The BIF Market, a professional platform focused on genre cinema that is set to take place from 13-17 April during the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF), has unveiled its selected projects.

The main goal of the BIF Market is to connect people from the industry. Producers, filmmakers, distributors, buyers and sales agents meet there to exchange ideas, present projects and build partnerships. The market includes networking events, panels, conferences and info sessions. These events help filmmakers learn more about financing and promote collaborations between different countries. 

Belgium, and especially Brussels, has become an attractive place for film production thanks to its strong support systems. These include financial incentives such as the Tax Shelter and several regional screen funds that help filmmakers finance their projects. 

The BIF Market operates in a hybrid format, with three pitching competitions on site and an online showcase available through a networking platform, open to all industry professionals, free of charge.

First, there is the Fantastic Pitchbox, dedicated to Belgian auteurs, where ten projects will compete for three prizes: €1,000 in scriptwriting support from Sabam, €1,500 in development grants from Amplo, and three months of mentorship in an incubator with ARPI. 

Then, there is the international competition of the Hatching Ravens for mid-stage development projects. This year, there are 23 Hatching Ravens from 14 different countries competing for three post-production prizes - €5,000 from Sondr, €5,000 from BeDigital and €5,000 from UFX Studios - and three possible invitations to other European markets: Sitges FanPitch, Eurogenre by the Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival, and Iberseries Platino Industria. There are an additional 18 projects taking part out of competition, represented online.

Finally, there is the international competition of the Raven Eggs for early-stage development projects. Eleven projects from six different countries will be competing for two mentoring prizes offered by Molino Studios, one for packaging and another for storytelling, while four projects are out of competition, represented online.

This makes for a total of 66 projects altogether, out of which 17 are national, 25 are European, two North American, 19 South American and three Asian.

The BIF Market will also hold two info sessions and one panel about funding mechanisms and co-production opportunities - a first info session dedicated to Belgium, a second info session for Uruguay, Colombia, Spain, Hong Kong and Mexico, and a panel dedicated to the Greater East Region. There will be an international sales panel offering tips and tricks to make projects stand out in international markets with a range of European and North American sales agents that include Yellow Veil Pictures, Raven Banner Entertainment, Minerva Pictures, Jinga Films and Piperplay, plus a presentation of several genre film festivals from all over the world, including the Sitges Film Festival, Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival, Iberseries Platino Industria, Beyondfest, Fantastic Fest, MOTELX - Lisbon International Film Festival, Imagine Film Festival, Grimmfest, Carcosian Film Night, Offscreen, Razor Reel and Night Visions.

The selected projects are as follows:

Hatching Ravens

International Showcase

Threefold - Bruno Bini (Brazil) (online)
The Chosen Ones - Fercks Castellani (Uruguay/Argentina) (onsite)
Short Stories about Love and Space - Anca Damian (France/Romania) (onsite)
The Other Side - Guilherme Daniel, Raquel Santos (Portugal) (online)
Blood Sisters - Julia Ferreira (Brazil) (online)
Baby Tooth - Connor Gaston (Canada) (online)
Guess Who - Simeon Halligan (UK) (onsite)
Nothing Holy - Ashley Horner (Norway/UK/India) (onsite)
Skonss - Julien Ivanowich (France) (onsite)
The Silent Scream - Arif Khan (Japan/Taiwan/South Korea) (online)
Under The Broken Sky - Luciana Malavasi (Brazil/Portugal) (online)
Vampire United - Sean McConville (UK) (onsite)
Le Soupir des Papillons - Aurélia Mengin (France/Brazil) (onsite)
Umbra - William Miller, Winston Helgason (Canada/Spain) (onsite)
No Rest for the Dead - Daniele Misischia (Italy) (onsite)
Raised from the Ground - Marcus Neto (Brazil) (online)
Mori - Luis Nieto (France/Belgium) (onsite)
Chaya - Julieta Quiroga (Argentina) (online)
Ducasse - William Samaha (Belgium) (onsite)
Last Stop Diner - Léo Sénécat (Belgium) (onsite)
Dame Torment - Devina Sofiyanti (Japan/Indonesia) (online)
Kungfuland - Jacen Tan (Singapore/Canada) (online)
Lazarus Lane - Tiago Teixeira (UK) (online)
I Need to Be Loved - Julia Sofia Vega (Argentina) (online)

Uruguayan Showcase

The Lizard - Bernardo Antonaccio (Uruguay/France/Brazil) (online)
Hyperacusis - Raúl Pierri (Uruguay) (onsite)
The Other Lara - Juan Manuel Solé (Uruguay) (onsite)

Dominican Showcase

Redland - Santiago José García Cruz (Dominican Republic) (onsite)
Ecos - Kryzz Gautier (Chile/Spain/Dominican Republic) (online)
Zuzunaga Maddox - Jacob Genao (Dominican Republic) (online)
Mirlanda - Pablo Lozano (Dominican Republic/Colombia) (onsite)

Spanish Showcase

1999 - David Casademunt (Spain) (onsite)
Don’t Come Knocking - Manel Sango (Spain/Portugal) (onsite)
The Alraune Family - Javier Yañez Sanz (Spain) (onsite)

German Showcase

In Transkei - Derya Durmaz (Germany/Turkey/South Africa) (onsite)

Mexican Showcase

La Catrina - Emilio Portes (Mexico/USA) (onsite)

Dutch Showcase

Paradise Morbid - David-Jan Bronsgeest (Netherlands) (onsite)

Colombian Showcase

I’ll Keep My Mouth Shut - Oscar Adan (Colombia/Argentina) (onsite)
The Sinister Hand - María Arteaga Ariza (Colombia/Brazil) (onsite)
Everything Like Before - Marco Vélez Esquivia (Colombia) (online)

European Genre Forum Showcase

Like Air - Elvira Dulskaia (Czech Republic) (onsite)

Ravens Eggs

International Showcase

What’s in my Fridge? - Aleksandra Berlinere (Belgium) (onsite)
Midnight Frights - Clotilde Colson (Belgium) (onsite)
Hans Trapp - Hervé Freiburger (France) (onsite)
Magnus - Shaun Hughes (UK) (onsite)
The Last Rehearsal - Rodrigo Lages (Brazil) (online)
End of the Century - Emanuela Ponzano (Belgium/Luxembourg) (onsite)
Motherware - Junbo Qiu (UK) (online)
The Shelter - Talal Selhami (Belgium/Morocco) (onsite)
The Passion of Yokheved - Boris Tilquin (Belgium) (onsite)

Dutch Showcase

Real Blood - Joeri Pruys (Netherlands) (onsite)

Spanish Showcase

Birthday Girl - Sebastien Auger (Spain) (online)
Buttons - NYSU NYSU (Spain) (onsite)

Cineuro Showcase

Lily’s Paradise - Emma Chevalier (France/Belgium) (onsite)
Children Unwelcome - Anthony Marzin (France/Belgium/Spain) (onsite)