Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) manages three funding bodies for co-financing respectively film productions (Film Fund), television series (Media Fund), and video games (Game Fund) in Flanders and Brussels. VAF enters into an agreement with the Flemish government and functions separately from the Arts Decree, which arranges the support for other artistic disciplines (except literature, see 3.5.2) — among them audiovisual work for multiple screens (which is usually shown in the exhibition circuit). Next to funding productions, VAF supplies grants, advice and workshops for screenwriters, directors, animators, game developers, and other (young) professionals in the audiovisual industry. It also subsidizes distributors, art house cinemas, film education, film festivals, film magazines, and other organisations, collaborations or projects that enhance film culture in Flanders. Some of these support schemes were until recently supplied by other organisations, funding bodies, or government levels (such as the provinces), but have now been centralized in VAF.
As Flanders Image, VAF organises the international promotion of Flemish audiovisual productions. Promotion of Flemish productions was mentioned in the coalition agreement of the current Flemish government (2019-2024) as a way of “reinforcing the Flemish identity”. This was the motivation behind an increase of the budget of VAF and a request to collaborate more with the Netherlands.[1]
VAF furthermore advises Screen Flanders in the selection of project applications. Screen Flanders is a separate economic support measure for (Belgian and foreign) audiovisual productions that spend budget in the Flemish Region. Their budget is supplied by the government agency Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO, see also 3.5.1), which means it is a competence of the Flemish Region (not the Flemish Community, as is the case with culture). The Brussels-Capital Region has its own economic film fund, the Screen.brussels Fund. On the Federal level, there is a tax shelter scheme for audiovisual productions (see 4.1.4).
CINEMATEK, the Royal Belgian Film Archive, holds an extensive collection of film copies and documents on cinema. It is primarily funded by the Federal State and the National Lottery.
A number of issues have been the topic of debate in the audiovisual sector.[2] These include the danger of monopolies in distributing and screening cinema films, concern about changing spectator behaviour and its consequences for the distribution of Flemish audiovisual content and its revenue, concern about the options screenwriters, directors, and other professionals have to develop qualitative content and to innovate, and (the limits of) the international prominence of the Flemish audiovisual industry.
[1] Vlaamse Regering. 2019. ‘Regeerakkoord 2019-2024’, 128-129.
[2] For issues with regard to the film and television series, see also Kunstenpunt, ed. 2019. Landschapstekening Kunsten: Ontwikkelingsperspectieven voor de kunsten anno 2019. Brussel: Kunstenpunt, 71-80.
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