Dutch co-producers of films from Malaysia and Turkey selected for HBF Plus support

International Film Festival Rotterdam / The Netherlands Film Fund

PRESS RELEASE November 10, 2011

Dutch co-producers of films from Malaysia and Turkey selected for HBF Plus support

The HBF Plus program of The Netherlands Film Fund and IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund has selected two projects by Dutch production companies: Volya Films will co-produce Liew Seng Tat’s upcoming film IN WHAT CITY DOES IT LIVE? and Family Affair Films will co-produce Turkish film THE BLUE WAVE by Merve Kayan & Zaynep Dadak.

Both films have earlier been supported by the Hubert Bals Fund with grants for script and project development. By becoming co-producers, Volya Films and Family Affair Films each receive a grant of € 50,000 from The Netherlands Film Fund. HBF Plus promotes the involvement of Dutch producers with international co-productions. Earlier this year, ABRIR PUERTAS Y VENTANAS by Milagros Mumenthaler, a film supported through the HBF Plus program, took a Golden Leopard at the Locarno film festival. Dutch involvement in ABRIR consists of associate producer Fortuna Film (Amsterdam) and, through HBF Plus, co-producer Waterland Film (Rotterdam).

Liew Seng Tat won a Tiger Award at IFFR 2008 for his feature film début FLOWER IN THE POCKET, followed by screenings at numerous film festivals. That same year, Liew presented his film project IN WHAT CITY DOES IT LIVE? at CineMart. This project was also awarded, winning the Prince Claus Fund Film Grant for Best CineMart Project. Currently Volya Films (The Netherlands), Mandra Films (France) and Flying Moon Filmproduktion (Germany) are attached as co-producers to his film project. Volya Films will contribute to the soundtrack with music and sound editing. IN WHAT CITY DOES IT LIVE? situates in a small village where inhabitants tell ghost stories about the house that the village leader wants to renovate as a wedding present to his daughter. When an immigrant from Nigeria takes refuge in the house the stories only grow stronger.

In 2010, ON THE COAST by Turkish filmmakers Merve Kayan and Zaynep Dadak was selected for the Tiger Awards Competition for Short Films. They are now preparing the feature film début MAVI DALGA (THE BLUE WAVE). Family Affair Films (Amsterdam) co-produces and for the first time takes part in the HBF Plus program, contributing with the cinematography by Daniel Bouquet, DoP of Ursula Antoniaks films NOTHING PERSONAL and CODE BLUE.
THE BLUE WAVE portraits Deniz, a teenage girl living in a village on the West coast of Turkey. Just before leaving for the big city’s university, she is attracted by two young men: her mentor and one of her fellow students. More unexpected events force her to redefine her life.

Earlier this year, co-productions by Dutch companies Lemming Film/Viking Film (LEONES by Jazmin Lopez from Argentina) and Waterland Film (LA TERCERA ORILLA by Celina Murga also from Argentina) were also selected for HBF Plus support.

Hubert Bals Fund Plus
Since 2006 The Netherlands Film Fund has yearly made € 200,000 available for Hubert Bals Fund Plus. Applications can be granted with a maximum of € 50,000 for a Hubert Bals Fund project, which already received script and project development support, co-produced by a Dutch producer.
The Hubert Bals Fund of the International Film Festival Rotterdam supports filmmakers from developing countries with contributions in the stages of script development, post-production and distribution. Annually 20 to 40 film productions are realized with the support of the Hubert Bals Fund. In order to offer Dutch producers the possibility to get involved more often in international productions, and to support the ‘Hubert Bals Fund projects’ in the stage of actual production as well, Hubert Bals Fund Plus has been set up in 2006 by the Netherlands Film Fund and the Hubert Bals Fund of the International Film Festival Rotterdam.
Approximately half of the films realized with support of the Hubert Bals Fund are made in cooperation with European co-producers. The International Film Festival Rotterdam offers Dutch producers the opportunity to participate in international and artistically acclaimed productions through the extensive network of the Hubert Bals Fund and at the same time further support projects that were selected by the HBF.

More information:
www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com
www.filmfonds.nl

(End of press release)

Press information: IFFR Press Office, Bert-Jan Zoet/Nancy van Oorschot, [email protected], +31 10 8909090

The Netherlands Film Fund, Jonathan Mees, [email protected], +31 20 5707681