Flanders Film Industry Builds Global Momentum With TIFF, Cannes

Earlier this year, Belgium’s Flanders region returned to the Berlinale competition after a 45-year hiatus with Anke Blondé’s “Dust.” A few months later, Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne, the two leads in Lukas Dhont’s “Coward,” won a rare joint best actor award in Cannes. Dhont’s drama is headed to Toronto with a recent boost of confidence, having just been selected as this year’s Belgian Oscar entry — the third consecutive time the maverick young director’s films have been tapped for the race, after his dramas “Girl” and “Close” previously competed.

Flanders will also be present at the Canadian festival with the latest film by Oscar-nominated “Bullhead” helmer Michaël R. Roskam, “Le Faux Soir,” which is world premiering as part of the Special Presentations program.

Both “Coward” and Roskam’s historical thriller were made with the support of the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) and the Screen Flanders Economic Fund.

“Le Faux Soir” is set in 1943 and relates the real-life case of a group of Resistance fighters who concocted an elaborate plan to print a fake edition of Belgium’s leading newspaper Le Soir, which had been turned into a propaganda tool during the Nazi occupation. The case is widely considered to be the world’s first media hack, with Roskam’s fast-paced thriller homing in on the past to paint a vivid picture of the present.

“The support system in Flanders has been fundamental to my career,” Roskam tells Variety. “Without it, it would be extremely difficult to make auteur-driven cinema — or what one might call commercially accessible arthouse cinema — in a small market like Belgium.”

Roskam, who hadn’t produced a feature film in his home country since 2017’s “Race and the Jailbird,” emphasizes how the VAF provides “not only financing, but also creative freedom.” “Because the work is supported publicly, directors and producers can remain creatively responsible for the film rather than being entirely driven by commercial pressure. That creates room to experiment, develop a personal voice and take risks.”

The director adds that the selection procedures for funding in the region are “rigorous, competitive and highly selective,” which he believes is a great strength. “Films that are made tend to be held to very high standards.”

“Coward” producer Michiel Dhont says Flemish creatives can be “very proud of our country and the talent we support.”

“It was a true honor to present ‘Coward’ in Cannes and get a first sense of how the film resonates with an international audience,” he adds. “I’m also very excited and curious for the market at TIFF this year. Opening up the market and expanding the visibility over multiple worldwide festivals creates exciting new opportunities.”

Interestingly, both “Coward” and “Le Faux Soir” are co-productions between Belgium’s two regions, supported by both the Flanders Audiovisual Fund and the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. While “Coward” is a majority Flemish production, “Le Faux Soir” is a majority Walloon project. To Michiel Dhont, having both agencies support the film only strengthened his belief that “this is, at its heart, a Belgian film, [which is] always something we try to achieve with our productions.

“In addition, I knew from the beginning that this film was going to be more ambitious than Lukas’ previous films, so we also needed to look into other financing such as equity funding and presales to television,” adds the producer.

Roskam says having both regions as financing partners is an important model in Belgium. “It strengthens collaboration across the country and enables films to draw on a broader range of talent, financing and expertise.”

Speaking with Variety soon after taking over as director of the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) earlier this year, Karla Puttemans said that “as a small fund, we use our compact size as a strength by combining our role as a public funder and promotion agency with a very close, trust-based and hands-on relationship with our directors, screenwriters and producers.”

This is a statement that strongly resonates with newcomer Filip Anthonissen, whose Flemish short film “Melk” has become the first animated film to win Locarno’s Pardino d’Oro for best international short film. Following the accolade, “Melk” is now also headed to Toronto. The animator, who comes from a video installation background, felt stepping into the film industry was a daunting prospect. A special VAF program that allows animation students to apply for a fund without a producing partner was the perfect opportunity for Anthonissen to take his first steps into film.

“It’s much less intimidating,” he says. “Part of it is also that you get coaching from someone, you get workshops, so it made it much more accessible for me. Having that development fee at the start and speaking to more experienced filmmakers made me more confident to go to a producer and say: ‘I already have my foot in the door.’”

Being at a large festival like Locarno with his first film made Anthonissen even more aware of the “privileges” of working in Flanders. “I was speaking to filmmakers from other countries, and they had self-funded and worked with less than 5,000 euros. Filmmakers can do a lot with very little money, but I’ve had a lot more, not only financially but also when it comes to support. You have to present your idea to a jury; you still have to put in a lot of work and intent, but once they are on board, [the VAF] really trusts you and supports you. I’m very grateful for it.”

Looking ahead, Flemish filmmakers are very aware of one still-burning need: to incentivize local audiences to come to cinemas and watch their national films in theaters. Puttemans noted how Flemish audiences are particularly keen to watch titles that carry a “quality stamp through selections at major festivals.” Having a prominent presence at festivals, she highlighted, becomes ever more important. “It boosts awareness among our local audience. We need every possible asset to motivate people to leave their homes and experience films on the big screen.”

Connecting with audiences and platforming Flemish talent on a wider scale is key to Michiel Dhont as a producer. Back in 2021, following their successful partnership with “Close,” Michiel and Lukas launched production banner the Reunion. Since then, the duo has supported projects like Cato Kusters’ “Julian” and Mees Peijnenburg’s “A Family.” “Not every film is made for international visibility,” he points out. “Some stories are rooted in a domestic landscape; others tell more universal stories. Both need to exist. If people are encouraged to go to the theaters, the more momentum it gains. [Audiences] want to go to theaters to create a sense of togetherness. I can only hope we can also achieve that with ‘Coward’ domestically and internationally.”

Roskam agrees, adding that Flanders needs to continue to find “inventive ways to bring [domestic] audiences back to cinemas.”

He adds: “Cinema matters as a cultural experience: it is part of education, tradition and the way we experience stories together. Internationally, Flemish and Belgian cinema has a great deal to offer. I am not speaking only about my own work, but about the remarkable films being made by colleagues across the country. There is real talent, ambition and originality here. We should continue to support it, champion it and fight for its place both at home and abroad.”