04.26.2024

Eight french-speaking Belgian co-productions selected for Cannes!

The lineup for the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival and its parallel selections has been announced. Eight co-productions supported by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles will be showcased, marking a record. This serves as further evidence of the great appeal Wallonie-Bruxelles holds for large-scale international co-productions!

First, in the official Competition, let's mention The Most Precious of Cargoes by Michel Hazanavicius. This animated film is co-produced by Les Films du Fleuve, the company of the Dardenne brothers, who are accustomed to the Cannes competition.
In the Un Certain Regard section, the new film by Italian filmmaker Roberto Minervini, titled The Damned co-produced by Michigan Films, will be presented. The editing of the film was entrusted to the experienced Belgian editor Marie-Hélène Dozo, known especially for her work on the films of the Dardenne brothers.

Still within the official selection, this time in the Cannes Premiere section, we find Nabil Ayouch's latest film, Everybody Loves Touda, co-produced by Velvet Films. Among its Belgian collaborators are Virginie Surdej handling cinematography, Eve Martin on set design, and Nicolas Rumpl editing.

Finally, in the Special Screenings category, audiences will have the opportunity to discover Savages, the new animated film by Claude Barras (director of "My Life as a Zucchini"), co-produced by Panique!

The Critics' Week will host an impressive four (!) co-productions from Wallonie-Bruxelles. In competition, there's Julie Keeps Quiet, the debut feature by young Flemish filmmaker Leonardo Van Dijl, co-produced by Les Films du Fleuve.
The closing of the Week will feature the presentation of Animale by Emma Benestan, co-produced by Frakas, with set design by Eve Martin.
Finally, in special screenings, two more Wallonie-Bruxelles co-productions: Queens Of Drama by Alexis Langlois, co-produced by Wrong Men, featuring Drag Couenne, and Across The Sea by Saïd Hamich Benlarbi, co-produced by Tarantula.

Though not supported by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, it's worth noting the presence of several other films co-produced by producers from Wallonia Brussels in various sections of the festival:
Jacques Audiard's new film, Emila Perez, co-produced by Les Films du Fleuve (unquestionably prominent this year on the Croisette) and featuring choreography by the Brussels-based Damien Jalet, is in official competition.
L’Amour Ouf, the third feature film by Gilles Lellouche, co-produced in Belgium by Artemis, starring Benoît Poelvoorde (previously seen in Sink or Swim), in the official competition.
Ghost Trail by Jonathan Millet, co-produced by Hélicotronc, with cinematography by Belgian director Olivier Boonjing, at the Critics' Week.
Flow by Gints Zilbalodis, co-produced by Take Five at Un Certain Regard.

Additionally, the Directors' Fortnight will pay tribute to Chantal Akerman with a special screening of her documentary American Stories: Food, Family and Philosophy, and the establishment of the Audience Choice Award, supported by the Chantal Akerman Foundation.