Belga Films
{{Short description|Belgian film company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Belga Films
| logo = Belga Films.svg
| logo_size = 250
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1937}}
| founder = Elyse Tobback
| hq_location = 14 Avenue du Japon 1420
| hq_location_city = Braine-l'Alleud
| hq_location_country = Belgium
| logo_caption =
| image =
| image_caption =
| type = Société anonyme
| industry = Entertainment
| area_served = Worldwide
| revenue = {{profit}} €20 million (2023){{cite web |title=Belga Films SA |url=https://www.companyweb.be/company/0407652101/free-pub/23834430 |publisher=NBB |access-date=12 December 2024 |language=fr}}
| equity = {{profit}} €11 million (2023)
| assets = {{profit}} €38 million (2023)
| key_people = {{ubl|Patrick Vandenbosch|(CEO)|Jérôme de Béthune|(COO)}}
| subsid = {{plainlist|
- Belga Pictures
- Belga Studios
- Independent Films
- Médiaciné
- nWave Studios
- White Cinema}}
| website = [https://belgafilms.be/ www.belgafilms.be]
}}
Belga Films is a Belgian film production and distribution company founded in 1937 by Elyse Tobback. As the oldest film distributor in Belgium, it has played a pivotal role in both the local and international film markets. The company is involved in film distribution, production, and theatrical exhibition, with a strong presence in the Benelux region.
Belga Films has expanded its operations through acquisitions, partnerships, and the development of its production arm, Belga Studios, as well as its subsidiary nWave Studios.
History
= Formation =
Belga Films was founded in 1937 by Elyse Tobback, making it the oldest independent film distribution company in Belgium.{{cite web |last1=Goodfellow |first1=Melanie |title=Cult Comic Book ‘The Yellow M’ Set For Live Action Adaptation With Belga Films Group & Cédric Nicolas-Troyan |url=https://deadline.com/2024/04/belga-films-group-director-cedric-nicolas-troyan-adaptation-cult-comic-book-the-yellow-m-1235872589/ |website=Deadline |access-date=13 December 2024 |date=3 April 2024}} The company initially focused on distributing both local and international films, establishing itself as a key player in Belgian cinema with titles such as Berlingot and Company (1939), Cyrano de Bergerac (1946), and The Man in My Life (1951). In this period, Tobback's brother-in-law, Luc Hemelaer, joined the company.{{cite web |title=Belga Films, le changement dans la continuité |url=https://www.afas.be/fr/actualite/belga-films-le-changement-dans-la-continuite |publisher=ASAF |access-date=13 December 2024 |language=fr}}
In the 1970s and 1980s, Belga Films widened its distribution portfolio to include a wider range of international films, such as An Impudent Girl (1985), Vagabond (1985), Billy Ze Kick (1985), Chronicle of a Death Foretold (1987). At the same time, the company remained committed to promoting local Belgian cinema and played an active role in the early development of video distribution in Wallonia.{{cite web |last1=Keslassy |first1=Elsa |title=Benelux Distributor Belga Films Goes Into Production, Exhibition |url=https://variety.com/2016/film/global/benelux-distributor-belga-films-goes-into-production-exhibition-exclusive-1201777783/ |website=Variety |access-date=13 December 2024 |date=18 May 2016}}
= Expansion =
Since 1998, Patrick Vandenbosch, grandson of Luc Hemelaer, has served as the chief executive officer of Belga Films, while Jérôme de Béthune has held the position of chief operating officer, overseeing the company's operations. In a significant restructuring, Vandenbosch and Alexandre Lippens acquired the company's shares from RTL Group, re-establishing Belga Films as an independent entity. This acquisition marked the beginning of a new phase for Belga Films, with a shift in strategy towards more selective acquisitions and a reduction in the number of films released annually. The company aimed to focus on more targeted content, rather than maintaining a broad release slate.{{cite web |last1=Huijsdens |first1=Jeroen |title=Belga Films neemt Independent Films Nederland over |url=https://www.hollandfilmnieuws.nl/nieuwscategorieen/in-beeld/belga-films-neemt-independent-films-nederland-over/ |website=Holland Film Nieuws |access-date=13 December 2024 |language=nl |date=6 October 2022}}
Alongside its distribution activities, Belga Films has expanded into film production through Belga Studios. The company's productions have included titles based on established franchises, such as The Yellow "M" based on the Blake and Mortimer series, and The Einstein Enigma, a thriller adapted from the novel by José Rodrigues dos Santos.{{cite web |last1=Goodfellow |first1=Melanie |title=Belgium’s Umedia Acquires Minority Stake In Belga Studios In Strategic Alliance Kicking Off With ‘The Yellow M’ Adaptation |url=https://deadline.com/2024/11/belgiums-umedia-minority-belga-studios-strategic-partnership-1236189404/ |website=Deadline |access-date=13 December 2024 |date=28 November 2024}} Additionally, the company entered the cinema exhibition market with the launch of White Cinema in Brussels and Médiaciné in Liège.
= Acquisitions =
In 2022, Belga Films acquired full ownership of Independent Films, a Dutch distribution company with which it had previously maintained a 50/50 partnership. This acquisition integrated Dutch film development and distribution into Belga's operations, allowing the company to release films in both the Belgian and Dutch markets under a unified structure. It also enabled Belga to expand its operations in the Netherlands and develop more Dutch-language content. Before this acquisition, Belga Films and Independent Films had collaborated for over two decades, with Belga handling the distribution of Independent Films' titles in Belgium and vice versa in the Netherlands.{{cite web |last1=Macnab |first1=Geoffrey |title=Benelux distributor Belga outlines new theatrical strategy after buying Dutch outfit Independent Film |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/benelux-distributor-belga-outlines-new-theatrical-strategy-after-buying-dutch-outfit-independent-film/5175192.article |website=Screen International |access-date=13 December 2024 |date=7 October 2022}}
Belga Films also maintains an interest in the animation sector through its shareholding in nWave Studios, a Belgian animation studio. Notable productions from nWave include Bigfoot Family (2020) and Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022). This partnership reflects Belga's strategy to diversify its portfolio and strengthen its presence in the animation sector.{{cite web |title=New shareholders and new team for nWave Animation Studios |url=https://www.wallimage.be/en/news/new-shareholders-and-new-team-for-nwave-animation-studios/ |publisher=Wallimage |access-date=13 December 2024 |date=15 September 2018}}
Assets
As of 2023, Belga Films' subsidiaries and affiliated entities include:
- Belga Pictures – a limited liability company focusing on film production and distribution.
- Belga Studios – a limited liability company engaged in developing and funding feature films.
- Independent Films – a public limited company specializing in Dutch film distribution.
- Médiaciné – a public limited company managing cinema operations in Liège.
- nWave Studios – a public limited company known for producing 3D animated films.
- White Cinema – a limited liability company operating a cinema chain in Brussels.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://belgafilms.be/}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Belgian companies established in 1937
Category:Cinema chains in Belgium
Category:Film distributors of Belgium
Category:Film production companies of Belgium
Category:Mass media companies established in 1937