13/02/2017 - Belgian outfit Umedia continues its strategic expansion and acquires Be-FILMS, to extend its catalogue and strengthen its role in televised fiction

Umedia has just acquired Be-FILMS, a Belgian company which is very active in audiovisual production, and with which Umedia has been working for 10 years now, racking up forty or so projects together. Specialised in the production and execution of televised fiction, Be-FILMS is one of the most active production companies with the most experience in the French-speaking Belgian market. It is responsible for series like Kaboul Kitchen (Canal +), Transferts (Arte), L'Origine du mal (M6), which is currently filming in Belgium with Marie Gillain and Sami Bouajila, and Zone Blanche, which was recently selected for the Berlinale and was also filmed largely in Belgium.

"Their expertise in televised fiction will allow us to develop synergies between our two companies and strengthen our role in this sector, whether that’s in terms of funding, executive production or the development of new licences," explains Nadia Khamlichi, CEO of Umedia.

In terms of direction and organisation, there will be no change to the CEO of Be-FILMS. Christophe Louis, its CEO and founder, will continue to oversee the daily management of the various teams. He explained that as far as he is concerned, "being part of the Umedia group will allow Be-FILMS to benefit from all the advantages of an international studio with financial clout and multiple prospects for development."

Set up in 2004, Umedia is an international film group that employs over 160 people in its offices in Brussels, Paris, Los Angeles, London and Vancouver. Umedia is particularly active in the Tax Shelter co-production incentive scheme, through which it has participated in films of the likes of The Artist [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michel Hazanavicius
film profile], Me, Myself and Mum [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], The Bélier Family [+see also:
trailer
making of
film profile] and Yves Saint-Laurent [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jalil Lespert
film profile].

(Translated from French)