An exceptional 24th session for screen.brussels
For its 24th session, screen.brussels has invested €1.6 million in the production of 14 projects slated to generate nearly €23 million in audiovisual expenses in the Brussels-Capital Region. Given the great relevance of the projects submitted, along with the investment amounts requested, it was decided to allocate a higher budget for this first session of the year and to merge the next two sessions of 2024 into a single session. The remaining balance of the 2024 budget, which is €1.4 million, will therefore be allocated to the second and final session of 2024. The deadline for the final session is 31 May 2024.
The selection for this 24th session has focused on five feature-length fiction films, three animation projects, three documentaries, and two television series.
Five feature-length films
All the time
A feature-length film co-produced by Beluga Tree (Brussels), directed by Amélie Derlon Cordina (Brussels), who co-wrote the script with Colin Crescent (Brussels). Brussels, on a wintery Saturday evening. Three women, strangers to one another, meet at the same place. But then a tragedy occurs in the opposite building. This unseen but talked-about incident will turn the night upside down. In this disconcerting, strange and sometimes exhilarating atmosphere, each of the three women will manage to break free from their painful past in their own way. And so begins the first night of the rest of their lives. The director, Amélie Derlon Cordina, has already won the BRIFF screen.brussels Pitch prize in 2022 with this project. For this drama, the filming (16 days) and post-production (80 days) will take place entirely in Brussels and require the expertise of 10 Brussels-based technicians, including all the chief operators, along with the companies Caviar (Brussels) for picture post-production, Boxon (Ixelles) for audio post-production, TSF (Schaerbeek) for the film equipment and RGB Audio (Schaerbeek) for the sound equipment. The cast stars Brussels-based Ingrid Heiderscheidt (The African Doctor), Raphaëlle Corbisier (Escapada) and Kaat Arnaert (Terre nouvelle) in the lead roles, with Brussels talents Salim Djaferi, Yasmine Yahiatene and Nicolas Luçon in supporting roles.
L’âge mûr
A feature-length film co-produced by Wrong Men (Saint-Gilles) and Piano Sano Films (France), directed by Jean-Benoît Ugeux (Saint-Gilles), who co-wrote the script with Jean-François Bierry (Brussels) and Julie Debiton (France). Ludovic, a successful 40-year-old architect, starts a romance with Nathalie, the mother of two girls. As their budding love blooms, Ludovic meets her two teenagers, with whom he forms an unexpected bond. When Nathalie decides to distance herself from Ludovic, he feels that he is losing something bigger than himself—a feeling of fatherhood that made him so happy and serene. He begins to fall into a terrible downward spiral. This project will be almost entirely filmed (33/35 days) and post-produced (110/110 days) in Brussels and will involve nine Brussels-based technicians, including four chief operators, and a number of suppliers: Camescope (Molenbeek) for the video equipment, TSF (Schaerbeek) for the lighting, Studio l’Équipe (Evere) for sound and picture post-production, KGS (Schaerbeek) for machinery, and Citizen Ciné Services (Anderlecht) for the technical equipment. The cast notably includes four Belgian actors: Ruth Becquart (Undercover, Highway of Love), Laurent Capelluto (Les amateurs, Into the Night, Moloch), Catherine Salée (Amal, The Break, Blue Is the Warmest Colour, Two Days One Night, Keeper), and director Jean-Benoît Ugeux (Abada, Fratres).
Les baronnes
A feature-length film co-produced by 10.80 Films (Saint-Gilles) with A Team Productions BV (Vilvoorde) and Wady Films (Luxembourg). Directed by Nabil Ben Yadir (Brussels) and his mother, Mokhtaria Badaoui (Brussels), who both co-wrote the script with Stéphane Malandrin (Brussels). At the age of 65, Fatima discovers that her husband has been leading a double life for more than ten years in Morocco, with a younger woman, children, and a nice house to boot. Inès, Mériem and Romaissa, her best friends from the Brussels neighbourhood of Molenbeek, encourage her to take action and are ready to support her to the end. There is only one thing that will prevent Fatima from sinking into depression, and that is returning to the life she left 50 years ago before getting married. It is impossible for the others not to follow their friend, but little do they know that their decision will change their lives and the lives of their friends, their neighbourhoods, and the entire country. This project will be almost entirely filmed (32/40 days) and partially post-produced (85/240 days) in Brussels. In all, seven Brussels-based technicians will work on the project, including three chief operators. Several suppliers will also lend their expertise: Wrong Men (Saint-Gilles) for the image editing, KGS (Schaerbeek) for the machinery, Cobalt (Brussels) for calibration, and Citizen Ciné Services (Anderlecht) for the technical equipment. This feature film will star Belgian actors Jan Decleir (The Memory of a Killer, Daens) and Saadia Bentaïeb (Anatomy of a Fall, Ghost Tropic, 120 BPM).
Le jardinier
A feature-length film co-produced by Umedia (Ixelles) and Rose Productions (France), directed by David Charhon (France) and co-written by David Charhon, Vincent de Brus (France) and Sébastien Fechner (France). The movie follows Serge and his family, who turn up on the death list of government officials because they hold a state secret and try to come up with a plan involving their strange gardener, Leo. This project will be filmed at Lites Studios in Vilvoorde with a large Brussels-based set design team, and half of the post-production (114 days) will take place in Brussels. In all, 38 technicians will be employed, including a chief operator, along with support from suppliers KGS (Schaerbeek) and Crac ! Agency (Saint-Gilles) for machinery, TSF (Schaerbeek) for lighting, Lites (Saint-Gilles) for cameras, Studio l’Équipe (Evere) for audio post-production, and Caligo (Forest) for special effects. In front of the camera, we have Michaël Youn, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Nawell Madani, Carla Poquin, Jérôme Le Banner, Ragnar Le Breton, and Kaaris.
Les petits voleurs
A feature-length film co-produced by Stenola Productions (Brussels), Menuetto (Antwerp), Samsa Film (Luxembourg), and Les Films du Losange (France), directed by Joachim Lafosse (Forest) and co-written by Chloé Duponchelle (Ixelles) and Pablo Guarise (Forest).. Although post-production (80/145 days) will take place in Brussels, the film will be shot elsewhere. This feature film will employ the talents of 14 Brussels-based technicians, including two chief operators, along with the expertise of Manneken Pix (Ixelles) for the picture editing, Studio l’Équipe (Evere) for the audio description, TSF (Schaerbeek) for the cameras, and Eye-Lite (Schaerbeek) for the electrical equipment. The cast stars actors Eye Haïdara (C’est la vie!, En Thérapie, The Lost Boys), Jules Waringo (Colonia, Et Après), Claude De Demo (Capitani), Teoudor, and Leonis Pineiro Muller in the lead roles.
Animation: three feature-length films and one series
Chickenhare 2
A feature-length animation film co-produced by nWave Pictures (Forest) and Octopolis (France), directed by Benjamin Mousquet (France), written by David Collard (UK) and Matthieu Zeller (France). To save his people, Chickenhare agrees to help his biological sister find the most powerful magical object in the world: the Very Very (Very) Old Groundhog, which has the power to change the past. Along their perilous journey, Chickenhare and his friends encounter ferocious Pigmies along with Meg’s former adventuring partner, who is determined to regain her place as the best adventurer. As they follow this epic and magical adventure to the heart of its origins, Chickenhare and his friends learn the liberating power of truth and self-acceptance. With screen.brussels having supported the first film, a large part of this sequel will be made in the Brussels Animation Valley (26/30 and 500/500 days), where some 40 Brussels-based artists will develop the film. The project will also feature the musical talents of the band Puggy for the soundtrack.
Le corset
A feature-length animation film produced by Beside Productions (Braine-l’Alleud) and Eddy Cinéma (France), directed by Louis Clichy (France), and co-written by Franck Salomé (France) and Louis Clichy (France). Christophe, a ten-year-old farmer’s son, is sensitive and clumsy and has a tough time finding his place within his family. To make things worse, he has serious balance problems: he likes to tilt his head, to the point where he constantly falls over. Far from eliciting sympathy from his father, Jean, a gruff and strong man who usually ignores him, Christophe is fitted with an orthopaedic corset to restrain him. Christophe then discovers he has a superpower of imagination: he can tilt the horizon instead and send everything flying. Half of this feature film will be directed in Brussels (220/418 days), where part of the post-production will also take place (33/121 days). Eighteen technicians will work on the project, and suppliers such as l’Enclume (Molenbeek) and Dame Blanche (Etterbeek) will assist in the animation and audio.
Olivia et le tremblement de terre invisible
A feature-length animation film co-produced by Panique ! (Brussels), Terremoto AIE (Spain), Vivement Lundi ! (France), and Pájaro (Chile). This project is directed by Irene Iborra (Spain) and written by Irene Iborra, Maite Carranza (Spain) and Julia Prats (Spain). Twelve-year-old Olivia lives in a rich neighbourhood in Barcelona with her younger brother Tim and their mother, Ingrid, a depressed actor. One day, their electricity and gas get cut off. Olivia realises that something is wrong. Ingrid no longer has work and is unable to cope with their unstable situation. They are evicted from their home and end up in a squat in a poor suburb. Overnight, Olivia and her family find themselves with a new life far from the comforts they used to enjoy. To shield Tim from the harsh reality, she pretends that they are living and acting in a film in which they are the main characters. Following A Town Called Panic by Vincent Patar and Stéphane Aubier and Sauvages by Claude Barras (both supported by screen.brussels), this feature-length film is a new opportunity to sustain and expand the stop-motion sector in the Brussels Animation Valley (125 days). Seven Brussels-based technicians will take part in the project, as well as Studio l’Équipe (Evere) for the sound effects and Alea Jacta (Saint-Gilles) for the sound editing and mixing.
Ewilan’s Quest
An animated series co-produced by Vivi Films (Koekelberg) and Andarta Pictures (France), directed by Paul Leluc (France), written by Justine Mettler (France), Eve Ceccarelli (France) and Fabien Daphy (France). The series is adapted from La Quête d’Ewilan by Pierre Bottero. Camille was adopted when she was seven years old. She has no memories of her past. This emptiness haunts her: where does she come from? Who is she? Wherever she is, Camille feels out of place. She feels like she is always out of step with the world and with others. Hardly surprising: at the age of 13, she is accidentally transported to another world called Gwendalavir and realises that she originated from there, where she is called Ewilan. The girl feels reborn. With her friend Salim, who does not hesitate for a second to accompany her, Camille/Ewilan explores this wonderful yet threatening universe in the hope of discovering her roots and finally understanding who she is. However, the meeting with the General of the Imperial Army, Edwin Til’Illan, tarnishes the duo’s enthusiasm. The soldier recognises Ewilan as the child of his best friends, who mysteriously disappeared seven years ago. Does this mean she can’t expect a family reunion? This series for a young audience will be partly made in Brussels (330/416 days), in the heart of the Brussels Animation Valley at Studio Souza and at Sonhouse (Koekelberg), amounting to almost a year’s work for some 15 Brussels animation artists.
Two Belgian fiction series
Ethernel
A television series produced by Helicotronc (Saint-Gilles), directed by Nicolas Boucart and Olivier Tollet (Brussels), written by Olivier Tollet, Romain Renard and Chloé Devicq (Brussels). Thanks to a chance scientific experiment, the dead can now communicate with the living using a terminal called the ETHERNA. David Novack, a former police officer haunted by the death of his wife, works in a new division, the Talkers, responsible for taking the statements of post-mortem victims. A routine investigation will change his perspective forever, leading him to revisit his past and reveal his darkest secrets. These six 50-minute episodes will be almost entirely filmed in Brussels (42/50 days), where the post-production will also be done (100/120 days). Twenty-one technicians will join the team, including five chief operators and several Brussels-based companies, such as Boxon (Ixelles) for the sound studio and lab work, Eye-Lite (Schaerbeek) for camera and electrical equipment, Audiosense (Evere) for sound equipment, and Benuts (Ixelles) for special effects. The cast will comprise Brussels-based artists such as Vanessa Compagnucci (Arthur, La Part Du Lion) in the lead role, and Alexia Depicker (Unit 42, Fugazi), Gilles De Schryver (All of us, Come as You Are), Jean-Pierre Baudson (Ciné Palace), and Tibo Vandenborre (1985, Above the Law, Niet Schieten, Blind Spot) in supporting roles.
Pays Noir
A television series produced by Sequel prod (Forest), directed by Maxime Pistorio and Benjamin Viré (Brussels), written by Etienne Bloc (Saint-Gilles), Christophe Beaujean (Forest) and Camille Didion (Brussels). Pays Noir tells the story of the unlikely meeting between Giulia and Lykoz. Giulia is unfairly fired from her job at a law firm. To bounce back, she has no choice but to team up with Lykoz, a client she stole from her former boss, to get even. She’s desperately looking for clients, while he’s desperately looking for money to finance Street Tease, his flagging concert venue. This series will have eight episodes of 52 minutes each and be primarily filmed in Charleroi, while the post-production will mainly take place in Brussels (128/160 days). Thirteen technicians will also join the project, including five chief operators, as well as Boxon (Ixelles) for sound and image post-production. The series stars several Brussels actors, such as Young Lo, TBC, Hamza Essalouh (Les Chroniques du Charbon), Leonard Berthet-Rivière (Comme au ciel, Champ Libre), and Toni Cecchinato (The Barbarian Invasions, Les dossiers de l’écran).
Three documentaries
Famille choisie
A feature-length documentary produced by Rayuela Productions (Schaerbeek), directed and written by Elisa Vandekerckhove (Ixelles). Massi, Adrien, Lylybeth, and Joy are four non-binary artists at a turning point in their careers on a booming drag scene in Brussels. While this chosen family is close-knit and supportive, their blood relatives often have difficulty understanding their identity and their work. Their daily challenges serve as inspiration for their shows, which can be gloomy, hilarious, or both. They can express their gender identity while performing, as well as it being their livelihood and the place from where they can draw the energy to break through into our society. For this 70-minute documentary, 17/22 days were filmed in Brussels, and all 170 days of post-production were done there, employing six Brussels technicians, including four chief operators. In terms of suppliers, it has the support of Charbon Cinéma (Forest) for image lab and calibration, Chocolat Noisette (Brussels-City) for audio post-production, and Camescoop (Molenbeek) for the filming equipment.
Timeline
A documentary series co-produced by Abyssal (Forest) and Jugaad (Anderlecht), written and directed by Robin Knudsen (Etterbeek) and Thomas Duprel (Brussels-City). Timeline plunges into the heart of the rich and captivating history of Belgian hip-hop, exploring over 40 years of cultural evolution through eight exciting episodes. This series of eight 26-minute episodes was entirely filmed (20 days) and post-produced (100 days) in Brussels. Eleven Brussels-based technicians will join the project, including suppliers Eye-Lite (Schaerbeek) for cameras and lighting and Cine Qua Non (Ixelles) for machinery and technical equipment.
The Deal with Iran
A documentary series produced by Diplodokus (Louvain), written and directed by Maarten and Lennart Stuyck (Flanders). The Deal with Iran is a three-part documentary series in which a minor news story opens the door to a behind-the-scenes look at international politics. In this spy thriller, the arrest of two Iranian refugees by the Belgian police and the subsequent repercussions on the Iranian regime lead to a moral dilemma about life and death, where black and white blend into the dullest grey. This series of three 50-minute episodes was partially filmed (12/40 days) and entirely post-produced (188 days) in Brussels. The project will be supervised by five Brussels-based technicians, including three chief operators, as well as the suppliers Sondr (Schaerbeek) and TGIF (Watermael-Boitsfort) for the sound and Camescoop (Molenbeek) for the cameras.
An uncommonly expanded session
Just this once, given the high quality and relevance of the projects submitted and the amounts to be invested exceeding the usual budget, the screen.brussels board of directors decided to allocate a higher budget to this 24th session to the tune of €1.6 million rather than €1 million in order to support the talent and businesses in the Brussels audiovisual sector.
The next two sessions will be merged
In practical terms, this will involve a change to the session scheduling for 2024. It has been decided that the next two sessions (May and September) will be merged into one, with a project submission deadline set for 31 May 2023, and the remaining €1,367,000 balance of the annual budget will be allocated to this session.
Brussels continues to bring out talent
Twelve of these 14 projects are being led by Brussels-based production companies, and 60% of them will be directed by Brussels natives (13/21 people). In terms of gender, nearly 30% of the producers and directors are women.
Four projects for Brussels Animation Valley
With three feature-length films and one animation series, these four projects will fill schedules at Brussels Animation Valley, particularly at the studios nWave, l’Enclume, Studio Souza, and Panique !. Animation artists and talent in Brussels will get to work on Chickenhare 2, following the success of the first film, as well as Olivia et le tremblement de terre invisible, Le corset and the children’s series Ewilan’s Quest.
Significant returns for the region’s economy
*By investing €1,633,000 in the 14 selected projects, we estimate that over €23 million in spending will be generated in company salaries and commissions. If we exclude the exceptionally profitable animation project Chickenhare 2, we can estimate that every euro invested in the region will generate over €8.50 in spending in the Brussels audiovisual sector.
About screen.brussels
Since its creation in 2016, screen.brussels has invested over €26 million in 280 projects, which have generated over €253 million in direct spending in the film and audiovisual sector in Brussels. Every euro invested has therefore generated €9.50 in direct spending.
What’s more, nearly 225 specialised companies have been founded in or have relocated to the Brussels-Capital Region.
In addition to the direct returns for the Brussels film and audiovisual industry, there are also the indirect benefits generated by film shoots in the Brussels-Capital Region, particularly in terms of hospitality and catering, various goods and services, as well as place branding. More and more productions are putting Brussels on screen and are enjoying international distribution, particularly through streaming platforms and major international festivals. Furthermore, the projects supported by screen.brussels have the contractual obligation to add “With the support of the Brussels-Capital Region” to their opening and end credits. All of this undoubtedly contributes to Brussels emerging as a ‘soft power’, which benefits all of our business sectors.