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Dag van het Filmberoep 2024

Edition 2024
Belgian Cinema Today
Every year, professionals from the film industry gather in Ghent for the Dag van het Filmberoep. During FFG2024, film exhibition in Flanders is put under the microscope.

Language: Dutch

In times long past, to watch a good movie, you had to endure uncomfortable seats. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case, and today, with state-of-the-art projection and comfortable seating, we can fully immerse ourselves in the cinematic gems showing in theaters - provided, of course, that they make it to the big screen. The importance of a layered and well-developed exhibition landscape is crucial for a thriving film culture.

Commissioned by the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), a research team supported by the Vrije Universiteit Brussels, University of Ghent, and the University of Antwerp conducted a study on film exhibition in Flanders. Based on a mapping and analysis of the film exhibition landscape in Flanders, with a specific focus on the needs and challenges of the field, the study resulted in a series of concrete recommendations for policy and the sector.

Prof. Dr. Tim Raats (imec-SMIT-VUB), project coordinator of the research, will present the study’s results at the Dag van het Filmberoep and explain what the conditions are for a sustainable ecosystem for film exhibition in Flanders and Brussels. Following the presentation, professionals from the field will discuss the policy recommendations arising from the study, and keynote speaker Dana Linssen will share her views on the report.

Programme

15u00 - Introduction by Koen Van Bockstal, intendant Flemish Audiovisual Fund
15u15 - Research presentation Film distribution in Flanders by Prof. Dr. Tim Raats
16u00 - Break
16u30 - Panel about the conclusions and policy recommendations from the research report, with Stephan De Potter, David Deprez, Juliette Duret, Hans Everaert and Joke Liberge, moderated by Lieven Trio
17u30 - Keynote Dana Linssen: 'Every city its own Paleis des Festivals'

Speakers

Stephan De Potter is distributor and co-CEO at Cinéart, where he distributes quality films such as the films of Fien Troch and the brothers Dardenne, but also The Old Oak, The Zone of Interest and The Substance in the Benelux.

David Deprez is artistic director at Lumière Maastricht, which was voted Europe's best film house in spring 2024.

Juliette Duret is Head of Cinema at the Centre for Fine Arts Brussels, Bozar.

Hans Everaert is a producer and founder of Menuetto, which has produced Wil and The Eight Mountains, among others.

Tim Raats is a senior lecturer at the Department of Communication Studies at the VUB. He teaches courses on media policy and economics and coordinates the course Medialab in the bachelor of communication sciences. Tim is head of the Media Economics and Policy research unit at the imec-SMIT research group, VUB.

Dana Linssen is a film critic for NRC, former editor-in-chief of the Filmkrant (1998-2019), lecturer and philosopher.

Joke Liberge is coordinator of the Union of Directors. As a filmmaker, she is known for her European Film Awards nominated short film Meander.

Lieven Trio is a film journalist for De Morgen, Studio Brussel, Klara and Radio 1.