A new generation of Flemish filmmakers is emerging to rival their predecessors of the last 20 years, with a series of buzzy debut feature projects showcased at Flanders Film Days (FFD) this week.
“The talent is there. The future looks bright,” enthuses producer Marc Goyens of Quetzalcoatl, who pitched several features at FFD 2026.
They included Enzo Smits debut, Interlude, a coming-of-age drama about an introverted “cloud rapper” trying to make sense of his small-town roots and growing fame. He is setting it up as a European coproduction, with Schuldenberg Films in Germany already attached.
Also at FFD was production company Caviar, whose credits include The Sound Of Metal and Jody Hill’s upcoming Famous, starring Zac Efron. Caviar unveiled footage from Postcard, directed by newcomers Anthony Nti and Chingiz Karibekov. An adaptation of the novel Black Sisters’ Street by Chika Unigwe, Postcard is the story of two Nigerian women who travel to Belgium in hope of a better life but end up caught in a world of exploitation and prostitution. The film is three weeks into production in Antwerp.
Caviar producer Dimitri Verbeeck discovered the directing duo while they were still at film school. He saw Nti’s award-winning short Boi, scripted by Nti and Karibekov, and realised these were talents worth following.
“We always want to make stories with an edge, but that can resonate globally,” Verbeek says. “With The Sound Of Metal it was very clear from the beginning what the potential of that project could be and we had the same feeling with Anthony and Chingiz when they were talking about the book.”
He compares Nti and Karibekov to Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, whose breakthrough film Black, was produced by Caviar in 2015. They went on to make Bad Boys blockbusters with Will Smith in Hollywood.
Peter Bouckaert of Eyeworks was also excited about a debut feature he pitched at FFD. Brecht De Groot’s romantic drama It’s Going To Be Spectacular I Promise is based on the bestselling novel by Zita Theunynck, about a couple in their 20s who hope love can heal their wounds. It is being co-produced by first-time producer Annabel Kemel. Kinepolis will distribute the film in Belgium.
Meanwhile, Hans Everaert of Menuetto introduced the FFD crowd to Lyfe, from first-time directing duo Jaan Stevens and Tijman Govaerts. The drama is about a couple from a tough background facing an unplanned but welcome pregnancy.
”They find us. They reach out,” reveals Everaert, describing just how proactive the new talents are at connecting with producers. Everaert is also developing Meltse Van Coillie’s debut feature, Torpor, about a polar bear guard in the Arctic, which aims to shoot next year.
These rising directors follow on the heels of Cato Kusters, whose debut Julian premiered in Toronto last year, and Leonardo Van Dijl, whose debut Julie Keeps Quiet was selected for Cannes Critics’ Week in 2024.
And they join the celebrated Flemish generation comprised of Fien Troch, Lukas Dhont, Michael R Roskam, Felix van Groeningen, Teodora Ana Mihai and Bas Devos who have long enjoyed success at A-list festivals over the last 20 years.
Why is Flanders such a fertile ground for filmmaking talents? ”With the success of Felix Van Groeningen and Lukas Dhont, directors line up and can see a path that has worked before,” suggests Everaert simply.
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