2012 slightly disappointing for Belgian films at box office

Detailed figures are in for admissions for Belgian films in Belgium last year, reports Cineuropa, with the results very different depending on whether the numbers relate to French- or Dutch-language films. On the French side, the balance sheet looked promising with good results recorded by films by Belgian directors in the broader francophone territory (Belgium and France). In total, those films drew 1.5 million spectators (including more than 180,000 in Belgium). The box-office hit Ernest & Célestine, released in December, tops the bill on both sides of the border, with nearly 730,000 admissions in France, and 62,000 in Belgium. Joachim Lafosse’s latest film, Our Children also did well (150,000 admissions in France, 35,000 in Belgium), as did Mobile Home by François Pirot (pictured) and Miles From Anywhere by Pierre Duculot, which both attracted more than 13,000 viewers. On the Dutch-speaking side, 1.72 million people saw Flemish (co-)productions last year – 100,000 fewer than in 2011. The Broken Circle Breakdown by Felix van Groeningen is last year’s box-office champion with 355,313 spectators (still showing, it has now reached 393,000), and has joined the top 10 most successful Flemish films since 2000. Time of My Life by Nic Balthazar (186,429 viewers) and K3 bengeltjes (169,271) occupy the second and third places on that list. The market share of Flemish cinema was 9.35% in 2012 (against 8.29% in 2011). Three films with majority funding from the Flemish Audiovisual Fund entered the box office’s top five most widely viewed Belgian movies in France: Sammy’s Great Escape (3.3 million spectators), Come as You Are (144,890) and Bullhead (91,160).