FLEMISH CINEMA REACHES UNPRECEDENTED 33% MARKET SHARE

Jan Verheyen's Team Spirit II registered just north of 52,000 admissions in its five-day opening weekend, making it the second biggest opening result for a Belgian film this year.

Compared to the first installment of the Team Spirit franchise, admissions for the sequel are up 10%. Only Pixar/Disney's Finding Nemo, which swims on three times as many Belgian screens, managed to keep Team Spirit II from the top position in Flanders.

With business also remaining strong for another locally-produced film, The Alzheimer Case (for which total admissions have now passed 520,000), the market share for Flemish films reached an unprecendented 33% market share over the five-day weekend.

Thanks to the success of such indigenous productions as Alzheimer, Team Spirit II, Any Way the Wind Blows and The Triplets of Belleville it is expected that the total number of admissions to Flemish films will tripple this year.

The second airing of another Flemish production, Lieven Debrauwer's Pauline & Paulette, Friday night on TV1 registered 684.000 viewers (28,9% market share). This as an impromptu tribute to actress Ann Petersen who unexpectedly died earlier that day.