Filming on location in Flanders
Flanders is the northern, Dutch-speaking region of Belgium and is easily accessible due to its central European location. It stretches from the North Sea to the country’s central rolling countryside and encompasses the cities of Ghent, Antwerp, Bruges, Ostend and Mechelen.
The region’s landscapes are characterised by sandy beaches and dunes in the coastal areas. Fertile polders, green pastures and heath land become more abundant further inland. There’s varied architecture that can double for elsewhere in Europe, including Gothic buildings, cobbled streets, seaports and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Filmmakers can access an extensive filmmaking infrastructure that includes a film office in each city. Belgium’s Tax Shelter programme and Audiovisual Fund are now supplemented by the Screen Flanders scheme, offering EUR5 million annually to eligible projects with a EUR400,000 per-production cap.
Production support is available through Location Flanders, who can help connect producers with a highly skilled crew base.
(Image copyright: Bart Dewaele, Dienst Toerisme, Location Flanders, Focus-in Lint, Michel Detobel, Filmcel Brugge)