A great moment for Flemish television. Just a few months after Cannes’ historic four series ( How to Kill My Sister, Dead End, Catastrophe and Surface), Belgium’s Dutch-speaking northern region continues to invest in interesting up-and-coming talent in television.
Carla Puttemans, the new CEO of the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), said in an interview with Variety ahead of Mipcom that she is preparing to make the most of the Cannes event “to promote new, cutting-edge content from Flanders.” Within the VAF funding framework, the Media Fund focuses on co-financing high-quality television series developed in co-production with Flemish broadcasters. For foreign series, at least 50% of the funding must be in reserve, with at least 20% of the funding coming from the Flemish region and the Flemish broadcasters involved in the production.
Asked about the success of VAF-supported projects, Mr Putmans said he tries to emphasize that one of the foundation’s core objectives is to act as “an early believer in the quality and creativity of projects developed by local talent”. …We support them at a stage when the market is still hesitant to take risks.
“Our position is critical in giving wings to new ideas and inspiring creators to be bold instead of playing it safe,” she added. “Ultimately, our role in co-financing is important, but so is identifying new talent, providing seed funding and providing coaching when needed, and that’s where we make a real difference.”
Britt Reyes, whose successful short story “Luce and the Rock” is being turned into an animated series for Belgian broadcaster VRT’s children’s brand Ketnet, is one of many directors who praise VAF’s work. “That had a big impact on me because that’s how I was able to make short films,” she says. “It also means I’ve had time to figure out who I am as a director, find my voice and share it with people.”
In addition to his initial belief in talent and his proposal for a more integrated creative collaboration, Mr. Puttemans highlighted the strong ties between Flemish independent producers and local broadcasters, as well as the benefits of the Screen Flanders Fund and the Belgian tax shelter. What is the challenge? “We operate in a small local market and have to compete with companies much larger in size and resources.”
Looking ahead, the new CEO said his “first priority” is “securing our position and ability to raise capital for the next few years.” The Flemish government recently announced its 2026 budget, but Putmans said it was “too early” to understand what impact it would have on the country’s pot, but reiterated how many European institutions “can attest to what a difficult time for culture”.
“Social and geopolitical challenges are impacting[our]ability to raise funds at a time when the industry is looking to us more than ever to move forward. Unfortunately, I think the same is true in Flanders. Let’s just say budgets are tight and will continue to be tough.”
