Netherlands Film Production Incentive invests € 13.2 million in 23 film projects and 10 high-end series
In the third round of the Netherlands Film Production Incentive of 2024, contributions were made to 25 productions for a total amount of € 13 million. These include 17 feature films, 6 documentaries, 6 drama series and 4 documentary series including 13 international co-productions.
These contributions will generate more than € 53.1 million in production expenses in the Netherlands across the entire spectrum of Dutch film professionals and film companies. Read the full list of selected projects below:
Projects backed in the third round of 2024
- Amsterdamned II (Dick Maas)
- Any Other Night (Michiel ten Horn)
- Gherkin at Sea (Frank Lammers)
- Batik (Claire Pijman)
- Boomers (Theu Boermans)
- Daughters (Johan Nijenhuis)
- Dog (Anna van Keimpema)
- Floating (Quirine Racké and Helena Muskens)
- In Alaska (Jaap van Heusden)
- Julian (Cato Kusters)
- Kalunyo (Iglika Triffonova)
- Mr & Mrs Dohan (Reinier Smit)
- The Pervert’s Guide to Utopias (Sophie Fiennes)
- Salvation (Emin Alper)
- Sanda Dia (Miriam Guttmann)
- The Secret Agent (Kleber Mendonça Filho)
- The Station (Sara Ishaq)
- A Strange Tribute to Motherly Love (Dan Geesin)
- Sugar (Amira Duynhouwer)
- We Had a Plan (Suzanne Raes)
- What It Is (Floris-Jan van Luyn)
- Youri (Sander Burger)
- Your Word Against Mine (Maasja Ooms)
High-end series backed in the third round of 2024
- Anonymous (Diederik van Rooijen)
- Day and Night 3 (Joram Lürsen and Toon Slembrouck)
- The Golden Hour (Bobby Boermans and Lourens Blok)
- Hein (Anna van der Heide)
- Immigration Union (Els van Driel)
- Investigation Art Mysteries (I AM) (Martijn Blekendaal)
- Kurdistan: No Friends but the Mountains (Reber Dosky)
- Saïd & Anna season 2 (Hilt Lochten)
- Tourists (Sander Brants and Filip Lenaerts)
- We Need to Talk About Sex (Yan Ting Yuen and Annegriet Wietsma)
Upcoming application round 2025
The next application round for Netherlands Film Production Incentive is the 27th of January 2025. The Netherlands Film Production Incentive offers a financial contribution in the form of a cash rebate on the qualifying production costs that are demonstrably spent in the Netherlands.
All projects backed by the Netherlands Film Production Incentive in the second round of 2024 are:
Film projects
Amsterdamned II (feature film)
Director/script: Dick Maas
Dutch producer: 2CFilm
Co-producers: Potemkino Port (BE), Parachute Pictures
Logline: The Amsterdam canals are once again the scene of a series of gruesome murders. Murders that evoke memories of the horrific events that gripped the city thirty years ago.
Granted support: € 682,973
Any Other Night (feature film)
Director: Michiel ten Horn
Script: Patrick Whistler (CA)
Dutch producer: Lemming Film
Co-producers: Lithium Studios Productions (CA), One Two Films (DE), Film Forge Productions (CA)
Logline: On the night of a crippling transit strike in Berlin, two strangers are thrown together as their lives are falling apart.
Granted support: € 430,832
Gherkin at Sea (feature film)
Director: Frank Lammers
Script: Martin van Waardenberg
Dutch producer: Greenfield Film Productions
Logline: Patrick, 45, lives an ordinary life with his single mother. An unexpected letter reveals that his longpresumed dead father is alive and living in Bonaire. When Patrick travels to Bonaire to meet his father for the first time, he dies in his arms, leaving him suddenly inheriting a hotel resort. Patrick embarks on an unlikely adventure of self-discovery
Granted support: € 448,000
Batik (documentary)
Director: Claire Pijman
Script: Claire Pijman and Lies Janssen
Dutch producer: MOONDOCS
Logline: There are many ways to look back at the centuries of Dutch presence in Indonesia. This also means that you can look at the future in many ways. How does a third generation of Dutch artists with an Indonesian background deal with the complex history and Indonesian heritage, and how is this expressed in their art?
Granted support: € 47,000
Boomers (feature film)
Director: Theu Boermans
Script: Marieke van der Pol
Dutch producer: Kaap Holland Film
Logline: Baby boomer Bob faces a personal crisis when his position is undermined on all fronts: he struggles with age-related ailments, his job is taken away from him, he's not exactly the ideal informal caregiver for his demented mother and his love life is a mess. His loyal group of friends is his only foothold.
Granted support: € 742,395
Daughters (feature film)
Director: Johan Nijenhuis
Script: Edward Stelder
Dutch producer: Johan Nijenhuis & Co
Co-producer: DINGIE (BE)
Logline: When Vera (65) loses her husband, she decides to make his last wish come true: to participate in a marathon with her daughters. Marleen, Babette and Kiki are unfortunately less enthusiastic and all have to deal with troubles in love. However, by interfering less with others, they learn to find each other again. And love.
Granted support: € 353,065
Dog (feature film)
Director: Anna van Keimpema
Script: Anna Pauwels
Dutch producer: Tom de Mol Productions
Co-producer: Interstellar Pictures
Logline: A cynical, lonely copywriter unexpectedly becomes responsible for a dog, turning his life upside down and bringing him into contact with a woman also struggling with life. Together, they discover that love and companionship can come at the most unexpected moments, while the dog proves to be the glue that holds them together.
Granted support: € 358,067
Floating (feature film)
Director: Quirine Racké and Helena Muskens
Script: Quirine Racké, Helena Muskens and Jeroen Scholten van Aschat
Dutch producer: 100% Scripted
Co-producer: Polar Bear (BE)
Logline: Floating is a double journey film about two modern-day nomads. Lara travels from the Netherlands to Hollywood to become a star, while Abdel comes from Morocco's Hollywood to Europe to earn money for his family. How far are they willing to go in pursuit of their desires? A fever dream about the promise of self-determination, which shatters when their cars collide.
Granted support: € 167,021
In Alaska (feature film)
Director/script: Jaap van Heusden
Dutch producer: IJswater Films
Co-producers: Experimental Forest Films (CA), Uuktumiaq Studios (CA)
Logline: Woody, a depressed 17-year-old from a tiny Alaskan village, shoots The Oil Pipeline, becoming a wanted terrorist hunted by seasoned FBI agent Susan Tarheel. As Woody is lost in the wild and flees across Alaska into arctic Canada, he reconnects with the land and his Inuit roots and discovers for the first time what it truly means to be alive.
Granted support: € 546,225
Julian (feature film)
Director: Cato Kusters (BE)
Script: Angelo Tijssens and Cato Kusters (BE)
Dutch coproducer: Topkapi Films
Co-producer: Les Films du Fleuve (BE)
Logline: Fleur and her wife Julian plan to get married in the 22 countries where they are allowed to do so. After the fourth wedding, their journey comes to a painful halt when Julian falls terminally ill. A year after her wife's passing, Fleur is invited to hold a lecture on their project and has to find ways to continue their work alone.
Granted support: € 107,285
Kalunyo (feature film)
Director/script: Iglika Triffonova (BG)
Dutch co-producer: Phanta Film
Lead producer: Klas Film (BG)
Co-producer: microFILM (RO)
Logline: Why are we created as if to live in peace, but then we’re thrown into trials, for which we’re not prepared? Why is our enmity towards the different so infatuating? Do our Gods wish us to die or kill in their name? Are we destined to find the answers?
Granted support: € 118,735
Mr & Mrs Dohan (feature film)
Director: Reinier Smit
Script: Zeynep Dulger
Dutch producer: NewBe
Logline: When Emre’s relationship with Mia – after one year of marriage – spirals down into a serious slump, he can’t help but suspect that Mia is having an affair. Little does he know that for years Mia works as a secret agent, who now got caught in a life-threatening undercover operation.
Granted support: € 362,600
The Pervert’s Guide to Utopias (documentary)
Director/script: Sophie Fiennes
Dutch co-producer: The Film Kitchen
Lead producer: Keeper Pictures (IE)
Co-producers: SPOK Films (SI), P Guide Limited (UK)
Logline: The Pervert’s Guide to Utopias examines our apparent freedoms in dark times. Sophie Fiennes’ visually inventive direction immerses Žižek in movies, locations and a virtual game world delivering insight and entertainment in equal measure. The ongoing appeal and critical acclaim of these films is a testament to their enduring relevance.
Granted support: € 38,549
Salvation (feature film)
Director/script: Emin Alper (TR)
Dutch co-producer: Circe Rights
Lead producer: Liman Film (TR)
Co-producers: Horsefly Productions (GR), Gloria Films Production (FR)
Logline: After a violent period marked by regional terrorism, Sheikh Ferit of the Hazeran tribe is confronted with the return of the Beziki tribe, who reclaim their old lands. Ferit and his brother Mesut hold differing views on how to deal with the conflict. As the unrest intensifies, the disagreement between the brothers deepens, giving rise to a devastating struggle for power, land, and survival.
Granted support: € 75,000
Sanda Dia (documentary)
Director/script: Miriam Guttmann
Dutch producer: Tomtit Film
Co-producer: Clin D’oeil films (BE)
Logline: Sanda (20), the son of a Senegalese immigrant and Belgian mother, dreamt of a better life just like his father. The boys of the Leuven fraternity Reuzegom were raised by their parents with all the opportunities and privilege that come with their heritage. These two worlds collide during a fateful initiation weekend which Sanda can no longer recount.
Granted support: € 320,561
The Secret Agent (feature film)
Director/script: Kleber Mendonça Filho (BR)
Dutch co-producer: Lemming Film
Lead producer: CinemaScópio (BR)
Co-producers: MK2 (FR), One Two Films (DE)
Logline: 1977. In a Brazil tormented by military dictatorship, Marcelo, a man in his forties fleeing a troubled past, arrives in the city of Recife, hoping to build a new life and reconnect with his family. But death threats are hovering over his head...
Granted support: € 115,861
The Station (feature film)
Director/script: Sara Ishaq
Dutch co-producer: Keplerfilm
Lead producer: Screen Project (JO)
Co-producers: Barentsfilm (NO), Georges Films (FR), One Two Films (DE)
Logline: In a women's petrol station in Yemen, the bond between three siblings is put to the test when war forces them to make impossible decisions.
Granted support: € 68,892
A Strange Tribute to Motherly Love (feature film)
Director/script: Dan Geesin
Dutch producer: Rots Filmwerk
Co-producers: Leitwolf Filmproduktion (DE), Quetzalcoatl (BE), One Day Film (NL)
Logline: While Samuel Dirk is clearing away the mess his wife left after she blew up, his magical marmalade cooking mother and Edwin, Samuel’s oldest friend, cook up a plan how to make his life ‘complete’ again.
Granted support: € 137,582
Sugar (feature film)
Director/script: Amira Duynhouwer
Dutch producer: Studio Ruba
Co-producer: MARKS (BE)
Logline: Chyna decides to leave her abusive boyfriend Raoul to protect herself and baby Sugar. Getting away from him does not go as smoothly as she hoped. We follow Chyna as she breaks free from old patterns, violence and everything she’s ever known.
Granted support: € 709,133
We Had a Plan (documentary)
Director/script: Suzanne Raes
Dutch producer: Docmakers
Co-producer: Daluyong Studios (PH)
Logline: Paul and Daniel return to the Philippines after working illegally as a cleaner in the Netherlands for 10 years. They dream of one day having a family together. In the Philippines this is not possible for a gay couple. It is inevitable that they will be separated from each other while they take the next steps to realize their dream. Will their love be strong enough to overcome all headwinds?
Granted support: € 142,669
What It Is (documentary)
Director/script: Floris-Jan van Luyn
Dutch producer: EVDJ
Logline: "If you could just become my eyes and legs", Bettina says to Floris-Jan, her beloved. He hesitates. Their lives have already been upended because she is terminally ill; must he now also become a bit like her? The mountains beckon, the past calls out. He embarks on a journey because she wants him to. But what about him? And how does it help her? It's time for a conversation.
Granted support: € 143,500
Youri (feature film)
Director: Sander Burger
Script: Bastiaan Tichler
Dutch producer: Volya Films
Co-producers: Savage Film (BE), In Good Company (DE)
Logline: Amsterdam, 1980s. When journalist Jan Brokken interviews Youri Egorov, world famous concertpianist and gay refugee from the USSR, an unexpected, close friendship arises between the two very different men. Extravagant Youri helps quiet Jan pursue his dream of becoming a novelist.
Granted support: € 828,149
Your Word Against Mine (documentary)
Director/script: Maasja Ooms
Dutch producer: Harlem District
Logline: How do you deal with voices in your head that you can't control? Should you ignore and fight them with medication, or might there be more to discover if you take them seriously? Your word against mine casts a fascinating glimpse into the lives of voicehearers who defy their fears and decide to listen to the enemy in their own heads, hoping that this radically different approach will provide relief.
Granted support: € 147,095
High-end series
Anonymous (drama series)
Director/script: Diederik van Rooijen
Dutch producer: NL Film & TV
Logline: Anonymous has evolved into an organization that continues to grow, combating crime outside the legal system. However, the ideas of Jurre and Saar are increasingly diverging, creating a strong division within the group. The question arises: when does taking the law into your own hands become as criminal as the crime you're trying to fight?
Granted support: € 949,249
Tourists (drama series)
Director: Sander Brants (BE) and Filip Lenaerts (BE)
Script: Mathias Claeys (BE), Sophie Jans (BE) en Luuk van Bemmelen (NL)
Dutch co-producer: Pupkin Film
Lead producer: Sallie Gardner and Domm (BE)
Co-producer: De Mensen (BE)
Logline: Anyone who comes to Terschelling from the mainland is always a tourist. Even if you are not on vacation. Even if you are on a vacation with your teenage daughter, but at the same time you have to look for 160 kilos of uncut, washed-up cocaine.
Granted support: € 1,167,718
Day and Night 3 (drama series)
Director: Joram Lürsen, Toon Slembrouck
Script: Esther Gerritsen
Dutch producer: Lemming Film
Co-producers: Lemming Film Belgium (BE), Magical Society (UK)
Logline: Day and Night 3 is set in the psychiatry department of the same modern hospital as in seasons 1 and 2. We follow a team of nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists and their surrounding colleagues as they work.
Granted support: € 678,282
The Golden Hour (drama series)
Director: Bobby Boermans and Lourens Blok
Script: Simon de Waal
Dutch producer: NL Film & TV
Co-producer: Polar Bear (BE)
Logline: In The Golden Hour we follow Mardik, a tough but sympathetic Dutch detective of Afghan descent. After mitigating a major terrorist attack in the Netherlands, Mardik discovers that a much larger plot is set in motion that will shake the very foundations of Europe.
Granted support: € 1,216,063
Hein (drama series)
Director: Anna van der Heide
Script: Martijn Hillenius en Luuk van Bemmelen
Dutch producer: Pupkin Film (hodn Juliet)
Logline: An exciting and touching youth series about Hein, who returns to Lommerrust Cemetery to help its ghosts find their peace. He gets unexpected help from the mysterious Jacky. Together, they learn about life from the dead. But it turns out that Jacky knows more about the ghosts than Hein can imagine.
Granted support: € 706,103
Immigration Union (documentary series)
Director: Els van Driel, Tomas Kaan and Eefje Blankevoort
Script: Tomas Kaan
Dutch producer: Scenery
Co-producer: Clin d'oeil films (BE)
Logline: Frontex, the EU's border agency, is under scrutiny for human rights violations. The new director promises transparency and a humane border policy, but a tension remains between ideals and reality. Can we protect Europe's borders without losing sight of our humanity?
Granted support: € 307,747
Investigation Art Mysteries (I AM) (documentary series)
Director: Martijn Blekendaal and Finbarr Wilbrink
Script: Martijn Blekendaal
Dutch producer: Harlem District
Co-producer: Cerutti Film
Logline: The youth documentary series Investigation Art Mysteries (I AM) is an equally adventurous as personal coming-of-age story revolving around five mysteries in modern art. Five notorious artists, five enigmatic stories, and a personal quest.
Granted support: € 97,009
Kurdistan: No Friends But the Mountains (documentary series)
Director/script: Reber Dosky
Dutch producer: De Haaien
Co-producer: Gebrüders Beetz (DE)
Logline: A land made up of stories and dreams.
Granted support: € 277,859
Saïd & Anna Season 2 (drama series)
Director: Hilt Lochten
Script: Jeanine Cronie and Fiona van Heemstra
Dutch producer: Phanta Basta!
Co-producer: Indi Film (DE)
Logline: Best friends Saïd (7) and Anna (7) are on school break. Anna is staying over at the Repair Shop of Saïd's parents. From their homemade tent, they have all kinds of adventures and they each discover in their own resourceful way that this is the best vacation they ever had.
Granted support: € 492,075
We Need to Talk About Sex (documentary series)
Director: Yan Ting Yuen and Annegriet Wietsma
Script: Yan Ting Yuen
Dutch producer: Docmakers
Logline: Why do women in 2024 still find themselves in unequal (sexual) power relations? By asking the abrasive question of what role women play in this, we enter the conversation to unravel ingrained thought patterns and systems. What can be done differently?
Granted support: € 279,023
Image: What It Is
