Results of the New Benelux Co-Development Grant Announced

Today, at the Marché du Film in Cannes, the first funding decisions for the new Benelux Co-Development Grant for film projects from the Benelux region were announced. The Co-Development Grant was launched in 2025 as a collaboration between the Flanders Audiovisual Fund, the Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, the Netherlands Film Fund and the Film Fund Luxembourg.

In order to encourage and strengthen sustainable collaboration between creative teams from the Benelux countries, the Benelux film funds - two from Belgium, alongside the Netherlands and Luxembourg - announced the launch of a new co-development grant in May 2025.

The first call for projects opened in February this year. During this pilot phase, the Flanders Audiovisual Fund acts as the executive fund and coordinated both the application procedure and the work of the joint advisory committee.

A total of twelve applications for fiction and animation projects were submitted during the first call. From these, a jury constituted by the organizing funds selected three projects, each of which will receive a grant of €50,000.

The funding decisions were announced today at the Marché du Film in Cannes, in the presence of the heads of the four funds and the Minister-President and Minister of Culture of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Elisabeth Degryse.

Supported projects of the first call:

Bangers (feature)

Director: Julien Henry
Screenplay: Julien Henry & François-Michel Allegrini
Delegate producer: Tarantula (BE-FWB)
Co-producers: Topkapi Films (NL), Tarantula (LU) and Czar (BE-VL)

Look Up Sammy (live-action fiction)

Director: Elisabeth Hesemans
Screenplay: Caya De Groot
Delegate producer: Keplerfilm (NL)
Co-producers: Samsa Film (LU), A Private View (BE-VL)

The False Hero (animation)

Director & screenplay: Nicolas Keppens
Delegate producer: Animal Tank (BE-VL)
Co-producers: Doghouse Films (LU), Viking Film (NL)

Through the new co-development scheme, Benelux producers are encouraged to explore the most effective and natural creative collaboration and corresponding financing strategy for their films. At the same time, the scheme responds to producers’ need for more room for joint development. The initiative is conceived as a pilot project that will run for two years.

The next deadline is 16 March 2027. More information about the Benelux Co-Development Grant can be found on the VAF website.

Results of the New Benelux Co-Development Grant Announced

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