New Belgian cinema surge backed by BNP Paribas Fortis

The cinema business is under severe pressure at the present time, which makes it all the more gratifying when Belgian productions are able to compete for prestigious international awards. This is the case with Zanka Contact, which was chosen for screening at the 2020 Mostra in Venice, and L’ennemi (The Enemy) which competed at this year’s Francophone Film Festival in Angoulême and will soon be showing at the Ghent Film Fest. Our subsidiary company BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance, which helped to finance these two films, can feel justly proud of these achievements.

Two films, two very different atmospheres

Loosely based on real events, The Enemy was scripted and directed by Stephan Streker, who directed, among other films, the movie Noces (The Wedding) and is also a sports commentator on Belgian TV channel RTBF. The new film was produced by Michaël Goldberg and Boris Van Gils. The lead actor, Jérémie Renier, portrays a well-known politician accused of murdering his wife, played by Alma Jodorowsky, who is found dead in their hotel room on the North Sea coast. Is he guilty, or innocent? This is what you will find out as the film makes its way across the screen.

Zanka Contact takes us into a very different world, immersing us in a zany Casablanca, where the burning passion of Larsen the snakeskin-clad rock musician and Rajae the street Amazon sets fire to a Morocco, the likes of which you have never seen before. Produced by French-Moroccan Saïd Hamich and German-Belgian Sebastian Schelenz, this first full-length feature film by Paris-based Moroccan movie director Ismaël El Iraki is a tale of love, trauma and rock’n’roll.  Zanka Contact features a number of well-known Moroccan actors and musicians, including Ahmed Hammoud, Saïd Bey and Khansa Batma, who carried off the award for Best Actress at the Venice Mostra for her role in this film.

Support from BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance

BNP Paribas Fortis has some key values in common with the cinema industry and has been a staunch partner to the movie business for many years.  The Bank is also loyal in its backing for the performing arts sector, which is especially in need of support in these difficult times.

"BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance, which has been operational since 2007, enables movie producers to find substantial financing quickly in the form of a tax shelter –  similar to a subsidy – which can cover up to a quarter of the project cost,” explains Vincent Vandevoorde (BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance). The sole condition for this is that at least part of the production takes place in Belgium, and that a proportion of the budget is spent in Belgium, in order to generate business in this country. 

"This method of raising finance has also given a tremendous boost to a variety of skilled professionals providing services to film productions, such as cameramen and -women, sound technicians, set builders and lighting experts,” points out Damien Vanderborght, Chairman of the Board of Directors at BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance, underlining: “In 2019, we channelled financing worth over €26 million to 81 projects.”

Support from A - Z

Vincent Vandevoorde goes on: "As soon as a movie project comes up, BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance works hand-in-hand with the producer, helping him or her to work out the budget required and analyse the specific aspects of the film that will call for financing. Movie production is a business where cash-flow management can be a sensitive issue, so the Bank has to respond rapidly when the producer is in need of funds.”

Moreover, BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance acts as an intermediary and facilitator vis-a-vis the authorities, such as when the Federal Tax Office decides to inspect the books.

"We consider ourselves very lucky to have BNP Paribas Fortis alongside us as a partner,” stresses Sebastian Schelenz of Velvet Films, which co-produced Zanka Contact. “Thanks to their unfailing support, we’re able to put ourselves forward at an early stage for promising projects and optimise our cash flow during the production. This is an important advantage for a film producer, as it enables us to select and produce movies that have the potential to achieve success at film festivals and attract the general public.”

More about our cinema sector work

Throughout the year, BNP Paribas Fortis runs various initiatives designed to support cinema work and the performing arts. You can find out more about these activities here.