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INDUSTRY Belgium

Distribution professionals offer observations on Francophone film

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Preparations for action were made at the FIFF. No less than 30 Belgian film professionals from different backgrounds took to the Festival stage in quick succession on Tuesday, in order to analyse a recurring problem: why do Belgian Francophone films attract audiences abroad but not in Belgium? And without reversing the trend, what can be done to achieve a balance?

Representatives from all parts of the sector were present, including directors, exhibitors, producers, distributors, legislators and network operators.

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Organised by the FIFF in collaboration with the professionals, this afternoon of deliberation was not intended as an opportunity for going over the usual grievances. Instead, the aim was to open up several avenues of discussion that will form the subject of more in-depth studies at work groups in November.

These workshops will be led by Luc Jabon (screenwriter and president of SACD Belgium), Philippe Kauffman (producer for La Parti), Patrick Quinet (producer and president of the Union of Francophone Film Producers) and Philippe Reynaert (journalist and director of Wallimage).

Although most of the observations had been made before, these exchanges enabled all the professionals present to apprehend, within a few hours, the respective challenges faced by all the different bodies within the film sector.

Indeed, how can a director who shoots one film every two years, a producer who makes four films per year, a distributor who releases 50 films per year and an exhibitor who shows 250 films per year, find common solutions to improve the visibility of Belgian productions? This initial observation – that of the demands of different parts of the sector – made it possible to underline the importance of taking into account the economic realities of each market stakeholder in order to make better progress.

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(Translated from French)

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