Bas van der Ree elected chair of The Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI)
Van der Ree will lead the organization’s most geographically and culturally diverse board to date, as well as the first female majority board (eight of 11 members) in AFCI’s 46-year history.
The Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) is the only global non-profit professional organization representing city, state, regional, provincial and national film commission members on six continents. AFCI aims to provide the advocacy, connectivity and education necessary for film commissions and businesses in the screen sector to foster economic growth and promote infrastructure development in an inclusive and sustainable manner.
Bas van der Ree: “I feel very honored to be elected to the position of Chair at the board of AFCI. As a representative from the Netherlands I feel embedded in the rich and long culture of European film. A European voice in the AFCI organisation is key to international oversight, considering that the AFCI Board represents the diverse interests and needs of all its members. With this newly elected and culturally diverse board I foresee setting new goals, for instance in the field of education. This is essential at a time when the global need for content is so urgent, as well as the chase for experienced crew. Let’s aim to further nurture and grow sustainable connections between industry professionals from all corners of the globe and celebrate our amazing locations and staff.”
A longtime AFCI member, van der Ree has served on the board for the past two years and was elected last year to serve as 1st vice chair. Bas van der Ree has been Netherlands Film Commissioner since 2014 when the Netherlands Film Production Incentive was successfully introduced. The Netherlands Film Commission is the national liaison between the Dutch creative media industries, foreign producers and production companies in the Netherlands and is a division of the Netherlands Film Fund.
“I’d like to give a huge compliment to Film Commissioner Bas! This appointment shows the value of the Netherlands Film Commission and how, thanks to Bas in particular, the Netherlands has been positioned as a (co)production country representing all the creative, innovative and production strength that the Netherlands has to offer.”, says Bero Beyer, CEO of the Netherlands Film Fund.