The federal film tax shelter system broke records last year, with €150 million in private money invested in Belgian movies. The tax shelter has brought in €600 million since its launch in 2003, becoming the largest source of film funding in the country. Most films are now partly funded through the system, including Oscar contender Rundskop (Bullhead). www.locationflanders.be

C-Mine in Genk and Micro Marché in Brussels are the winners of the €75,000 Thuis in de Stad (Home in the City) prizes for 2011. The prize is awarded annually by the Flemish government for cultural projects that “creatively lend substance to urban coexistence”. C-Mine, which is built on the old Winterslag coal mine, brings together the historical importance of the industry in Limburg and a modern, multifunctional cultural centre, with exhibition space, sports halls, a cinema, creative workspaces and a congress centre. Micro Marché provides a platform for Brussels artists and designers to sell their creations. www.thuisindestad.be

Ghent artist Walter de Buck, known for his many public sculptures across the city, is hosting a benefit lunch for the Children of Topsia, a project based in Spain that helps send children from Calcutta slums to school. The dinner is on board the Gentse Barge, a beautifully decorated ship afloat on a canal in Ghent. The lunch is on 19 February and costs €50 per person. Reservations can be made until 15 February at [email protected]. www.thechildrenoftopsia.org

After this year, there will be no more City of Culture in Flanders, according to culture minister Joke Schauvliege. The City of Culture biennial initiative was launched in 2010 to highlight the arts and culture on offer in Flanders’ smaller cities. The first was Ostend; this year the honour goes to Turnhout, which officially kicks off festivities in March. “The Flemish government has not launched a call for a City of Culture for 2014,” said Schauvliege, because there is no longer room for it in the budget. www.turnhout2012.be