Left: Hanneke Niens, right: Nanouk Leopold

48th International Film Festival Rotterdam

23 January - 3 February 2019

Rotterdam, 27 September 2018

The governing board of International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) welcomes two new members: film producer Hanneke Niens and filmmakerNanouk Leopold. They replace Mart Dominicus and Frans van Gestel.

The governing board of IFFR is now made up of Pieter Broertjes (chairman), Monica Galer, Nanouk Leopold, Korrie Louwes, Hanneke Niens and Martijn Sanders. IFFR’s recently appointed managing director Marjan van der Haar comments: “These two new members bring strong film expertise and international experience in filmmaking. Nanouk and Hanneke know the festival from the inside out. I look forward to working with them in the coming years.”

Nanouk Leopold: “I know IFFR not just as a filmmaker, but also as a Rotterdammer. I’ve experienced first-hand the importance of the festival for filmmakers and cinema, but also for the city itself. I have no doubts that my future collaboration with the direction and the members of the governing board will be a fruitful one.”

Hanneke Niens: “With its daring and forward-looking attitude, IFFR holds a unique place in the world of international film festivals. I’m happy and proud to be able to contribute to consolidating and expanding that place from my position as afilm producer.”

After a career in TV drama, Hanneke Niens has been active as a film producer since 1999 (Van God los, Soof, Nena, The Idol). She was co-founder and producer of IDTV Film from 1999 until 2008 when she started KeyFilm. A year later, in 2009, she started the subsidiary company KeyDocs. Two films (co-)produced by Hanneke Niens premiered at IFFR 2018: the Dutch film Dorst and the Hubert Bals Fund-supported film The Reports on Sarah and Saleem, the latter of which winning the Hubert Bals Fund Audience Award and the Special Jury Award for best script. Earlier films produced by Niens and screened at IFFR are Twin Sisters (IFFR 2003, Oscar nomination) and Beyond Sleep (opening film of IFFR 2016). Niens is guest lecturer at the Netherlands Film Academy and EAVE. She is a member of Film Producers Netherlands, the European Producers Club and the European Film Academy.

Rotterdam filmmaker Nanouk Leopold (Boven is het stil) has a tight relationship with IFFR as well. Six of her films have screened at the festival and in 2001 her film Îles flottantes was selected for the Tiger Competition. In 2014 she was a jury member herself. In 2009, she made a six-hour film called Close-up together with Daan Emmen, which screened more than life-sized on the walls of a building in Rotterdam. Three of her films were selected for presentation at IFFR’s co-production market CineMart: Wolfsbergen in 2003, Golden Calf-winner Brownian Movementin 2006, as well as her most recent film Cobain, which premiered at the Berlinalein 2018.