Among their activities was a visit to the Disney studios, accentuated by a very exclusive meeting with the big boss. Léon Perahia (Dreamwall) attended this meeting, representing the Belgian industry as a whole for the occasion.
Jean-Claude Marcourt, the Minister responsible for Wallimage, is doing wonders to promote the Walloon audiovisual sector. One example, allowing Léon Perahia, Mr. Audiovisual from the Dupuis group, to meet with Bob Iger, the chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. They were in company of Prince Philippe.
Another memorable moment : a trip to George Lucas’s Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) studios, which ended in a long discussion with three of the leading managers at the company, during which the Belgian participants were able to explain their approach and their assets. This discussion didn’t leave the American specialists indifferent, as they returned to their respective departments carrying several business cards.
Yet another stop was the Google offices, where the delegation related their experiences to the elite decision-makers in terms of cinema, representing five majors and a small dozen independent producers. The purpose of this seminar was to highlight the present companies’ specifics and assets, as well as the different financial mechanisms which could facilitate collaborations between the Belgian and American film industries.
Coincidentally, these meetings were taking place at the same time as European producers were negotiating to try and have the principle of cultural exception accepted and keep film out of the trade agreement negotiations between Europe and the USA.
The balance of this mission is largely positive for the participating companies, most of them having established successful contacts with their hosts across the ocean. You can read an article by Frédéric Brébant in the magazine Trends Tendance from 20th June, discussing the audiovisual aspect of the princely mission. It can be downloaded here .
