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FUNDING Belgium

A breath of fresh air for the last 2014 VAF Commission

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- The Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds awarded no fewer than four production subventions to debut fiction features in December

A breath of fresh air for the last 2014 VAF Commission
Director Sahim Omar Kalifa

For its last 2014 meeting, the Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds (VAF) selected eight feature-film projects for production aid: four debut films, including, two animation movies, Fien Troch’s fourth film, as well as Bouli Lanners upcoming movie, Les Premiers, les Derniers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bouli Lanners
film profile
]
, produced by Versus, and co-produced in Flanders by Prime.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Among the four debut features, two are the work of the Belgian director of Kurdish origin. Zagros marks a change for Sahim Omar Kalifa, who made a name for himself on the international scene with his shorts Land of Heroes and Bagdad Messi, which were among the nine short films pre-selected for the 2015 Oscars. Zagros, co-written with Jean-Claude Van Rijckeghem, will be produced by A Private View. Also supported is Bülent Oztürk, of Kurdish origin too, who equally made a name for himself on the international scene, with his short film Houses with Small Windows, winner of the Award for Best European Short Film in Venice, and nominated for the European Film Awards. Blue Silence will be produced by Minds Meet.

The VAF will also support two directors who are embarking on the adventure of a first feature film, Anke Blondé with Ouders van nu (produced by Menuet), and Meikeminne Clinckspoor with Cloudboy [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
(produced by Bulletproof Cupid), a film for a young audience that accompanies in summer time the young Niilas, a city kid who goes off to find his mother in the forest of Lapland. Another director supported, Fien Troch (Kid [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, Unspoken [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
), will receive funding for his fourth feature film, Home [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fien Troch
film profile
]
, produced by Prime and co-produced by Versus.

Finally, it should be noted that the VAF is backing production of two animation projects: Goudheidswaazin by Erik Verkerk and Joos Vandenbosch, an Eyeworks production, but also Robinson Crusoe [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
, Ben Stassen’s next big 3D project. Following the success of The House of Magic [+see also:
trailer
making of
film profile
]
, Ben Stassen thus returns with a popular adaptation of the famous novel by Daniel Defoe. Sold by StudioCanal in a number of territories during the last American Film Market, the movie will be released in France on 17 February next, and should be released at the same time in Belgium. 

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

(Translated from French)

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