Belgium

Belgium has several different film financing mechanisms that can be combined to boost a project’s budget. The most significant is the long-established Belgian Tax Shelter system, which offers up to 42% of eligible audiovisual spend in the country. But there are strong regional economic funds (Screen Flanders, Screen Brussels and Wallimage) that can increase budgets further. Meanwhile, the local film commissions provide logistical support and contacts for incoming filmmakers. 

Belgium has a strong animation tradition, a wealth of different period and modern locations, skilled technicians and decent studio facilities, albeit still no giant facility on the scale of Studio Babelsberg in Germany or Pinewood Studios in the UK. 

Eco-thriller The Swarm (which opened the 2023 Berlinale Series and had Game Of Thrones alumnus Frank Doelger as a showrunner) was just one production to make use of the state-of-the-art water tanks at Lites Studios outside Brussels, which has a tilting platform. Netflix’s Luther: The Fallen Sun was another. “The size and spec of the water stage allowed us to rig two large vehicles and safely leapfrog between the two,” says Luther director Jamie Payne. “Most underwater stages don’t have the space to allow this. Being this way had a massively positive impact on our schedule.” 

Other high-profile films and TV series to have capitalised recently on the historic Belgian city locations and the various fiscal incentives available for international production include the third season of Norwegian TV drama State Of Happiness and Dana Nechustan’s Dutch series Elixer, produced by Topkapi. 

Since its launch in 2012, the Screen Flanders Economic Fund has invested close to $52.5m (€50m) in 251 projects, generating an estimated $333m (€317m) in inward investment for the Flanders region. 

Screen Brussels is equally prolific. In July 2023, via its 22nd funding round, the body invested $1.05m (€999,500) in 14 projects. These included Mexico 1986 from Belgian-Guatemalan Camera d’Or-winning director Cesar Diaz, being put together as a Belgium-France co-production starring Bérénice Bejo.

Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), under CEO Koen Van Bockstal, continues to get behind high-profile international productions, including Dominique Deruddere’s drama The Chapel.

Wallimage, the Walloon public fund, has supported more than 400 films since it was established in 2001. Recent international titles include Spanish director Antonio Chavarrias’ The Abbess;  Germany-based Italian filmmaker Yasemin Samdereli’s Samia; and drama series Serial Hunter starring Eric Cantona, which is being made through French outfit Atlantique Productions.

Belgium has a thriving animation sector. Among recent high-profile animated projects is The Magnificent Life Of Marcel Pagnol, the latest feature from Oscar-nominated French director Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets Of Belleville). The film has support from Screen Brussels and Screen Flanders; its Belgian co-producer is Flemish outfit Walking The Dog.

A number of Belgian production companies — among them Umedia, Scope, Versus, Entre Chien et Loup, Belga, Caviar, Czar, Frakas Productions and Savage Film — are well versed in putting together international co-productions either as majority or minority partners. 

The Belgian industry is also benefitting from the international recognition achieved by a succession of local filmmakers. These include Fien Troch, whose Holly was in competition at Venice 2023; Bas Devos, whose Here premiered at the Berlinale 2023; and Joachim Lafosse, whose feature A Silence, starring Daniel Auteuil, was chosen in official selection at the 2023 San Sebastian International Film Festival.

First person to contact: Michela Ritondo, senior tax official, Belgium Federal Public Service Finance: michela.ritondo@minfin.fed.be

Belgian crews are flexible, experienced and multilingual (most speak Flemish, French and English). Thanks to the production boom of recent years, they have experience working on international co-productions of different sizes. The country also offers high-end post-production facilities and servicing companies including Babel Central (which provides subtitling services), beDIGITAL (for VFX), Galaxy Studios, Flow and The Pack.

You can get from one side of Belgium to the other in roughly the time it takes to travel across Los Angeles. The compact country is at the heart of Europe and has excellent local and international transport infrastructure. It is about 30 miles from Brussels to Antwerp.

European status

Belgium is a member of the European Union and a participant in the Schengen Agreement. Its currency is the euro.

This is a compact, easily accessible country in the heart of Europe with excellent local and international travel infrastructure. Brussels and Antwerp are within an hour’s reach of each other, separated by 34 miles. London, Paris and Berlin are easily accessible by air and rail, and there are direct flights between New York and Brussels.

Contact: Noël Magis, managing director, Screen Brussels: nmagis@ screen.brussels; Virginie Nouvelle, general manager, Wallimage: vno@wallimage.be; Katrien Maes, head of production, Screen Flanders: kmaes@vaf.be