Michaël Roskam’s highly praised debut Bullhead won the Best Feature Award at the Victoria Film Festival in Canada (3-12 February). This victory will surely give cast, crew and supporters alike a boost of self-confidence in view of the upcoming Academy Awards prize ceremony this Sunday. Bullhead is nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

After 10 days of more than 150 films from all over the world, the film claimed the award for Best Feature at the Victoria Film Festival earlier this month. The award is one more decoration in what is now becoming a true victory march around movie fests all over the world, following among others the Jury and Critics Prize at Beaune and the Propeller Award for Best Film at the Motovun Festival. The film was also rated an exceptional 3.5 out of 4 points in the highly influential AP movie review.

Canadian Award for Oscar nominated Bullhead written by FI stagiair 2 in Default.

Lieven Corthouts’ Little Heaven is to screen at the Good Pitch²  Festival at The Hague (27 March). At the fest, eight documentary filmmakers working on human rights and justice projects are invited to present their films to a number of leading broadcasters and NGOs, as well as other participants who might be able to help them spread their work.

Little Heaven is the harrowing tale of an extraordinary orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital city. On their thirteenth birthday, children in this particular orphanage are told that they were born with HIV. It is a hard and demanding story, but also a hopeful one, thanks to the zest for life shown by the children’s and their carers.

Little Heaven invited to Goodpitch 2012 written by FI stagiair 2 in Default.

Two major Flemish productions, Germaine and Time of My Life, have been boosted by a slew of positive news and numbers. Both films are based on true stories and have succeeded in catching the attention of media and public alike. Nic Balthazar’sTime of My Life was receveid enthusiastically at Berlin's EFM, while Frank Van Mechelen's Germainehas proven itself as a true box-office hit.

Films Distribution, international sales agent of Balthazar’s second feature Time of My Life, confirmed that the film drew a great deal of attention at Berlin’s European Film Market. Towards the end of March, Time of My Life will be released in The Netherlands, Luxemburg and the French-speaking region of Belgium. Time of My Life has already managed to claim two major festival awards: the Audience Award for Best Film at both the RamDam Festival and The End Festival in Amsterdam. The film was also honoured with a special mention from the jury at the prestigious Rome Film Festival.

Box office and fest success for Flemish pair written by FI stagiair 2 in Default.

Two sizeable Flemish productions, Germaine and Time of my Life recently came out with positive news and figures. Both films are based on true stories and have succeeded in luring the broad public’s and the media’s attention. Nic Baltazar's Time Of My Life was sold to distributors from all over the world, whereas Frank Van Mechelen's Germaine has proven a true box-office hit.

Nic Baltazar’s second feature Time Of My Life managed to draw a great deal of attention at the Berlin Film Festival European Film Market. The feature’s international sales agent, Films Distribution, were able to conclude sales with distributors from Italy, Norway, Switzerland and even Iran. Germaine, by director Frank Van Mechelen,  has firmly caught the eye of the Flemish public. In the 6 weeks since the movie’s  original release, it has already drawn 150 000 viewers to the cinema. Various theatres even have the movie ranking in their top 5 of best attended films.

Box office and festival success for major Flemish productions written by FI stagiair 2 in Default.

Two sizeable Flemish productions, Germaine and Time of my Life recently came out with positive news and figures. Both films are based on true stories and have succeeded in luring the broad public’s and the media’s attention. Nic Baltazar's Time Of My Life was sold to distributors from all over the world, whereas Frank Van Mechelen's Germaine has proven a true box-office hit.

Nic Baltazar’s second feature Time Of My Life managed to draw a great deal of attention at the Berlin Film Festival European Film Market. The feature’s international sales agent, Films Distribution, were able to conclude sales with distributors from Italy, Norway, Switzerland and even Iran. Germaine, by director Frank Van Mechelen,  has firmly caught the eye of the Flemish public. In the 6 weeks since the movie’s  original release, it has already drawn 150 000 viewers to the cinema. Various theatres even have the movie ranking in their top 5 of best attended films.

Box office and festival succes for major Flemish productions written by FI stagiair 2 in Default.

With Useful and Beats Of Love, the 7th ECU European Independent Film Festival (30 March- 1 April) in Paris gives a bill to two Flemish shorts. French-speaking Belgium is also represented at the fest with Filip Lamensch’s short dramedy About a Spoon.

Useful, directed by Inti Calfat, follows the struggles of an under-pressure couple. What happens when a woman can no longer prove intimately useful to herself or her husband? Although it deeply pains her, she encourages her husband to seek the comfort of another woman, a prostitute. Beats of Love is a school project by Wim Geudens. The short film is about a man obsessed by sounds.

Two Flemish shorts on Paris silver screen written by FI stagiair 2 in Default.

Koen Suidgeest’s Karla’s Arrival (La llegada de Karla) was given a bill at the very first ALBA Festival de Cine bill. The ALBA Festival took place in Brussels from 19 – 29 Januari and is the result of a collaboration between the embassies of Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Venezuela. The festival is named after the ALBA treaty, which was conducted by the governments of these countries in order to preserve their cultural identities.

Earlier on,  Karla’s Arrival (La llegada de Karla) made a screening at the Verzio Documentary Film Festival (6-10 November 2011)  in Budapest, as well as at the This Human World Festival (30 November – 10 December 2011) in Vienna. Both showings were attended by the director. The documentary also screened at the  Documenta Madrid Festival, the Prague One World Human Rights Festival and the New York International Latino Film Festival, to name just a few. The film was awarded the second prize at the Documenta festival.

Karla’s Arrival makes a stop in Brussels written by FI stagiair 2 in Default.

Bavo Defurne’s North Sea Texas is set for a Dutch premiere in Amsterdam’s Pathé De Munt cinema on 7 March as part of the 15th Amsterdam Gay & Lesbian Film Festival  (Pink Film Days, 15-25 March), which kicks off a week later. Meanwhile Peccadillo Pictures has signed on to handle the film's distribution in the UK and Ireland.

The Dutch premiere, which will be attended by cast and crew, is just the start of a tour in The Netherlands. North Sea Texas will screen in a number of cities, including Nijmegen and Den Haag. In March, the film will also feature in the line-up of the BUFF (13-17 March), the International Children and Young People’s Film Festival in Malmö, Sweden. North Sea Texas recently made its US debut at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and was picked up for US distribution by Strand Releasing.

North Sea Texas kicks off in The Netherlands and UK written by FI stagiair 2 in Default.

Five animated shorts from Flanders are running in the national competition of Anima (17-26 February), the annual animation celebration that takes place in Brussels. Five more films are screening in a Belgian panorama, while co-production The Monster of Nix by Rosto receives a special screening.

Anima is showcasing a wide variety of animation talent from Flanders this year. In the national competition, there's Bruno Wouters' Daddy, Don’t Forget Your Glasses, Roman Klochkov's Natasha, Boris Sverlow's VAF Wildcard-winning Shattered Past, Yves Bex's The Appointment and Tristan Morelle's The Secret Child.

Animation talent invited to Anima written by FI stagiair 2 in Default.

Following successful appearances at European festivals such as the Ghent International Film Festival and the Cinedans Moving Media Festival in The Netherlands, Mike Figgis’ 2010 interpretation of the CO(te)LETTE dance production is now due to appear at a number of US festivals later this year.

The film, a cinematographic capture of choreography devised by Ann Van Den Broeck, has its first screening on Saturday 17 March at the San Francisco Dance Film Festival, followed by an outing at the 36th Atlanta Film Festival (23 March-1 April). The film has received wide acclaim, convincing audiences and critics alike of its aesthetic qualities: ‘a very beautiful, powerful, sensual and original piece’, says one Canadian reviewer, ‘a piece that leaves you with images and sounds that reverberate long after the performance’.

The CO(te)LETTE film on US fest tour written by FI stagiair 2 in Default.

Sahim Omar Kalifa’s short Land of the Heroes has been selected for the Tampere Film Festival (7-11 March). The selection is just the latest of 55 official invitations the film has received, including festivals such as the Worldwide Short Film Festival Toronto, the I’ve Seen Films Festival in Milan and the Curta Cinema Festival in Rio de Janeiro.

The short has also won numerous awards along the way, most notably the awards for Best Film and Best Cinematography at the South Korean Busan International Short Film Festival, and the Generation Kplus International Jury Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Last December, the film grabbed its ninth award, the Muhr Arab Second Jury Prize, worth $10,000, at the Dubai International Film Festival.

Land of the Heroes takes on Tampere written by FI stagiair 2 in Default.

Sahim Omar Kalifa’s short Land Of The Heroes has been selected for the Tampere Film Festival (7-11 March). The selection is the last in a series mounting up to 55 already, including selections for festivals such as the Worldwide Short Film Festival Toronto, the I’ve Seen Films Festival in Milan and the Curta Cinema Festival in Rio de Janeiro.

The short has also won numerous awards along the way, most notably the awards for Best Film and Best Cinematography at the South-Korean Busan International Short Film Festival, and the Generation Kplus International Jury Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Last December, the film grabbed its ninth Award, the Muhr Arab Second Jury Prize worth $ 10,000, at the Dubai International Film Festival.

Land Of The Heroes goes round the World written by FI stagiair 2 in Default.

Flemish documentary filmmaker Lode Desmet is currently touring in Canada with his film War Is Not A Game (A la guerre comme à la guerre). After its recent selection for the prestigious IDFA 2011 line-up, Desmet was invited for a screening tour by the Canadian Office National du Film.

The documentary will be shown at 12 venues across the country, two of which are military bases. The film enjoyed a winning streak in Canada at the end of last year, grabbing awards at two fests: the NFB Colin Low Award for Most Innovative Canadian Documentary at the DOXA Documentary Film Festival in Vancouver (6-15 June 2011) and the Golden Sheaf for Best Documentary on History at the Yorkton Film Festival (26-29 May 2011).

War Is Not a Game on tour of duty in Canada written by FI stagiair 2 in Default.

After starting its international career by winning the Cannes International Jury Award in 2011, Wannes Destoop’s short Swimsuit 46 has now been selected for its 30th film festival.

After making waves in Cannes, the film has made appearances at numerous renowned festivals including Athens International Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, Sao Paulo International Short Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival.

Swimsuit 46 reaches milestone 30th festival selection written by FI stagiair 2 in Default.

Two concepts for animated features from Flanders, Jan Bultheel's Cafard and Sancta Media's ZOOks, will be presented at this year's Cartoon Movie (7-9 March) in Lyon, France. Flemish production companies are also involved in three international co-productions. With a total of five projects in Lyon, the Flemish animation industry is very much putting its talent on display this year.

Jan Bultheel's Cafard is a historical drama set during World War I about the true and improbable odyssey around the world of the first Belgian armoured vehicles division. Sancta Media is working with Editions Dupuis and Flemish broadcaster VRT to start production on ZOOks, a transmedia adventure film developed using the rotoscope technique. At the heart of ZOOks is the story of a wilful young girl who braves a forbidden forest to find her missing mother.

New Flanders pair to meet industry at Cartoon Movie written by FI stagiair 1 Flanders I in Default.

Two concepts for animated features from Flanders, Jan Bultheel's Cafard and Sancta Media's ZOOks, are presented at this year's Cartoon Movie (7 - 9 March) in Lyon, France. Flemish production companies are also involved in three international co-productions. With a total of five projects in Lyon, the Flemish animation industry puts its talent on display.

Jan Bultheel's Cafard is a historical drama set during World War I about the true and improbable odyssey around the world of the first Belgian armoured vehicles division. Bultheel, who previously worked on the animation series International Hareport (Read the interview in our Flanders i magazine), is teaming up with production company Panache.

Sancta Media teams up with Editions Dupuis and Flemish broadcaster VRT to start production on ZOOks, a transmedia adventure film developed in rotoscope technique. At the very heart of ZOOks beats the story of a self-willed young girl, braving a forbidden forest to find her missing mother. Against all she’s been taught, she relies on a feral boy, who seems to know about her mom. If this odd couple succeeds, both their families will be reunited and harmony will be restored. If they don’t, nature will be destroyed forever.

ZOOks (Sancta Media) still written by FI stagiair 1 Flanders I in Default.

Two concepts for animated features from Flanders, Jan Bultheel's Cafard and Sancta Media's ZOOks, are presented at this year's Cartoon Movie (7 - 9 March) in Lyon, France. Flemish production companies are also involved in three international co-productions. With a total of five projects in Lyon, the Flemish animation industry puts its talent on display.

Jan Bultheel's Cafard is a historical drama set during World War I about the true and improbable odyssey around the world of the first Belgian armoured vehicles division. Bultheel, who previously worked on the animation series International Hareport (Read the interview in our Flanders i magazine), is teaming up with production company Panache.

Sancta Media teams up with Editions Dupuis and Flemish broadcaster VRT to start production on ZOOks, a transmedia adventure film developed in rotoscope technique. At the very heart of ZOOks beats the story of a self-willed young girl, braving a forbidden forest to find her missing mother. Against all she’s been taught, she relies on a feral boy, who seems to know about her mom. If this odd couple succeeds, both their families will be reunited and harmony will be restored. If they don’t, nature will be destroyed forever.

Just last year Skyline Entertainment finished work on the international co-production Santa's Magic Crystal. The company returns to Cartoon Movie with an equally ambitious project, Luis & his Friends from Outer Space. Luis is eight years old and a lonely kid. He only finds real friends in a group of crazy alien kids who crash landed on earth. When he has to help them get home to their families, he has to jump over his shadow and the adventure begins…

Five from Flanders at Cartoon Movie written by FI stagiair 1 Flanders I in Default.

The legendary French director of such classic films as A Man and a Woman (Un homme et une femme), And Now My Love (Toute une vie) and Bolero (Les uns et les autres) talks about his Flanders film favourite, Geoffrey Enthoven’s Come as You Are (Hasta la vista), and what the film did to him when he saw it at the fortieth edition of the Montreal World Film Festival last year. ‘I have rarely got such a kick out of discovering a film that was so completely unexpected,’ the filmmaker admits.

I am in this multiplex at the Montreal World Film Festival. While I am waiting to go to a master class I’m giving, I decide to go into one of the cinemas at random. A film is starting and I have no idea what I am about to see. Nothing out of the ordinary up to now.

As I sit down in my seat, I am totally oblivious to the fact that it is about to roll away and that I am going to be thrown into the world of those people for whom I rarely spare a second thought. But it is the exact opposite that happens: I find a blind man staring at me through the screen of my prejudices.

Claude Lelouch written by FI stagiair 1 Flanders I in Default.

Erik Leijonborg is to direct the Swedish remake of Nic Balthazar's award-winning feature debut, Ben X. Principal photography is set to start on 26 March in the Stockholm region. Balthazar's second feature, Time of My Life, receives its international market premiere this Saturday at the EFM in Berlin.

Ben X won the Grand Prix des Amériques as well as the Audience Award and the Ecumenical Jury Award at the 2007 Montréal World Festival. The film was also the very first to win the Black Pearl at the inaugural Abu Dhabi Film Festival. Besides touring festivals around the globe, including the 2008 edition of Generation 14+ at the Berlinale, Ben X also sold to over 50 territories. Producers of the Swedish make-over are Martin Söder and Tomas Bäckstrom for Eyeworks Film & TV Drama AB. Alex Haridi (Departure, Miss Kicki) adapted the original screenplay written by Balthazar.

Ben X to get Swedish remake written by FI stagiair 1 Flanders I in Default.

Erik Leijonberg is to direct the Swedish remake of Nic Balthazar's award-winning feature debut Ben X. Principal photography is set to start on 26 March in the Stockholm region. Balthazar's second feature, Time of My Life, receives its international market première this Saturday at the EFM in Berlin.

Ben X won the Grand Prix des Amériques as well as the Audience Award and the Ecumenical Jury Award at the 2007 Montréal World Festival. The film was also the very first to win the Black Pearl at the inaugural Abu Dhabi Film Festival. Besides touring festivals around the globe, including the 2008 edition of Generation 14+ at the Berlinale, Ben X got sold to over 50 territories. Producers of the 1.7 million Swedish make-over are Martin Söder and Tomas Bäckstrom for Eyeworks Film & TV Drama AB. Alex Haridi (Departure, Miss Kicki) adapted the original screenplay written by Balthazar.

Ben X to receive Swedish remake written by FI stagiair 1 Flanders I in Default.