about
Animal Tank is an audiovisual production company and animation studio, founded in 2014 by Brecht Van Elslande and Bert Lesaffer. We are based in Ghent (BE) and focus on fiction and animation projects with an edge.
We value audiovisual works that find a balance between originality and accessibility, experiment and narration, seriousness and playfulness. We appreciate collaborations where creativity and dedication come together.
We have produced films that won prizes at Berlinale, Annecy and Fantoche, were selected at IFFR, SXSW, Venice and Clermont-Ferrand, got nominated for the Academy Awards and the European Film Awards and were sold to ARTE France, Canal+, Canvas, MUBI and HBO. (we also won several awards for most bragging in one straight sentence)
In many cases, audiovisual projects go beyond the boundaries of film. That's why we occasionally organise exhibitions of visual art, special film screenings, VR events and more. Connect with us on Instagram or Facebook for regular updates.
Brecht Van Elslande
(producer)
Brecht Van Elslande (°1980) studied art history and began his career by working for the internationally renowned artist Berlinde De Bruyckere and the contemporary art collection of the National Bank of Belgium. From 2006 to 2010, he was project manager FilmLab and Short Film at the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF).
In 2010, he started working parttime as manager of KASKcinema, an arthouse cinema in Ghent. In 2014, he co-founded Animal Tank with Bert Lesaffer.
From 2015 till 2017 he worked as the coordinator for the film department of KASK / School of Arts Gent. Since September 2018 he teaches ‘Introduction in the audiovisual field’ at KASK / School of Arts Gent.
Bert Lesaffer
(creative producer)
At Animal Tank, Bert Lesaffer (°1983) supervises screenplays in different stages, discusses artistic choices with directors/screenwriters and gives feedback where needed. As a screenwriter, he is working on several projects: the animated tv-series Toink! and Abel & Loki, animated shorts Maantunnel and En met u?, and feature length-film Met de noorderzon.
Bert’s background is in psychology, theatre and film. He wrote and directed five plays with Stuurs Opzicht, worked at MEDIA Desk Flanders and the Flanders Audiovisual Fund and was KASKcinema's programmer and communication manager for seven years. He currently still works at KASK / School of Arts Gent as a teacher, ombudsperson and confidentiality advisor.
Sven Spur
(executive producer
live action & immersive)
Sven Spur (°1993) is a Belgian writer-director and producer. He graduated from KASK / School of Arts Ghent and has worked as a producer at Animal Tank since 2023, where he oversees the development, financing and production of live-action and immersive projects.
His recent productions includeThe Great Escape (2025), selected for the Venice Film Festival and the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), and Pithead (2026), selected for the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.
Alongside his work as a filmmaker and producer, Sven teaches film production at KASK / School of Arts Ghent. He has participated in several European talent development programmes, including Rotterdam Lab, Less Is More (LIM), The Audience Design Lab, European Short Pitch and Cannes Focus SCRIPT.
He founded and co-programmed CUT TO: GENT, a short film festival that ran for eight editions before evolving into a platform supporting emerging filmmakers and short films in Ghent.
Sélin Van Laethem
(production assistant)
Sélin Van Laethem (°2001) began her journey at KASK in Ghent. She started at Animal Tank as a student in 2024 and stayed for the ride. Her work varies from organising events to distributing films.
Beside her work at Animal Tank, she's also a film maker. Her graduation short film Fuga Del Gato was selected for multiple festivals including the Leuven International Short Film Festival, where it was nominated for the HUMO award.