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Golden Calves

The Golden Calves, the most prestigious accolades within the Dutch audiovisual sector, have been awarded by independent juries since the start of the festival in 1981.

The nominees are revealed during the festival on 28 September 2024. The prizes are awarded during the EY Golden Calves Gala, on 3 October 2025.

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Golden Calves Gala

If anything, the Netherlands Film Festival is known for the Golden Calves Gala. Nominees are eligible for the highest attainable honour in Dutch cinema, the Golden Calf. In September, the announcement of the nominations for the Golden Calves can be watched live via filmfestival.nl. The award ceremony can be watched live on Friday 3 October via filmfestival.nl.

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Academy system & Juries

Since 2015, the nominations and the winners of the Golden Calf Competition in the categories for feature films and feature-length documentaries have been determined using the Academy model, as with the Oscars, among others. Within this model, a large group of film professionals, the Academy members, decides who will receive a Golden Calf. In the categories short films, short documentaries, series and digital culture, independent juries composed annually determine the nominations and winners.

Overview of the Golden Calves winners

Every year the festival wraps up with the Golden Calves Gala. Below you find the names and titles of the winners of all the categories since the start of the festival in 1981.

The Netherlands Film Festival and Dutch Academy For Film

DAFF and NFF work together out of a shared interest for a strong and vital Dutch film sector. The partnership is most visible in the annual Golden Calf Competition, in which DAFF members determine the selection, nominations and winners for feature films and feature-length documentaries. In addition, NFF and DAFF cooperate in organising sector events such as NFF Extended and DAFF Diners. During the Netherlands Film Festival, the DAFF and its members are visibly involved as experts, jury members, presenters, etc. DAFF and NFF also co-organise the screening weekend for all voters, the announcement of the nominations and the nominees' meeting for the entire Golden Calf Competition. For more information on DAFF click here!