Belgian producer Roxanne Sarkozi of De Wereldvrede has been selected as this year’s Belgian participant in the European Film Promotion’s Producers on the Move initiative in Cannes. Working across auteur-driven cinema and series, she has contributed to a slate of distinctive projects with strong international reach. Her recent production Julie Keeps Quiet, the feature debut by Leonardo Van Dijl, premiered in Cannes Critics’ Week and went on to become Belgium’s official Oscar entry. We spoke to her about shaping a film’s international trajectory, balancing formats and the importance of creative partnerships in co-production.

Cineuropa: Your production Julie Keeps Quiet premiered at Cannes Critics' Week and went on to become Belgium’s official Oscar entry. How did you approach building its trajectory from its premiere to its international recognition?
Roxanne Sarkozi: The trajectory for Julie Keeps Quiet, Leonardo’s feature debut, evolved quite organically. Leonardo had already premiered his short film Stephanie in the Official Competition at Cannes in 2020, so we knew the festival had a relationship with his work. That gave us confidence going in. The moment everything shifted was when Naomi Osaka and her production company Hana Kuma came on board as Executive Producer, right there in Cannes. I have to give full credit to Marcin Łuczaj and New Europe Film Sales for making that happen. The impact was immediate and surreal. Osaka is one of the most recognisable athletes in the world and suddenly she was attached to this intimate Belgian debut film. The buzz that generated was amazing and completely changed the conversation around the film internationally. That visibility was key in shaping the Oscar campaign that followed.

At De Wereldvrede, you work across both auteur-driven films and series like Roomies. How do you navigate the shift between these formats as a producer?
The approach is fundamentally different, both creatively and structurally. Feature film financing is a long and complex process: you are building a structure piece by piece over several years, often across multiple territories and funding systems. Series operate at a different rhythm, where broadcasters are involved from the beginning, which changes both the timeline and the decision-making process. What remains constant for me is the focus on protecting the writer or director’s voice. In series, that can sometimes be more challenging, as there are more opinions around the table. But when it works, as it did with Roomies, it can be extremely rewarding.

Belgium has a strong reputation for supporting distinctive author-driven cinema. From your perspective, what makes the local ecosystem particularly conducive to that kind of work?
I believe that when you combine a funding system that believes in artistic vision with a culture that embraces complexity, you create the conditions for exactly the kind of author-driven work that Belgium has become known for internationally.

You are currently finishing Jonah Was Here by Nathalie Teirlinck while developing new projects. What draws you to a project at an early stage and how do you decide where to invest your time and resources?
For me, it always comes down to the people and the story, although it is hard to separate the two. I need to believe in the person behind the project, their vision, their ambition, their reason for making this particular film or series at this particular moment. Because producing is a long game. You're going to spend years with this person, through the hard moments as much as the good ones. That relationship has to be built on genuine belief and trust. But the story has to be there too of course.

As one of European Film Promotion’s Producers on the Move, what are you hoping to expand or unlock at this stage in your career, particularly in terms of international collaborations?
Being selected feels like a confirmation that I am at exactly the right moment in my career to expand into new territories. And the timing could not be more fitting, as several of our upcoming projects actively require new international collaborations. Anke Blondé’s upcoming feature film Harvest, for example, requires strong creative partners in Italy and Romania, not only for financing, but also for cultural authenticity. A film set in Sicily with Romanian protagonists needs local knowledge and trust. The best co-productions I have been part of were not merely financial constructions: they were about sharing perspectives and cultural values.