organisation
Film Fonds
The Netherlands Film Fund is the national agency responsible for supporting film production and cinema in the Netherlands. It focuses on the quality and diversity of feature films, documentaries, shorts, animation and experimental films. The Fund's operations cover participation in development, production, distribution and marketing. It is also responsible for promoting a good climate for the national film industry.
The Film Fund was founded in 1993 by merging two other funds. Its budget is provided by the Government. It operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture and receives most of its funds on the basis of four-year policy plans.
Target groups
Feature film producers based in an EU country for a minimum of one year prior to the request being submitted qualify for financial support. Companies with head offices outside the Netherlands should have a permanent subsidiary based in the Netherlands with a minimum of one employee. Individual directors and screenwriters can only apply to the Experimental Film department (O&O) or the artistic and commercial film consultants (intendants) without the involvement of producers. Individuals and organisations can receive grants for courses, workshops, publications and exhibitions..
Assessment
The decision to support projects or persons is based on the quality of the script and film plan, the talent of the professionals and the potential for screening. The decisions are based on the advice of experts. The time needed to process a request for support varies from four to twelve weeks, depending on the type of request.
New Supplementary Regulations subsidy
Applications for the new Supplementary Regulations for films with two-thirds of the funding in place can be submitted as of June 2007. Producers with 65% of their production financing in place can apply for the final third of their film's budget. Twenty-five percent of total financing must be from private investors. The annual budget is 13 million Euros.
Support can be granted to producers that have been in business in one of the countries of the European Union for at least three years. Applicant companies must have a supporting office in the Netherlands with at least one permanent employee. The Supplementary Regulations subsidy is run separately from the other subsidies of The Netherlands Film Fund. Additional English information can be found here.
International feature film co-production requests
- Foreign producers can team up with a film production company from the Netherlands and request a contribution from the Netherlands Film Fund. Foreign co-production companies need to have an established office in the Netherlands.
- The co-producer in the Netherlands should have a track record that includes the production of at least one full-length feature film.
- Projects applying for funding from the Fund must have a minimum of 50% of the total funding of the film in place in the country of origin of the main producer.
- A statement of intent is required describing the co-operation, the mutual expectations, the financial commitments, the mutual responsibilities and the distribution of rights.
- The full subsidized amount must be spent in the Netherlands.
- The maximum contribution is 200,000 Euros. The subsidy is exclusively intended for production purposes. The funding is exclusively granted if the main crew and/or cast derive from the Netherlands.
