How did Brussels animator Levi Stoops end up on a Portuguese festival bill?
The Brussels city magazine Bruzz reported in early July 2026 that an animated film by Brussels-based animator Levi Stoops had been selected for a film festival in Portugal — a small item that opens a useful window onto how independent animators in Belgium…
In 30 seconds
- Bruzz reported in early July 2026 that Brussels-based animator Levi Stoops had a film selected for a festival in Portugal.
- The film's title and the specific Portuguese festival were not confirmed in the available reporting.
- Portugal's leading animation festivals are Cinanima (Espinho) and MONSTRA (Lisbon).
- Flemish and Brussels animators can seek public support from the VAF and screen.brussels respectively.
Levi Stoops is an animator based in Brussels. According to the Brussels city magazine Bruzz, an animated film he made was selected in 2026 for a film festival in Portugal. Key named entities around such a career include the Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds (VAF), the main public film fund for Flemish screen work; screen.brussels, the Brussels-Capital Region's film and media agency; and the Anima festival, Brussels' annual animation film festival held around Flagey. Portugal's principal animation festivals are Cinanima in Espinho and MONSTRA in Lisbon.
Background
Belgium has a durable reputation in animation that outstrips its size, spanning internationally distributed feature studios and a large community of auteur short-film makers. Public support developed along the country's linguistic and regional lines: the Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds finances Flemish screen work, while screen.brussels serves the capital region. Portugal, meanwhile, has hosted specialist animation festivals for decades — Cinanima in Espinho dates to the 1970s and MONSTRA anchors Lisbon's spring — making the country a meaningful stop on the European festival circuit that independent animators depend on.
What to do
Emerging animators in Belgium typically train at schools with animation departments (such as LUCA School of Arts / Sint-Lukas in Brussels), submit through platforms like FilmFreeway, and apply for support via the VAF (Flanders) or screen.brussels (Brussels), each with published deadlines and eligibility rules on their official sites; tracking festival calls for entry is the practical key to the circuit.
Impact
Regional — For Brussels' Dutch-speaking creative community, a local animator's festival selection is a small validation of the region's support structures, from the Anima festival to screen.brussels. It also highlights the practical question facing Brussels-based Flemish artists: whether their work is best routed through Flemish institutions like the VAF or the capital's own screen.brussels agency, a choice shaped by language, company registration, and where the film is produced.
EvidenceDeveloping · 1 primary source + 1 official document · some details remain unconfirmedExplore evidence →Hide evidence ↑
- Published:
- 7 Jul 2026, 02:00
- Retrieved by ODIN:
- 8 Aug 2026
- Publication date unavailable
- Retrieved by ODIN:
- 8 Aug 2026
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This story was assembled from verified evidence, with its sources and reasoning recorded as it was written.