31/05/2005

This week, the Walloon and Brussels Centre in Paris is organizing the 13th Le court en dit long (‘A short is long story’) Festival. 40 films of all genres (documentary, fiction, animation, experimental) produced or co-produced in Walloon by all manner of operators (students’ films, independent ones, films supported by the Commission, professional works...) will premiere in the French capital. A special session (out of competition) will be dedicated to documentary and two screenings related to the exhibition ‘Smile, it’s Art’ will show pieces with Belgian humour. The jury, including Firmine Richard (actress), Nadine Monfils (script-writer, director, and writer), Jacques Kermabon (Editor in Chief of the magazine Bref), Arnaud Gourmelen (artistic director of the Premiers Plan Festival in Angers), and Jean-Paul Comar (actor), will award a Grand Prix, a prize to the best script, the best actor, and the best actress.

The Walloon and Brussels Centre in Paris is a key mediator between Belgium and France. Louis Hèliot (to whom Cinergie dedicates a full-length article in Gros Plan, online @ Cinergie.be), artistic director at the Centre, has been very active in this area, organizing every year many artistic and cinematic events. Hèliot was fundamental in introducing professionals from both countries—it was he, for instance, who found French distributors for the Dardenne brothers when they started their career. Last year, half of the short films presented at "Le court en dit long" were bought by French TV channels. The Walloon and Brussels Centre manages to promote many Belgian artists in France, not only by multiple cultural events and showing the range and variety of artistic approaches in Walloon, but also by working in close cooperation with everybody in order to create a support and exchange network between all French-speaking film professionals. The Centre often puts the infrastructures it manages at the disposal of artists, producers, and directors, for premieres and other promotional shows.

(Translated from French)