FILM PRODUCTIONS
This collaborative film production platform gravitates around the Cinemaximiliaan project house in Molenbeek, where there is room for a film studio, a recording studio, editing rooms, a kitchen, accommodation and all other facilities needed.
The starting point of the short films we make, is the original idea or script of people involved in the platform with a desire and a passion to make cinema. Film projects are accompanied and mentored by filmmakers with a wide experience in their field. Any subject, approach, genre is potentially possible.
People can involve in the role of directors, actors, set designers, light and sound technicians, camera people, costume designers, make-up artists, musicians, catering, production, logistics, etc.
Film professionals, visual artists and filmmakers are invited to help realize the films, give workshops, masterclasses and mentor projects. Everybody takes part on an equal basis, therefore all participation in the project is based on a voluntary engagement.
We invite filmmakers, actors, costume designers, camera people, sound people, set dressers, film professionals of all fields, students, anybody willing to jump into a new adventure to join in and work together on this project.
Please contact us if you like to get involved.
Screaming in Silence (2018)
Marof Hakimi
This film recounts some fragments of stories from the life of an Afghan family in Iran and the hardships they undergo which ultimately force them to flee to Europe. In Iran, discrimination of Afghans is present in all aspects of life, and even in death. The film is written, directed and acted by the family Hakimi, with assistance of director Rokhsareh Ghaemmaghami (Sonita). It is a call for all people who have no land to go back to and who are in search for a new homeland.
Director: Marof Hakimi
Screenplay: Marof, Sheri, Fataneh, Farzana, Vakil & Makya Hakimi
Mentor: Rokhsareh Ghaemmaghami, Julie De Clercq
Cast: Sheri, Fataneh, Farzana, Vakil & Makya Hakimi, Leila Kameghar, Abdullah Fakhri, Lubnan Al-Wazny, Saden Abd Aljbaar, Mehrdad Arefani (voice)
Camera: Victoire Bonin, Mojtaba Bahadori
Sound: Ayham Seif, Nik Ahn, Hjalte Zacharewicz, Omar Al-Samarrai
Editing: Charles Godin
Art Department: Tariq Al Naeeme, Omar Al-Samarrai, Thierry Van Capellen, Vero Bakos, Natalia Trevino
Sound mix: Alejandro Rivas-Cottle
Color grading: Caroline Nugues Bourchat
Producers: Gwendolyn Lootens, Gawan Fagard
Line Producer: Kinshuk Surjan
Production: Cinemaximiliaan
Subtitles: Batul Hossini, Bilal Issa
Post Production Support: Gsara, Graphoui
Original title: Roepen in stilte
English title: Screaming in Silence
Genre: Drama
Duration: 11 min
Year of Production: 2018
Country: Belgium
Screening Format: DCP
Color: Color
Language: Farsi
Subtitles: English
Selected for:
Malta Festival Poznan (PL) – Avant Premiere, 2018
Sarajevo Film Festival (BIH) – International Premiere, 2018
Film Fest Ghent (BE), 2018
Kunstenfestivaldesarts (BE), 2018
MOOOV Festival (BE), 2019
A Troubled Man (2023)
Karam Asoos
This short film tells the story of a man, who when facing financial challenges and housing difficulties, opts for cohousing. However, a car accident triggers a growing sense of isolation as his housemates and family members appear to turn against him, leading to a deterioration of mental state.
Braided Love (2018)
Rand Abou Fakher
Sections of one day showing the complications of a relationship between a mother and her daughter. It explores the fine lines of an intense relationship built on a pain that has never been confronted.
Director: Rand Abou Fakher
Screenplay: Rand Abou Fakher
Mentor: Béla Tarr
Cast: Anna Franziska Jaeger, Dahlia Pessemiers
First Assistant Director: Jeronimo Sarmiento
Director of Photography: Hans Bruch Jr
Camera Assistant: Sean Luke
Sound: Bahzad Salhe, Mahmood Zourob
Sound Training: Gert Verboven, Matthias van Ruijssevelt, Matthias Van Gasse, Enzo Tibi
Editing: Roberto Ayllon
Acting Consultant: Lisaboa Houbrechts
Scenario Assistance: Masha Berkers, Hans Van Nuffel, Alex Verhaest
Script Supervisor: Angela Al-Souliman
Art Department: Tariq Al Naeeme, Omar Al-Samarrai, Thierry Van Capellen, Vero Bakos, Natalia Trevino
MUA: Anastasia Zolkina
Set Design: Bas Bonhof, Mousab Al Shaikh
Sound mix: Jean Noël Boissé
Color grading: Hans Bruch Jr
Producers: Gwendolyn Lootens, Gawan Fagard
Line Producer: Kinshuk Surjan
Production: Cinemaximiliaan
Subtitles: Bilal Issa
Post Production Support: Gsara, Graphoui
In Collaboration with: Kunstenfestivaldesarts
Original title: Gevlochten Liefde
English title: Braided Love
Genre: Drama
Duration: 24 min
Year of Production: 2018
Country: Belgium
Screening Format: DCP
Color: B/W
Language: Dutch
Subtitles: English
Selected for:
Malta Festival Poznan (PL) – Avant Premiere, 2018
Sarajevo Film Festival (BIH) – International Premiere, 2018
Film Fest Ghent (BE), 2018
Kunstenfestivaldesarts (BE), 2018
Afrika Film Festival (BE), 2019
MOOOV Festival (BE), 2019
WORKSHOP WITH BÉLA TARR (2018)
In collaboration with Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Cinemaximiliaan invited the Hungarian legend filmmaker Béla Tarr for a week to give a workshop. 10 people of Cinemaximiliaan with a passion for cinema participated in this experience, of which no less than 5 people made a short film. Others received feedback on their ongoing projects, scripts or film dreams. Béla Tarr supervised each short film in his own way, on the set or from behind the screens. The films were shown in avant-premiere at Palace Cinema in the framework of Kunstenfestivaldesarts, in presence of Béla Tarr.
CHEERS!
Angela Al-Souliman
This short film highlights the difficulties of communication between two people from to different cultures and with different memories. The love between a Syrian girl and a European guy isn’t strong enough to transcend the differences between them.
Director: Angela Al-Souliman
Cast: Angela Al-Souliman, Joachim Michaux
Camera: Hans Bruch Jr
Camera Assistant: Sean Luke
Sound: Mahmoud Zourob
Editing: Kinshuk Surjan
Color Grading: Hans Bruch Jr
Sound mix: Jean Noël Boissé
Producers: Gwendolyn Lootens, Gawan Fagard
Production: Cinemaximiliaan
Post Production Support: Gsara, Graphoui
In Collaboration with: Kunstenfestivaldesarts
Original title: Cheers!
English title: Cheers!
Genre: Drama
Duration: 9 min
Year of Production: 2018
Country: Belgium
Screening Format: DCP
Color: B/W
Language: English
Subtitles: Dutch/French
Selected for:
Kunstenfestivaldesarts (BE), 2018
Sarajevo Film Festival (BIH)
– International Premiere, 2018
Film Fest Ghent (BE), 2018
Afrika Film Festival (BE), 2019
Braunschweig International Short Film Festival (DE), 2019
MOOOV Festival (BE), 2019
After Life
Louay Dabous
A normal day in the life of a young man in a random city.
Director: Louay Dabous
Cast: Bilan Gumus
Camera: Louay Dabous
Editing: Louay Dabous
Music: Johann Sebastian Bach
Sound mix: Maxime Thomas
Producers: Gwendolyn Lootens, Gawan Fagard
Production: Cinemaximiliaan
Post Production Support: Gsara, Graphoui
In Collaboration with: Kunstenfestivaldesarts
Original title: After Life
English title: After Life
Genre: Drama
Duration: 18 min
Year of Production: 2018
Country: Belgium
Screening Format: DCP
Color: Color
Language: None
Subtitles: None
Selected for:
Kunstenfestivaldesarts (BE), 2018
Sarajevo Film Festival (BIH)
– International Premiere, 2018
Film Fest Ghent (BE), 2018
Afrika Film Festival (BE), 2019
MOOOV Festival (BE), 2019
Letter from Brussels
Omar Al-Samarrai
A love letter of the director to his children in Iraq, while preparing their favourite meal.
Director: Omar Al-Sammarai
First Assistant Director : Angela Al-Souliman
Camera: Hans Bruch Jr
Editing: Roberto Ayllon
Color Grading: Hans Bruch Jr
Sound mix: Jean Noël Boissé
Subtitles: Bilal Issa
Producers: Gwendolyn Lootens, Gawan Fagard
Production: Cinemaximiliaan
Post Production Support: Gsara, Graphoui
In Collaboration with: Kunstenfestivaldesarts
Original title: Letter from Brussels
English title: Letter from Brussels
Genre: Drama
Duration: 18 min
Year of Production: 2018
Country: Belgium
Screening Format: DCP
Color: Color
Language: Arabic
Subtitles: English/French
Selected for:
Kunstenfestivaldesarts (BE), 2018
Sarajevo Film Festival (BIH)
– International Premiere, 2018
Film Fest Ghent (BE), 2018
MOOOV Festival (BE), 2019
Transit
Anastasia Zolkina
The story is about an endless journey. A chapter from the life of a traveler who has to leave the past life behind once again and make a new step in the future with no regrets. One part of the journey ends and another one begins at the central train station in Antwerp. It is the border line crossing which is a harder choice to make than it seems to be.
Director: Anastasia Zolkina
Cast: Anastasia Zolkina
Camera: Kevin Kola, Gohram Baloch
Editing: Anastasia Zolkina
Editing Assistance: Diren Agbaba, Kinshuk Surjan
Sound mix: Jean Noël Boissé
Producers: Gwendolyn Lootens, Gawan Fagard
Production: Cinemaximiliaan
Post Production Support: Gsara, Graphoui
In Collaboration with: Kunstenfestivaldesarts
Original title: Transit
English title: Transit
Genre: Drama
Duration: 6 min
Year of Production: 2018
Country: Belgium
Screening Format: DCP
Color: Color
Language: English
Subtitles: Dutch/French
Selected for:
Kunstenfestivaldesarts (BE), 2018
Sarajevo Film Festival (BIH)
– International Premiere, 2018
Film Fest Ghent (BE), 2018
Afrika Film Festival (BE), 2019
MOOOV Festival (BE), 2019
Undocumented Love (2018)
Fatma Osman
A story of Amal, a girl who lives in an asylum centre with her friends. One day her best friend Muna leaves the centre and she is replaced by a strange girl Hamda. Hamda takes advantage of Amal to get her love. Amal, the girl who is always trying to help her friends by giving them hope and showing them how to live life, will be left alone at the end.
Director: Fatma Osman
Screenplay: Fatma Osman, Hans Van Nuffel
Mentor: Hans Van Nuffel
Cast: Fatma Osman, Liban Abdullahi, Muna Hassan, Moudane Mahdieh, Ibrahim Mohamed
First Assistant Director: Diren Agbaba
Director of Photography: Esmoreit Lutters
Camera Assistant: Danilo Galivanes-Salcedo
Grip: Lennert Van Asselbergh
Sound: Ibrahim Mohamed, Asad Dirye
Sound Training: Oan Moonens
Editing: Guillaume Graux
Editing Assistance: Lennert Van Asselbergh
Post Production Supervisor: Diren Agbaba
Script Supervisor: Angela Al-Souliman
Art Direction: Rand Abou Fakher, Bas Bonhof
MUA & Costume: Kevin Kola
Sound mix: Levi Mercurio
Color grading: Esmoreit Lutters
Graphic Design & Poster Design: Lennert Van Asselbergh
Producers: Gwendolyn Lootens, Gawan Fagard
Line Producer: Diren Agbaba
Production: Cinemaximiliaan
Additional Cast: Jan Swinnen, Muna Yassin, Fortun Hassan, Rand Abou Fakher, Angela Al-Souliman, Hans Van Nuffel, Alex Verhaest, Meriem Manikita
Original title: Jacayl bila sharci
English title: Undocumented Love
Genre: Drama
Duration: 21 min
Year of Production: 2018
Country: Belgium
Screening Format: DCP
Color: Color
Language: Somali
Subtitles: English
Selected for:
Film Fest Ghent (BE) – International Premiere, 2018
Kortfilmfestival Leuven (BE), 2018
Afrika Film Festival (BE), 2019
MOOOV Festival (BE), 2019
me miss me (2019)
Gwendolyn Lootens & Lubnan Al-Wazny
Lubnan is a young man from Iraq who has just arrived in Belgium. While he is struggling to get his papers, he takes us on an existential journey through his feelings, thoughts and desires. Me Miss Me is a rollercoaster of emotions through a life full of despair but also full of resilience and humour. Away from his home and family, Lubnan searches for his identity. What if you cannot be yourself anymore? What if your existence has become almost invisible?
Director: Gwendolyn Lootens & Lubnan Al-Wazny
Photography: Gwendolyn Lootens & Lubnan Al-Wazny
With: Lubnan Al-Wazny, Abbas Alsajwari, Ayman Al Tawil
Editing: Pauline Piris-Nury, Gwendolyn Lootens
Editing Consultant: Dieter Diependaele
Sound Design: Enzo Tibi
Colour Grading: Miléna Trivier
Credits & Poster Design: Garage64, Maaike Beuten
Translation & Subtitles: Ayham Saif Eddin, Bilal Issa, Aws Albyati, Noa Madhloum, Louay Dabous
Verhaest
Production: Savage Film (Bart Van Langendonck & Vincent Metzinger), Gsara (Olivier Burlet), CBA (Javier Packer-Comyn), Cinemaximiliaan (Gawan Fagard & Gwendolyn Lootens)
With support of: VAF, Centre du cinema et de l’audiovisuel de la fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Service Public Francophone Bruxellois
Original title: Me Miss Me
English title: Me Miss Me
Genre: Documentary
Duration: 77 min
Year of Production: 2019
Country: Belgium
Screening Format: DCP
Color: Color
Language: English, Dutch, Arabic
Selected for:
Cinema Palace (BE) – Avant Premiere, 2019
Tripoli Film Festival (LB) – International Premiere, 2019
DocPoppies (BE) – Cinema release on 8 locations in Belgium, 2019
WORKSHOP "BEING STUCK" (2019)
Master students of the cinema department of the art academy LUCA School of Art worked together with individuals from Cinemaximiliaan around the subject ‘Being Stuck’. This theme, that has both a metaphorical and a literal meaning, triggered the scenarios of 5 short films of each around 5 minutes, made by small teams of students and participants. There was no hierarchy on set, everyone wrote, acted filmed and edited the film. The project was supervised by documentary filmmaker Sofie Benoot. The films premiered in Galeries Cinema Brussels and in MOOOV Festival Bruges.
Sharara
A brother and a sister are fixing the electricity in a basement, and have a layered conversation reminding their troubled past.
A film by Rand Abou Fakher, Abdell Baset, Annelise Scheuren, Toon Minnen, Farid Azadibougar, Khael Velders, Lucas Tanghe, Karam Salim.
Genre: Drama
Duration: 5’51”
Year of Production: 2019
Color: Color
Selected for:
MOOOV festival Brugge (BE) – Premiere
Maybe Tomorrow
Lives of people cross each other around a bench.
A film by Jasminde Odusanya, Esraa Azawi, Jozef Kaut, Oan Moonen, Abbas Abed, Majdi Aby Hasira, Mohammed Lubbad, Mohammed Al Hendi, Jan Beyens.
Genre: Comedy
Duration: 4’38”
Year of Production: 2019
Color: Color
Selected for:
MOOOV festival Brugge (BE) – Premiere
Fly on the Wall
Fiction and reality are confused in a setting dominated by a fly.
A film by Ibrahim Arafat, Fateh Kazmous, Mohammed Abu Shawish, Doaa Azawi, Dayo Clinkspoor, Ramzi Abu Ghrara, Fien Bergmans, Merid Berhe, Veronique Lepoivre, Rik Chaubet.
Genre: Comedy
Duration: 4’20”
Year of Production: 2019
Color: B/W
Selected for:
MOOOV festival Brugge (BE) – Premiere
La Dolce Vita in Damascus
A man hiding for heavy bombing in his apartment has a strange encounter.
A film by Al Mohannad Hiedar, Moudane Mahdieh, Youssouf Souleyman, Mahmoud Farajallah, Sarah Lederman, Dries Vergauwe, Thomas Verrijke.
Genre: Dark comedy
Duration: 3’23”
Year of Production: 2019
Color: Color
Selected for:
MOOOV festival Brugge (BE) – Premiere
Garage Blues
A young women locks herself up in a garage.
A film by Rahaf Al-Obeid, Yüksel Çilingir, Limat Berhe Ghebremedhin, Jean Murat Swinnen, Sarah Hamdi, Gert-Jan Verdeyen, Joy Maurits, Simon Cools, Sherin Seyda.
Genre: Thriller
Duration: 4’24”
Year of Production: 2019
Color: Color
Selected for:
MOOOV festival Brugge (BE) – Premiere
UPCOMING PROJECTS
Short Film by Jules Mathôt & Cinemaximiliaan
as a result of workshops (2024)
"Filmed Letters" as outcomes of Romina Arata's
film workshops (2024)
