25/06/2007

The Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds (VAF) has selected 14 projects at its second committee, including two by Jan Verheyen. The film critic, distributor and producer, the successful director who has several hits to his name (1191’s Boys, 2002’s Alias and 2005’s Gilles [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), is working on a film adaptation of the book Los by writer and journalist Tom Naegels.

Produced by MMG Film & TV Production, the film received production funding of €600,000. In television, Verheyen will helm the first of ten episodes of a series entitled Vermist! ("Missing"), produced by Eyework and backed for €500,000.

Caviar from the slate of the Flemish co-producer of Jaco Van Dormael’s Mr Nobody (see news) was granted production support of €150,000.

Blinker en de blixvaten, the third film by the Blinker franchise, directed again by Filip Van Neyghem, received €500,000. The children’s film – adapted from the book by Marc De Bel, co-scriptwriter and successful children’s writer – is produced by Ciné 3.

Screenplays supported by the VAF feature some attractive projects. After Ex Drummer [+see also:
trailer
film profile] Koen Mortier has started work on his next feature Blink of a Second, which he is also producing (CCCP). The project was granted €12,500 in scriptwriting support.

The same amount of funding was granted to Fact & Fiction , producer of Merguez-frites by Guy Lee This (Kassablanca) and to Caviar for Het varken van Madonna, co-written by Frank Van Passel (Manneken Pis) and Marc Didden (Brussels by Night).

Films in development to get backing include video and visual artist Johan Grimonprez’s Zapomatik production How to Rewind your Dog (Zunk) (€75,000). The same sum went to Harry Kümel, especially known for his adaptation of Jean Ray’s novel, Malpertuis, starring Orson Welles (1973), who is developing Eendracht maakt macht ("There’s Strength in Numbers”), a Diamond Productions film.

(Translated from French)