2018 was a top year for Flemish films and TV series abroad
Flemish films and TV series enjoyed fantastic success abroad in 2018. A total of 71 Flemish titles were selected 104 times for the 40 most important international film and television festivals, including the Cannes, Toronto and Berlin festivals. Flemish (co)productions, including animation projects, received no less than 300 awards.
Five Flemish (co)productions had their world premiere during the Cannes Film Festival. The stand-out work was Girl, the debut film of Lukas Dhont, which won four awards in the Official Selection, including the Caméra d’Or for best debut.
It was a nice way to start a successful international career, including prestigious awards at the London, San Sebastián and Zurich festivals, the debut award at the European Film Awards and nominations for the Golden Globes and Césars. Who else had big successes? The animation films Ce Magnifique Gateau and Bloeistraat 11, the experimental short film It, the documentary Ceres, the drama Sakawa and the fiction series De Dag and Undercover.
Some talented directors and actors are now primarily active abroad. Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah for example, who are working on the production of Bad Boys For Life. Felix Van Groeningen was acclaimed for his American debut Beautiful Boy. The co-production Kursk, with Matthias Schoenaerts in the main role, had its world premiere in Toronto and director Gilles Coulier signed a contract with the British Independent Talent Group.
