48th International Film Festival Rotterdam

23 January - 3 February 2019

Rotterdam, 15 May 2018

International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR)’s Hubert Bals Fund (HBF) continues to extend the ways in which it supports independent film. By entering a partnership with the newly founded Netherlands Post production Alliance (NPA), the HBF is creating new pathways along which quality world cinema can find its way to the Netherlands.

The Hubert Bals Fund was founded in 1988 to support remarkable feature film projects by innovative filmmakers from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and parts of Eastern Europe. It provides grants at various production stages, which often end up playing a crucial role in enabling filmmakers to realise their projects.This collaboration with the NPA signals the HBF’s efforts to expand and solidify its activities at the post-production stage of the filmmaking process. 

Festival director Bero Beyer: “The HBF finds that projects are in need of support in the final phase of production. And Dutch post-production houses are up for the task of delivering solutions for international independent films, with a real commitment to IFFR cinema. The new collaboration between the HBF and the NPA intends to bridge the gap. This endeavour is a first step towards further solidifying post-production support for HBF projects and quality cinema.”

Marit van den Elshout, head of IFFR PRO: “The role of the HBF will be to select, connect and present. Films selected and previously supported by the HBF are introduced to the members of the NPA, who will then support these projects and take on a role in the post-production process.”

Peter Warnier, board member of the NPA: “One of the reasons we founded the NPA is to broaden the horizon for Dutch post-production. So we are thrilled to collaborate with IFFR to direct more independent films to the Netherlands. It promises to be a fruitful team effort, benefiting both the Dutch post-production sector and international cinema.”

In May 2018, a total of thirteen high-end companies covering image post, sound post and VFX combined their forces to form the Netherlands Post production Alliance. The organisation focuses on the expansion of the Dutch post-production presence on the international playing field and raising awareness of the Netherlands Film Production Incentive, a scheme that offers up to 35% cash rebate to (co-)productions.

“We came up with the idea of uniting Dutch post-production during Cannes 2017,” explains Warnier. “One year later, our plan has become a reality. So it makes perfect sense to announce and celebrate our foundation during Cannes 2018 and to connect our organisation with IFFR’s funding arm: the HBF.”

Two HBF-supported films have been selected for Cannes 2018: The Load by Ognjen Glavonić (Quinzaine) received HBF grants in 2012 and 2016 and was also supported through BoostNL in 2013, and Rafiki by Wanuri Kahiu (Un Certain Regard) received an NFF+HBF grant in 2016. Two other Cannes selections were previously presented at IFFR’s co-production market, CineMart: Birds of Passageby Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra (Quinzaine) in 2016 and Girls of the Sun by Eva Husson (Competition) in 2017.

HBF-supported films with recent international releases include A Man of Integrity by Mohammad Rasoulof (winner of the Un Certain Regard Award at Cannes 2017), I Am Not a Witch by Rungano Nyoni (winner of the BAFTA Film Award 2018) and Tiempo compartido by Sebastián Hofmann (winner of the Special Jury Award for Screenwriting at Sundance 2018).

The Hubert Bals Fund (HBF) of International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) provides financial support to remarkable feature films by innovative and talented filmmakers from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and parts of Eastern Europe. Since the fund’s establishment in 1988, more than 1,100 projects have received support. Each year, a rich harvest of films supported by the HBF is presented at IFFR and at various major festivals around the world.