CFAs: Netherlands Film Production Incentive

With the Netherlands Film Production Incentive, the Fund aims to stimulate film productions that are developed and produced with creative and production freedom, and thus increase production activity for creative and technical film professionals and film companies in the Netherlands as well as strengthen the international competitive position of the Dutch film industry.

In addition, the aim is to stimulate the development of film talent in the Netherlands and the diversity, quality and distribution of film productions.

Funding Information

• Maximum €3 million per year per applying production company.
• The subsidy contribution amounts to a maximum of 35% (cash rebate) of the demonstrably spent and qualifying Dutch production costs. The scheme includes an overview of costs that are not qualifying.
• The annual budget for film productions for 2024 is €27.5 million, or €7.7 million per application round and €6.6 million per subsequent application round. In each application round, all international co-productions will be honored first, up to a maximum of 70% of the budget.

Eligibility Criteria

• An independent production company (a legal entity, not a sole proprietorship or general partnership) that has been established for at least two years in the Kingdom of the Netherlands*, a member state of the EU, EEA or Switzerland and that produces and exploits films and other audiovisual productions on a continuous basis.
• The production company is represented by a producer who has been primarily responsible for the realization of at least one majority film production (reference film) with a production budget of at least €500,000 and a cinema release in the Netherlands in the seven calendar years preceding the application.

Conditions

• In broad terms, this concerns the following conditions:
  • The cinema release in the Netherlands (12 weeks) must be guaranteed. For Dutch minority co-productions, a guaranteed cinema release in the country of origin and a non-theatrical release in the Netherlands also qualify.
  • For a feature film or long animated film, the production costs must be at least € 1,000,000 and the qualifying costs must be at least €150,000.
  • For a long documentary, the production costs must be at least € 250,000 and the qualifying costs must be at least €100,000.
  • In the Fund’s opinion, production costs must be in line with market conditions and realistically estimated and directly related to the realization of the film production.
  • At least 50% of the production budget must be unconditionally and demonstrably committed in writing by third parties upon application (no guarantees or deferments).
  • Only applications that achieve a minimum of 75 points – including points for at least two main functions – will be considered. For international (co)productions with a minority share in the financing from the Netherlands that spend €1 million or more in qualifying production costs in the Netherlands, one main function is sufficient and points can be allocated for other functions, if these are responsible for the execution of the production in the Netherlands.
  • At least two unaffiliated financiers contribute to the financing and broad public access and visibility through multiple end operators remains guaranteed.
  • The applicant is obliged to produce the film in accordance with the information submitted with the application, including the number of points determined by decision.
  • The film production must be fully financed within 6 months of the date of the decision and at the latest before the start of filming, after which the Fund’s Implementation Agreement will be drawn up.
  • The film production must be completed and released within 24 months of the conclusion of the Implementation Agreement.

For more information, visit Netherlands Film Fund.