CONNEXT 23

Louisiana Mees-Fongang’s feature doc debut concerns 15 unaccompanied minors living in a community centre who had previously arrived in Belgium as refugees. “Part of their reality is complex and hard. They had tough moments. But, at the same time, they’re young, active and full of energy and potential. This is also something I really found important to show,” the director tells Business Doc Europe.

Olga Lucovnicova updated the professional audience at Antwerp on her doc project about the personal journey she took to the Urals to investigate a tragic family secret - and how everything became overshadowed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “My film…is an urgent dialogue between the old and young generations between the past which disappears and the present which carries the scars and makes history repeat itself,” she said.

In his 2018 feature documentary Breathless, Daniel Lambo took on the asbestos industry. In his new project Porto Central, (a documentary feature pitch at Connext), Lambo has Shell and the oil industry firmly in his sights. “Usually, that is a motor for my work. When I get kind of angry, I need to do something with this anger,” Lambo tells BDE of what motivates him as a filmmaker.

Kathleen McInnis is both Connext moderator and trainer/mentor to the film teams presenting their new projects and works-in-progress in 2023. “I believe firmly in what I call the Cinematic Trinity, which is filmmaker as artist, audience at the other end, and in the middle the industry as conduit," she explains to BDE of the message she is driving home to the professionals in her charge. "You need all three parts of these to be engaged in the process of visual storytelling."

It’s over 30 years now since the night skies of Belgium were lit up by what seemed to be an invasion of UFOs. All these decades later, there is still fierce debate as to whether the visitation from the UFOs happened for real or whether it was an elaborate hoax. Bram Conjaerts’ new doc series project attempts to get to the bottom of the unsolved mystery. The director talks to BDE.

The Flemish CONNEXT showcase, running 9-23 October, offers up 16 newly completed feature docs and two completed doc series, as well as three new projects (two features, one series) & five works-in-progress (3 features, 2 series). All will be presented to the international sales, distribution, finance and festival toppers in attendance both in Antwerp and online.

Emmy Oost (Cassette for timescapes) is one of Belgium’s most innovative producers whose work invariably has a strong sense of political and social engagement. One such work is the new doc series She They Us - Towards an Equal Future by Sam Peeters, Heleen Declercq and Zaïde Bil which profiles seven people facing discrimination because of gender, sexuality, colour, age, class and religion. The producer talks to BDE.

Organised by Flanders Image, a division of the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), CONNEXT 2023 will unveil an array of Flemish doc projects, works in progress and screenings in Antwerp, 9-10 October. Additionally, Oscar nominee and Cannes laureate Lukas Dhont will curate The Future Five in which five emerging filmmaking talents are introduced to the national and international professionals in attendance.