Savage Film

What Savage Film does

Savage Film is a Belgian independent film production company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Zaventem, Belgium. The company produced a catalogue of more than 60 fiction and documentary films, structured predominantly as European co-productions with Belgian, Dutch, French, German, and Irish partners, and financed through public film funds including the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Creative Europe MEDIA, the Dutch Film Fund, and the Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel. Productions spanned auteur dramas, thrillers, children's films, dance films, and socially-engaged documentaries, with directors including Michaël R. Roskam, the Dardenne brothers, and Fabrice du Welz, and cast including Matthias Schoenaerts and Adèle Exarchopoulos.

The commercial model combined professional-services revenue from production fees on co-productions with licensing royalties from theatrical, broadcast, and VOD distribution. International reach was achieved through world sales agents (Hanway Films, Films Distribution, Wild Bunch), Benelux distributors (A-Film, KFD, Paradiso Filmed Entertainment), public broadcasters (VRT/Canvas, RTBF, Arte France, Canal+, VPRO), and VOD platforms (Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Vimeo On Demand). Films were positioned for prestige through premieres at Cannes, Berlinale, Sundance, Toronto, Venice, and Sitges.

As of January 2025, Savage Film has stopped actively producing films and documentaries. The catalogue is administered by Eyeworks Film & TV Drama under a chairholder arrangement, with three named contacts handling general matters, recoupment statements, and legal/catalogue issues. The operating status is therefore a managed wind-down rather than an active production business.

Name

Savage Film

Legal name

Savage Film bvba/sprl

Website

https://savagefilm.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Savage Film is a Belgian independent film production company (founded 2007, Zaventem) that produced 60+ award-winning fiction and documentary films via European co-productions; it ceased active production in January 2025, with its catalogue now managed by Eyeworks Film & TV Drama.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Scripted Feature Film Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Co-Production & Treaty Structuring (MPADAAAC), Branded Documentary / Nonfiction (Corporate & NGO) (MPADADAK)

Keywords

• Film production services
• Documentary production
• European co-productions
• Fiction film production
• Film distribution licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Zaventem

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Film Production Services: Savage Film produces feature films and documentaries as a production company, co-producing with various European partners and securing funding from regional film funds.
2. Catalogue Licensing and Distribution: Revenue generated from licensing film rights to distributors, broadcasters, and VOD platforms. Since January 2025, the catalogue is managed by Eyeworks Film & TV Drama.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Savage Film is a Belgian film production company that produces fiction films and documentaries, specializing in author-driven European co-productions. The company develops, finances, and produces feature-length films across drama, thriller, crime, psychological, children's, and dance film genres, partnering with co-producers, public film funds, and broadcasters across Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany, and beyond. Since January 2025, the company has ceased active production, with its 60+ film catalogue now managed by Eyeworks Film & TV Drama.

Product overview

Savage Film is a Belgian film and documentary production company that operated from Zaventem, Belgium. The company produced a diverse portfolio of fiction films and documentaries spanning genres including drama, thriller, crime, psychological, children's films, and dance films. As of January 2025, Savage Film has stopped actively producing films and documentaries, with the catalogue now handled by Eyeworks Film & TV Drama. The portfolio includes 62 distinct productions covering international co-productions with filmmakers from Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and beyond, with films available on platforms including Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Vimeo. The company supported productions across multiple languages including Dutch, French, Arabic, and English.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bullhead A crime tragedy directed by Michaël R. Roskam about cattle farmer Jacky Vanmarsenille, involved in shady deals that lead to consequences from a mysterious past secret. Targeted at international festival audiences and theatrical distributors; received Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
• Tori and Lokita A drama by the Dardenne brothers about a young boy and adolescent girl from Africa who have migrated alone to Belgium, fighting against cruel exile conditions. Targeted at festival audiences and theatrical distributors; won the Cannes 75th Anniversary Prize.
• When It Melts (Het Smelt) A drama where Eva returns to her childhood village with an ice block to confront her past and face her tormentors years after a summer that spiraled out of control. Targeted at festival and theatrical audiences; won the Sundance Special Jury Award for Best Performance.
• The Unknown Girl A drama by the Dardenne brothers about a doctor consumed by guilt for not opening her door to a dead girl, leading her to discover the victim's identity. Targeted at international festival and theatrical audiences.
• Dark Inclusion A drama by Arthur Harari about Pier Ulmann planning a robbery among Antwerp diamond dealers to revenge his family's treatment of his father. Targeted at theatrical audiences and streaming platforms including Netflix; won the César Award for Most Promising Actor.
• Racer and the Jailbird A dark romantic drama by Michaël R. Roskam about racing driver Bénédicte and gangster Gino whose passionate relationship is threatened by his dangerous secret. Targeted at theatrical and VOD audiences; won multiple Ensor Awards.
• The Ardennes A crime drama about brothers Dave and Kenneth separated after a homejacking, with Kenneth returning from prison to find Dave has rebuilt his life. Targeted at theatrical audiences; won multiple Magritte Awards.
• The Land of the Enlightened A blend of documentary and fiction following Afghan children and teenagers who form gangs controlling trade routes and play among war ruins as American soldiers withdraw. Targeted at festival and theatrical audiences; won a Sundance Special Jury Award for Cinematography.
• Yalla, Baba! A documentary following 74-year-old Mansour and his daughter Angie as they retrace a road trip from Belgium to Lebanon made in 1980, exploring the changed geopolitical landscape. Targeted at festival audiences and documentary distributors.
• Mariinka A documentary tracing young Ukrainians whose lives have been shaped by over ten years of conflict in the Donbas region, following individuals including a boxing talent turned military paramedic and brothers fighting on opposite sides. Targeted at festival audiences and documentary distributors.
• Dealer A drama where 14-year-old drug runner Johnny meets successful actor Anthony, leading both characters to reconsider their paths in life. Targeted at theatrical and festival audiences; won multiple Ensor Awards.
• Duelles A thriller about best friends Alice and Céline whose relationship is destroyed by a dramatic event, leading to a frightening confrontation. Targeted at theatrical audiences; won multiple Magritte Awards.

Quantifiable outcome

• Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film (Bullhead, 2012)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Eyeworks Film & TV DramacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Since January 2025, Eyeworks Film & TV Drama serves as the chairholder handling Savage Film's catalogue. Contact persons include Emily Vantomme (general matters), Jan De Bouw (yearly recoupment statements), and Marine Holthof (legal matters and catalogue).
• EyeworkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEyeworks (BE) is a key co-production partner, co-producing films including Bullhead, The Ardennes, Galloping Mind, The Unknown Girl, and others.
• Hanway FilmscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorld sales agent handling international distribution for Savage Film productions, including Anton Corbijn Inside Out.
• Films DistributioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational film sales agent handling distribution for productions including Dark Inclusion.
• Waterland Film (NL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch co-production partner for Bullhead, Life According to Nino, and other productions.
• Submarine (NL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch co-production company for Last Hijack, The Land of the Enlightened, Racer and the Jailbird.
• Gebrüder Beetz (DE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman co-production partner for Gardenia and The Land of the Enlightened.
• Frakas Productions (BE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian co-production partner for Alleluia, Racer and the Jailbird, Sans Soleil.
• Versus Productions (BE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian co-production partner for Tueurs, The Ardennes, When It Melts.
• Iota Production (BE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian co-production partner for Keeper, Nos Batailles, Third Act.
• Wild BunchmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational sales and distribution partner for Racer and the Jailbird.
• A-FilmmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBenelux theatrical distribution for Anton Corbijn Inside Out.
• Canal+majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench broadcaster and distributor partner for Racer and the Jailbird and Tueurs.
• Topkapi Films (NL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch co-production and distribution partner for Patrick and Tailgate.
• Fastnet Films (IE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrish co-production partner for Anton Corbijn Inside Out and The Land of the Enlightened.
• LEV Pictures (NL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch production company and producer for Anton Corbijn Inside Out.
• Les Films Pelleas (FR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench co-production partner for Dark Inclusion and Nos Batailles.
• Fu Works (NL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch co-production partner for Portable Life.
• VRT (Canvas)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFlemish public broadcaster co-producer and broadcaster for multiple Savage Film productions.
• RTBF (BE)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBelgian French-language public broadcaster co-producer for various productions.
• Arte FrancemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFranco-German cultural broadcaster co-producer for Gardenia and Arno - Dancing Inside My Head.
• Paradiso Filmed EntertainmentminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBenelux distribution partner for Labyrinthus and Patrick.
• O'Brother DistributionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBelgian distribution partner for Alleluia and Tueurs.
• Submarine DocsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch documentary co-production partner for Journey to the Northern Lights.
• VPROminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDutch public broadcaster co-producer for Journey to the Northern Lights.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Waterland Film: Dutch co-production partner on Bullhead and Life According to Nino; small Benelux producer with analogous public-funding and family-film festival positioning.
• Submarine: Dutch production and sales company co-producing Last Hijack, The Land of the Enlightened, and Racer and the Jailbird with Savage; overlapping in documentary/hybrid work and European co-production funding.
• Topkapi Films: Dutch-Belgian co-production company that has partnered with Savage Film on Patrick and Tailgate; produces comparable European arthouse and festival-circuit fiction with similar broadcaster and public-fund financing models.
• Eyeworks Film & TV Drama: Belgian film and TV production company now chairing the Savage Film catalogue; comparable in scale and Belgian co-production focus, and the most direct operational peer given the ongoing relationship.
• Versus Productions: Belgian producer of festival-circuit and arthouse films including Tueurs, The Ardennes, and When It Melts; operates with the same Flemish public-fund, European co-production framework as Savage.
• Les Films Pelleas: French production company co-producing Dark Inclusion and Nos Batailles with Savage; comparable French-language European arthouse producer targeting Cannes and auteur circuits.
• Frakas Productions: Belgian production company co-producing with Savage on Alleluia, Racer and the Jailbird, and Sans Soleil; comparable auteur-driven Belgian producer with international festival ambitions.
• Iota Production: Belgian co-production partner on Keeper, Nos Batailles, and Third Act; small-team Belgian producer with identical European co-financing and festival distribution profile.

Broad incumbents

• A24: US-based global arthouse studio producing and distributing festival-circuit and award-winning cinema at scale; a broader incumbent in the same European auteur/festival commercial space that Savage occupies.

Regional players

• Menuet Productie: Belgian film and TV production company operating in the same Flemish/Dutch-language ecosystem and competing for VAF funding and broadcaster slots alongside Savage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• TikToktiktok.com/@savagefilm_be?lang=en
• Xx.com/SavageFilm
• Facebookfacebook.com/savagefilm1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Savage Film