine additional projects.” Says Flemish Minister of Economy Jo Brouns.
Of the 14 supported projects, half are majority Flemish, and there are three animation projects versus 11 fiction projects.
Screen Flanders supported series (fiction, majority Flemish)
Dead End
A fiction series written by Malin-Sarah Gozin, who also co-directs the series with Hans Vercauter. Filming will take place in Mechelen, Antwerp and Brussels. Dead End is produced by Lompvis for PlayMedia and Streamz. International sales are handled by Caviar.
This is Not a Murder Mystery
A visually stunning and surprising whodunit, from a screenplay by Christophe Dirickx and Paul Baeten, with Hans Herbots and Matthias Lebeer directing the series. This is Not a Murder Mystery is produced by Panenka. VRT, RTL, Proximus, Studiocanal and the European drama collaboration New8 have been confirmed as distribution partners.
Screen Flanders supported series (animation, majority Flemish)
Interstellar Ella season 2
An animated series about the adventures of Ella and her friends in space. Tom Van Gestel and Freek Quartier are directing the series, from a script by Marianne Op de Beeck, An De Gruyter and Ilka De Bisschop. The second season of Interstellar Ella is produced by Fabrique Fantastique in Flanders, in co-production with Canada. Studio Fantastique is handling the animation. Aardman Animation is the international sales agent and Studio 100 TV is on board in Flanders.
Screen Flanders supported series (fiction, minority Flemish)
Call Me Levi
A German-Belgian fiction series about how businessman Levi Strauss became one of the first ever millionaires. The Flemish co-producer is Bravado Fiction. Neele Vollmar and Robert Kause wrote the screenplay; Vollmar is also director. The cast includes Vincent Redetzki, Amy Benkenstein and Anton von Luck. The series has been sold in Germany to ARD/Degeto and MDR. Bavaria Media handles international sales.
Safe Harbor
Safe Harbor is a Dutch-Belgian co-production by Submarine Productions, with Menuetto Film as Flemish co-producer. Mark Williams (Ozark) is the showrunner and the writing team comprises Williams, Carl Joos, Caroline Alderson and Iain Weatherby. Arne Toonen, Inti Calfat and Dirk Verheye direct the series. The cast includes Alfie Allen, Charlie Murphy, Jack Gleeson, Martijn Lakemeijer and Charlotte Timmers. Filming will take place in Antwerp. Streamz and Videoland will broadcast the series in Flanders and the Netherlands.
Screen Flanders supported features (fiction, mayority Flemish)
Ferry 2
Wannes Destoop directs the second Ferry film, produced by Sallie Gardner & Domm, from a screenplay by Tibbe van Hoof and Geerard Van de Walle. The cast includes Frank Lammers and Huub Smit, among others. Confirmed distribution partners are Netflix, VRT and Federation Studios.
Young Hearts
This feature debut from Anthony Schatteman, who also wrote the script, is about how your world is turned upside down when you fall in love for the very first time. Young Hearts is produced by Polar Bear. The cast includes Lou Goossens, Marius De Saeger, Geert Van Rampelberg, Emilie De Roo and Dirk Van Dijck. Filming took place in Wetteren and Deinze. VRT has been confirmed as a partner.
Milano
Milano is the fiction feature debut of Christina Vandekerckhove (Rabot), who also wrote the screenplay. The cast includes Matteo Simoni, Basil Wheatley, Alexia Depicker, Jo Deseure and Taeke Nicolaï. Filming took place in Ghent, among other places. Lunanime is the producer, VRT is a co-producer and Lumière will distribute the film in the Benelux.
Gangstas
A film by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, from a screenplay by Bram Renders, Bram Huybrechts and Ruben Vermeersch. Set five years after the events in their film Gangsta, the cast includes Matteo Simoni, Nora Gharib, Saïd Boumazoughe and Junes Lazaar. Filming is taking place in Antwerp and the Netherlands. Gangstas is produced by A Team Productions.
Screen Flanders supported features (fiction, minority Flemish)
The Girl from Köln
A film about how rebellious 17-year-old Vera Brandes made music history by organising Keith Jarrett’s legendary concert in Cologne in 1975. The script and direction are in the hands of Ido Fluk, with a cast including Mala Emde, John Magaro and Michael Chernus. Lemming Film Belgium is the Flemish co-producer. September Film will release the film in the Benelux.
Steal Away Home
A film by Clement Virgo, written by Virgo and Tamara Faith Berger. An unlikely friendship develops between Fanny, a teenage artist, and Cécile, a refugee from Congo, leading to great tension and distant consequences for their city. A Canadian-Belgian co-production with Potemkino Port as Flemish co-producer.
Screen Flanders supported features (animation, minority Flemish)
A new friend for Tummy Tom
Joost van den Bosch and Erik Verkerk are making the second Tummy Tummovie, based on a screenplay by Burny Bos. The film is a Dutch-Flemish co-production with Eyeworks Film & TV Drama as Flemish co-producer. The Ghent studio Animal Tank will handle the animation, In The Air will distribute the film in the Benelux, and Ketnet has been confirmed as a partner.
Heidi to the Rescue
In this film, the world-famous Heidi saves a lynx family and their home from a greedy businessman. Heidi to the Rescue is produced by German Studio 100 Media and Flemish Hotel Hungaria Animation. Tobias Schwarz will direct, based on a screenplay by Rob Sprackling. Kinepolis Film Distribution will release the film in the Benelux countries.
Outfoxed
A 3D animated film directed by Paul Bolger, based on a screenplay by Barry Devlin. Outfoxed is an Ireland-Belgium-Luxembourg production with Walking The Dog as Flemish co-producer. Walking The Dog Studio and Frame 13 provide the animation in the Flemish region. JUST4KIDS will release the film in the Benelux, KMBO in France, and MK2 will sell the film in the rest of the world.