The BIF Market is organized by Peymey Diffusion and occurs during the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF).
The BIFFF presents over 90 feature premieres from 5 continents (of which 35% are World, International, or European premieres) and over one hundred short films. It attracts more than 55.000 visitors among whom are many national and international film professionals.
During the BIFFF, four days are dedicated to the BIF Market.
More and more, Brussels, as well as Belgium is geared toward cinema. It not only offers various production services (support and logistics during shooting, pre-and post-production), it also offers numerous regional and federal support mechanisms (Tax Shelter, Screen Funds, etc). The success of these developments is easily proven by the increase in Belgian co-productions.
And genre films are no exception. During the last couple of years, genre feature films (and series) have gained substantial worldwide recognition. Their popularity has grown extensively among audiences and critics around the globe. Genre and fantasy films are now drawing the largest crowds (in cinemas, for series, and on streaming platforms).
Belgian professionals are very much aware of this trend:
Belgium provides numerous possibilities. In the highly diversified market, in terms of company size as well as traditional and innovative fields of activity (such as film, TV, gaming, transmedia, series, web series), not to mention expertise (production, post-production, virtual reality, funding, distribution, etc.), the Brussels- Capital Region has set up a coherent support structure tailored to all links in the value creation chain, namely producers, post-producers, distributors, screenwriters and more.
Being one of the top five genre festivals in the world, the BIFFF is well-informed about developments in the audio-visual sector. Creating a market dedicated solely to genre film, was therefore both a logical and desired step.
Organized with the support of the City of Brussels and the Brussels Capital Region, the BIF Market focuses on genre cinema in the broadest sense of the term, including fantasy, science-fiction, horror, thriller, heroes, monsters, & cult movies, animation, fairy tales, and surrealism.
The BIF market includes theatrical screenings, industry meetings, and networking events. It aims, amongst others:
- to stimulate encounters between producers and buyers with WIP (Work-In-Progress) presentations and conferences,
- to facilitate financing through presentations of national and international support mechanisms
- to encourage international co-productions
- to promote Belgian professionals, studio’s and post-production firms
Since the first edition in 2017, the number of WIPs has more than doubled, the number of participating countries has grown and so has the number of sales agents and distribution companies attending.
Next to national and international buyers, the participants to the BIF Market will get to meet esteemed guests during Infosessions to learn more about the mechanisms of production financing.
For the previous editions, we also included information sessions with Belgian institutes such as FPS Finance, Screen Brussels, HUB Brussels, Visit Brussels, Wallimage, Screen Flanders, Wallonia Brussels Federation, Flanders audiovisual fund, and Casa Kafka pictures.
But also International institutes such as INCAA (National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts), ACAU (Agency Of Film and Audiovisual of Uruguay), the Roma Lazio Film Commission, EFG (European Financial Group) and UNIFRANCE.
Furthermore, each year the BIF Market invites representatives from international world-renowned film festivals and markets such as Ventana Sur / Blood Window (Argentina), Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (South Korea), Fantastic Fest (US), Beyond Festival (UK), Imagine Festival (Netherland), Cannes Festival (France), Boston Underground Film Festival (US), Motel X (Spain), Torino (Spain), Riyad (Saudi Arabia), FEFFS (France), NIFFF (Switzerland) or Festival de Cine de Sitges (Spain) to facilitate contacts for the filmmakers/producers in those parts of the world.
On the last day of the Bif Market, visits are organized to places of interest for the industry such as Lites Studios.
The BIF Market Team
“It’s a well-known fact, the entire world admires our little country for its magnificent capital, our gastronomy, our artists and that’s not everything. Because we’re also known for fantasy and science-fiction. Jean Ray and Henri Vernes are just two awe-inspiring examples and we have to show that we’re worthy of their legacy. The BIFFF may be in its 40th edition, but it continues to surprise us! After such a long life, one might fear that the program and animations are turning into tedious repetition. Nothing could be further from the truth! The BIFFF is here to prove that hemoglobin can be even redder and bloodier! The evidence is right here, in the dozens of feature and short films that have never before been screened in these parts. The subversive but infectious imagination of its directors is supported by the latest in horror film technology.”Mr. Philippe Close, Mayor of the City of Brussels (2018)