Brussels invested 3.1m euros in audiovisual projects in 2023
The Brussels-Capital region invested 3.1 million euros in 29 audiovisual projects in 2023, 76 per cent of which were shot in Brussels. This is evident from the data from sector body screen.brussels. According to Brussels minister-president Rudi Vervoort, the regional audiovisual fund generates significant added value for the economy, with a return on investment of 24.6 million euros for 2023.
A total of 78 project applications were submitted to screen.brussels in 2023. Of those, 29 were selected as eligible for a subsidy. The fund allocates approximately 3 million euros annually for this purpose.
Examples of projects supported by screen.brussels include the second Largo Winch feature film, based on the Belgian comic series of the same name by Philippe Francq and Jean Van Hamme, or the series Marie-Antoinette.
The majority of projects that benefit from a subsidy are feature films, accounting for 14 of the 29 projects, followed by documentaries, animated films and TV series. 70 per cent of the directors are Brussels residents. Collaborations between other countries are also common, including with France, Luxembourg, Italy, Portugal, Rwanda and Ukraine.
Boosting the economy
Screen.brussels was created in 2016 and has received 25 million euros in investments. Every euro invested has provided a return of 8 euros in added value for the region, amounting to 214.6 million euros over seven years. In that time there has also been an increase in the number of audiovisual companies active in Brussels of 206.
“I would like to emphasise that we are extremely satisfied with the effective way in which this system benefits talents and companies in the Brussels Region,” said Vervoort. "This year, more than 3 million euros was invested in 29 projects, which should result in at least 24 million euros in direct expenditure in the audiovisual industry."
Screen.brussels' investments represent a percentage of 4.21 per cent of the total budget of the Brussels-Capital region in 2023.
More screenwriters and directors are choosing Brussels as the setting for their stories, according to screen.brussels. "It is a location that, as a global city and multicultural capital region, is a great source of inspiration," it says.
Television shoot in Brussels © PHOTO BELGIAN FREELANCE
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