German postproduction group Das Werk has taken a 25% stake in the Belgian high-end video and film post-production company ACE Digital House, as part of its creation of an international network of postproduction companies.

A cash payment of Euro 1.5m (20%) was supplemented with 5% in Das Werk shares. Over the past year, Das Werk has integrated the Spanish EnEfecto Group under its roof, completed a majority acquisition of London-based facility Glassworks, secured a 15% holding in the leading French digital FX studio Mikros Images, and took over Los Angeles-based Centropolis Effects (CFX) from Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin.

Over the last two years, Das Werk has collaborated with ACE's founders Katrijn Steylaerts and Stefan Rycken within the MAX European Post-production Alliance whose others members are EnEfecto, Mikros Images and Italy's Blue Gold and the two companies will now collaborate on the setting up of an outpost in Rotterdam to serve the Dutch market. ACE's recent credits include FX work for the award-winning feature Ali Zaoua and the short Ex.#N 1870-4.