Brussels' investment in cinema is paying off

Brussels' financing of cinema projects via its Screen Brussels organisation is paying off – and more specifically creating employment the cinema industry, according to a new report.

Film shoots in Brussels provide jobs for those working in editing studios, and in dubbing and special effects, as well as for the many actors and technicians required.

By investing up to €3 million a year in project content, Screen Brussels finances productions that make all or part of their audiovisual expenditure in Brussels.

Any kind of project, on any type of screen (fiction, documentary, animation, virtual reality, series, audio formats or gaming) can apply for funding if it meets the selection criteria at one of Screen Brussels’ three annual funding sessions.

Through the Screen Brussels public fund, the Brussels region has supported 13 projects in recent months to the tune of €1.3 million. One of these, "La nuit se traîne", a thriller due out at the end of August starring Romain Duris and Jonas Bloquet about a student’s fight to prove his innocence, received €250,000.

Screen Brussels director Noël Magis said this is money well spent. “One euro invested by the region brings a return of up to nine euros in the audiovisual economy, and this does not include the indirect profits,” he said.

"What counts are the spin-offs for the Brussels economy thanks to the Tax Shelter," he added, referring to the Belgian government's tax incentive that allows Belgian companies to pay less tax on their profits if they invest money in film production and scenic work in Belgium by well-known or promising French- and Dutch-speaking producers.

“Our aim is also to fill up the diaries of people working on film and audiovisual projects in the Brussels region. You have to be registered as living in the Brussels region for your expenses to be eligible under Screen Brussels,” Magis added.

“Conditions are identical for ancillary [secondary or supplementary] businesses [providing services to other sectors] such as post-production or equipment hire.”

The 26th Screen Brussels funding session will start in 2025, with a budget to be determined by the next Brussels government.

Since its creation, Tax Shelter has financed more than 1,000 works, raised more than €170 million and worked with more than 60 Belgian producers.