NL Film Fund policy plan 2017-2020 focus on quality, diversity and connecting audiences

The Fund is strongly committed to the stimulation of creativity within, and development of, Dutch filmmakers, and quality will continue to be given priority over quantity. What’s more, supply and demand of films will be better regulated.

The Fund aims to promote diversity and increase the audience potential and impact of each film. Therefore talent development, innovation, internationalization and professionalization remain the pillars of Fund policy. The Fund wants to stimulate the artistic, as well as box-office, success of Dutch film and further strengthen its international status.

In order to reach these high quality levels, the Fund will further boost selective funding for development and production. It will also make the script development process more flexible, customize its support and encourage diversity. It will grant higher individual contributions to a smaller number of films.

To guarantee a better balance between supply and demand the Fund adds extra resources for marketing and distribution across all platforms. It will actively engage in overall promotion of Dutch films, support joint initiatives between film theatres and cinemas, involve film festivals intensively as key platforms and allow minority co-productions to become part of distribution slates.

For new and experienced filmmaking talent, the Fund introduces slate funding for development, and extends the training component within joint projects with other Dutch parties. Additionally to feature films the ‘Talent in International Context’ scheme will be opened to animation and documentary and the Fund will further finance labs within an international context.

The Fund offers support for research, experimentation and interdisciplinary collaboration, working for innovation together with existing and new partners as well as supporting innovative projects in the fields of sustainability, marketing and distribution.

When it comes to internationalization, the Fund underlines the need for reciprocal relationships in co-production, and intensifies collaboration with other funds and countries with which the Netherlands has a co-production treaty. It will actively promote talent during labs and at co-production markets. Via the Netherlands Film Production Incentive the Fund continues to stimulate the international competitiveness of Dutch film industry and the production activity in the Netherlands. Through the Film Commission it continues to profile the Dutch audiovisual industries to the international film industry.

In its aim to further professionalize the Dutch industry the Fund improves cash flow enabling better continuity within production companies. This includes the use of revolving funds and better matching of financial frameworks with other financiers.

The total annual fund budget remains unchanged at approximately 50 million euros. The Fund maintains its hybrid instruments with selective schemes and semi-automatic schemes, connecting to the cultural and economic needs and interests of the audiovisual sector. The starting point is a balance in funding across all categories and the support of artistic films as well as mainstream films. In line with the instructions of the Minister, the Fund limits the budget for the semi-automatic Matching fund in favour of selective schemes. The Fund supports the ambition of the minister to bolster the budget for mainstream film support through a higher contribution from the exploitation chain, with whom the Fund hopes to reach a new agreement before the commencement of the next 4-year policy period.

Click here for the The Netherlands Film Fund policy plan 2017-2020 (in Dutch)