The Challenges and Tremendous Potential of Dutch Cinema

The Dutch film industry, often overshadowed by its European counterparts, finds itself at a potential turning point. Industry insiders are vocal about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, painting a picture of an industry at a crossroads.

In recent months, Dutch titles have impressed on the global stage. Johan Grimonprez’s Netherlands-Belgium-France co-production “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” is currently nominated for the best documentary feature Oscar, and two Dutch shorts – Victoria Warmerdam’s live-action sci-fi story “I’m Not a Robot” and Nina Gantz’s stop-motion gem “Wander to Wonder” –  also scored nominations. Halina Reijn’s “Babygirl” had a fantastic festival run last year, earning Reijn a Directors to Watch Award at Palm Springs, and is currently in theaters around the world.

While the cinema landscape in the Netherlands is loaded with promise and potential, the region also faces several significant challenges in developing an industry on par with other European territories of similar size and reputation.

Public Support

According to Els Vandevorst at Isabella Films – which has produced films from big-name directors such as Lars von Trier, Alexander Sokurov and Thomas Vinterberg – the Netherlands has plenty of skilled artists but isn’t doing enough to develop them. “Unfortunately, the talent isn’t really stimulated in the Netherlands in the right way, and there is a definite lack of ambition, focus and perseverance,” she says.

In 2023, the last year for which full box office data is available, 52 feature films and documentaries that made it into cinemas were made with support from the government’s Netherlands Film Fund. Of those, 22 fiction features and 17 documentaries were backed through selective schemes, with another 11 fiction features and two documentaries…