Netherlands Film Fund’s Sandra den Hamer on the launch of Dutch showcase NLWave25

The international profile of Dutch films is steadily increasing.

Last year, 29 Dutch films won awards at major film festivals, and 341 international festivals selected a feature in the Netherlands.

The Dutch director is also making waves. Harina Rain’s US Maid babygirl Sven Bresser’s debut feature as Nicole Kidman secures Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival Leadland, The candidate for this year’s Dutch Oscar was one of the most referenced films of Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

Against this background, Sandra Denhamer, director of the Dutch Film Fund, welcomes festival programmers, distributors and sales agents this week.

She speaks screen For the two-day event, we will first see 44 hot projects from the Netherlands in the International Industry, from the finished film to ongoing productions.

How did the local Dutch industry respond to the Nlwave idea?

Very positive. Some of our filmmakers and producers already have relationships with international partners, but many are not. It’s like a pressure cooker – filmmakers, producers with projects are now on the rise, along with representatives of major festivals and sales agents, and only two days. Building contacts and networking and having fun together.

Dutch films have recently won several international awards. Do you want to get credit for that?

That’s not a fund’s job. It’s always a filmmaker. If you see the Dutch cinema harvest, we can be proud. There are some very adventurous and challenging projects. What I like is that you can see the whole crop with nlwave25.

Are there any new waves coming from Dutch filmmakers?

I think there is energy and talent here. It’s a booming industry. This has increased significantly from the perspective of production in the Netherlands. But we still have to fight for the cinema audience. Last year (Dutch filmmaking) worked well for the commercial success of some children’s films, but there is fierce competition. Internationally, last year was a good year for Dutch cinema.

The NLWAVE25 programme includes drama, animation and documentaries. What trends are seen in Dutch production?

The fund has a very delicate balance of having films for arts films, wider masses, and youth films. We work for the Dutch people, and it’s public money. Because of selective funding, we are extremely noisy as we can only support 20 feature films a year. We want balance and diversity to accommodate a wide range of audiences and create space for new voices. This is reflected in the NLWAVE25 program. There are kids’ movies and animations such as Misha Kamp’s Project Pitch Hanneke & Fiet Mascha Halberstad’s work in progress king; A challenging documentary project that includes Tom Fassaert’s Between the brothersand dramas from talented young directors such as Sven Bresser and Mees Peijnenburg.

You are giving representatives the opportunity to visit the giant Eyefilm Museum exhibition in Tilda Swinton. Is it a coincidence that it overlaps with nlwave25?

yes. (Dutch Film Promotion Body) See NL, part of the Eye Film Museum. We are all looking forward to the exhibition. It is a very special treat for international guests who can see the exhibition on Friday before it is open to the public on Friday.

Is it a sign of a close relationship between the Dutch and the UK film sector?

Over the past few years we have built up our relationship with the British Film Institute. Regarding selective funding, we have a lot of discussion with Mia Bays (BFI Film Fund Director) about how we can connect filmmakers in the Netherlands and UK. We are (geographically) very close, and Dutch filmmakers are interested in working with the UK. We signed a memorandum of understanding with the UK Film Commission last year, and are interested in working together from the industry side and exploring cooperation from the artistic side.

What is your hope for the first nlwave25?

My hope is that it is not just a one-off. It’s about how we feel – do we want to see each other again? If the atmosphere is good, it’s enough for a start.