Screen Flanders Invests in Nine New Productions

As Screen Flanders celebrates its ten-year anniversary, it is investing €2.545 million ($2.697 million) in nine new audiovisual productions, €1 million ($1.1 million) more than initially planned.

Since its founding as a collaboration between Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) and the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Screen Flanders has invested nearly €49 million ($52 million) in 251 productions, generating more than €317 million ($336 million) in structuring audiovisual spending in the Flanders Region. 76 percent of the projects it has supported were fiction productions, 4 percent were documentary productions and 20 percent were animated productions.

The nine newly funded productions—which each receive between €200,000 and €400,000—are expected to generate nearly €21 million ($22 million) in eligible expenditure in the Flanders Region. There are five fiction series and four films being funded.

The series being funded are I Was A Cop In The ’80s, Chameleon, Putain, Sophie Cross season two and The Antwerp Connection, while the features are The Magical Pharmacy, The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol, Miss Moxy and Valemon: The Polar Bear King.

I Was A Cop In The ’80s, from Jonnydepony, follows the rise and fall of a gendarmerie unit where an American sets the rules. Directed by Wim Geudens and written by Bas Adriaensen and Philippe De Schepper, with Matteo Simoni in the lead role, the series will stream on Streamz and Prime Video NL.

In Chameleon, flamboyant Chris and his childhood friends Kofi and Blackson try to make it as actors and musicians, not letting their skin color stop them. The series comes from Gardner & Domm and is directed byAnthony Nti (Da Yie), and written by Malik Mohammed and Kristof Hoefkens. Will Michiels (TheColorGrey) provides the soundtrack.

The ten-part drama Putain is about Gorik and his friends, who grow up in Brussels with their own unique backgrounds and problems. Rapper Gorik van Oudheusden (Zwangere Guy) wrote the series with Frederik Willem Daem and Deben Van Dam, who also directs. The Panenka production will be available via Streamz.

Season two of Sophie Cross sees lawyer Sophie investigate the role of her former colleague Marchand in a complaint against an adoption agency. The series is written by Paul Piedfort and Marie-Anne le Pézennec, with Adeline Darraux directing. Sophie Cross season two is produced by France Télévisions Studios in co-production with Gardner & Domm, Les Gens and RTBF. International sales are handled by Newen Connect.

The Antwerp Connection, an international co-production from Potemkino Port with Ireland’s Saffron Moon, is written by Peter McKenna and directed by Kadir Ferati Balci.

The film The Magical Pharmacy sees Lucie, Benno and neighborhood boy Mats find a secret room full of perfumes with the most delicious scents but also countless dangers in their new home. From Dingie (The Claus Family), it is written by Ruben Vandeborre, who also directs, and Anna Ruhe. Dutch Filmworks will distribute the film.

The animated film The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol, written and directed by Sylvain Chomet (Les triplettes de Belleville), tells the life story of French playwright and filmmaker Marcel Pagnol. It is produced by Onyx Films SAS/What The Prod SAS (France) in co-production with Bidibul Productions (Luxembourg) and Flemish production house and animation studio Walking The Dog. Wildbunch, Elle Driver, Sony Pictures Classics and Netflix France (second window) are already confirmed as distribution partners.

In Miss Moxy, a prejudiced city cat broadens her outlook on life and discovers the true meaning of friendship. The animated film comes from Dutch Phanta Film, in co-production with Eyeworks Film & TV Drama. Its screenplay is written by Maureen Versprille, while Vincent Bal and Wip Vernooij serve as directors. Flemish studio Fabrique Fantastique is handling the animation. Confirmed distribution partners are Paradiso Filmed Entertainment (Benelux), Little Dream Pictures (Germany) and Avotros (Netherlands).

Lastly, the animated feature Valemon: The Polar Bear King centers on Prince Valemon, who is enchanted by a witch’s curse that sees him turn into a polar bear during the day and a man at night. Liv falls in love with the polar bear, but can she save him from the curse? It is a co-production between Norwegian Maipo Film and Flemish Vivi Film. Maya Lunde wrote the screenplay, and Mikkel B Sandemose directs. Part of the animation will be done at the Ghent animation studio Creature. Nordisk Film and TrustNordisk are distributing.

“Our Flemish audiovisual productions are praised worldwide for their high quality, and this year they can once again count on extra support from Flanders,” said Jo Brouns, Flanders Minister of Economy. “With this support measure, we want to put Flanders permanently on the map as a creative and high-quality audiovisual region. These investments create additional jobs and further professionalize the sector. That is why I am releasing an extra €1 million for this second call of 2022.”

“Screen Flanders has offered additional opportunities and oxygen to the audiovisual sector in Flanders over the past ten years,” added Koen Van Bockstal, chief executive of the Flanders Audiovisual Fund. “Flemish films and TV series, which invest a significant part of their production budget in the Flanders region, had access to additional funding. In addition, this economic fund has increased the attractiveness of the Flemish audiovisual region for international co-productions. Due to the significant leverage effect, this is a very welcome, efficient and targeted injection in local employment and investment for our sector, and we remain determined, together with VLAIO, to continue enabling this in the future.”