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Two VRT series to premiere at FFG
This is not a murder mystery
Belgian artist René Magritte is invited to an exclusive art exhibition at a lavish English country estate. Among the guests: Salvador Dalí, Lee Miller and Man Ray. What begins as a delightful meeting of artists quickly spirals into a murder mystery when one of the invitees is found dead. After a frenzied night, Magritte wakes up beside the lifeless body of a young artist, with no memory of what happened. As Scotland Yard launches an investigation and forbids anyone from leaving the estate, Magritte is forced to prove his innocence. In a world where nothing is as it seems, every clue becomes a puzzle… and every guest a suspect.
The series is directed by Hans Herbots and written by Christophe Dirickx and Paul Baeten. The original concept comes from Matthias Lebeer (also co-director of episodes 3 and 4) and Christophe Dirickx, with Kato Maes and Kristoffel Mertens producing. Rising star Pierre Gervais (Knokke off, Julie zwijgt) takes on the role of René Magritte. He is joined by Geert Van Rampelberg, Lauren Versnick, and international talents including Stephen Tompkinson, Donna Banya, Florence Hall, Jonathan Delaney Tynan and Mathilde Warnier. The series is produced by Panenka in co-production with VRT, RTL Belgium, Proximus, Deadpan Pictures and New8, with support from the Flanders Audiovisual Fund, Screen Flanders, screen.brussels, the Brussels Capital Region, the Belgian Tax Shelter, Screen Ireland, Creative Europe Media and the Council of Europe Series Co-Productions. International distribution is handled by STUDIOCANAL. Notably, This is not a murder mystery is the very first VRT series under the NEW8 umbrella, a pan-European collaboration between eight public broadcasters joining forces to create high-quality drama.
On 17 October, Film Fest Gent audiences will get an exclusive first look at the opening two episodes of this brand-new piece of audiovisual heritage, with cast and crew in attendance. Later this fall, the series will air on VRT 1 and VRT MAX.
Roomies
After the award-winning first season of Roomies - which took home four Ensors and received glowing reviews - fan favorites Bibi (Ahlaam Teghadouini) and Ama (Laura De Geest) are back. The second season of this witty and moving drama follows the next chapter in Bibi and Ama’s lives, as they move into an unexpected new home: a former daycare center. With school behind them, empty wallets, and no safety net, they tumble headfirst into adulthood - no child’s play. The result is eight brand-new episodes that, like the protagonists themselves, are more mature yet remain every bit as funny and touching as before.
Creators Kato De Boeck and Flo Van Deuren, former Brussels roommates themselves, once again deliver a layered, distinctive story full of quirky characters, produced by De Wereldvrede. New faces this season include Marjan De Schutter, Emax Lamoulie, Els Olaerts, Emilie De Roo, Jennifer Heylen, Alessia Sartor and Hariette Sylva. The soundtrack features music by Eefje de Visser, Ategha (Ahlaam Teghadouini) ft. Mickael Karkousse (Goose), Maria Iskariot and Porcelain ID, offering a poetic lens on belonging in vibrant, multifaceted Brussels - a place where you can lose yourself, find yourself, and always find home in each other.
The first season of Roomies premiered at the 49th edition of Film Fest Gent in 2022, where De Boeck and Van Deuren instantly won over audiences. On Saturday 11 October, season two will be celebrated in the festival’s Serial Madness section with a screening of the first four episodes in the presence of cast and crew. For die-hard fans eager to binge, a marathon of the full season will be hosted on Sunday 12 October at Sphinx Cinema.
Roomies is a co-production between VRT and De Wereldvrede (Julie zwijgt, Bevergem, Albatros, Lockdown), made with the support of the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), screen.brussels, the Belgian federal government’s Tax Shelter system via Flanders Tax Shelter, and Sabam For Culture.
From Wednesday 13 October, the full season will be available on VRT MAX, and from 5 November on VRT Canvas.
Tickets for both premieres and festival screenings will be available from Thursday 18 September after the programme has been announced.
