As doors closed on the Holland Film Meeting 2024, major prizes were handed out to two dynamic new projects. The closing ceremony came at the end of two frenetic days of discussion, analysis and reflection on the best new film projects coming out of The Netherlands.
The HFM prizes were awarded to projects within the New Dutch section, aimed at film teams (producer/director) with projects at advanced script or research stage, who are looking to develop new ways to define, engage, and reach their intended audience, and to position their project to (inter)national platforms and audiences.
GLOBAL AUDIENCE AWARD
Free Fall by Bregt Pepijn Verhagen (writer/director), producers: Fleur Knopperts and Denis Vaslin, Volya Films
Logline: While the health of his seriously ill father deteriorates, Joey becomes completely absorbed in the pursuit of achieving his dream physique in preparation for a bodybuilding competition. But at what cost?
Jury citation: "The Free Fall team presented a really slick, well-rounded and well-thought out audience and top-line marketing plan. The team built upon their time in the audience workshop with their own ideas that has led to an incredibly clear proposition that could be easily picked up by any future partner - be that a sales agent, distributor, publicist, creative agency and beyond."
Special Mention
Look Like Jackie by In-Soo Radstake (writer/director), producer: Nadadja Kemper, Holland Harbour Entertainment BV
Logline: Filmmaker In-Soo Radstake, often recognized as movie star Jackie Chan, questions whether self-deprecation and humour could contribute significantly to the polarized debate on anti-racism.
Jury citation: "In-Soo's project felt instantly identifiable, supplying clear USPs and opportunities that could see his film seriously break-out. Some further refinement on his B2B branding and promo will lead this project to being an undeniably commercial proposition which the jury hopes would connect with audiences globally."
The winner of the Global Audience Award receives promo/trailer and poster created by award-winning international film advertising agency Intermission Film.
CAM-A-LOT & FILMMORE BEST LIVE PITCH AWARD
Get Up Stand Up by Mari Sanders (writer/director), producers: Ineke Kanters and Lisette Kelder, The Film Kitchen
Logline: When cheerful Vera (23) finds herself in a wheelchair, she must reinvent her life. This doesn’t happen until she meets Xander (22), who has been in a wheelchair his whole life. Slowly, their friendship deepens and ultimately gives them a new perspective on life. This leaves Vera facing a dilemma: does she embrace her limitation, or does she work hard to become as ‘normal’ as possible?
Jury citation: "What we expect from a pitch is to see a film that doesn’t exist yet - this is exactly what happened when watching this pitch on stage. The pitch had humour, authenticity, a deep knowledge of the topic and great chemistry between director and producer. What else can you dream of? We cannot wait to discover this urgent film that tackles a topic and presents characters too rarely seen on screen. By unanimous decision, the Best Pitch Award goes to Get Up Stand Up by Mari Sanders."
The winner of the Best Live Pitch Award receives €10,000 in camera and post-production services.
Revised HFM structure in 2024
This year saw a revised structure to HFM, designed to stimulate greater activity across all stages of Dutch development and production. As well as New Dutch, the other sections were:
Dutch Gallery section, devised in collaboration with SEE.NL, which focuses on projects at post-production stage, inviting producers and directors to present a work-in-progress screening of their soon-to-be released film.
Stories and Beyond, in which screenwriters and filmmakers with a project in the early stages of script development are invited to explore narrative developments and perspectives, based on the advice of (inter)national experts, creatives and industry professionals.
The presentations and pitches came at the end of weeks of expert training and top-level preparation, provided by the HFM, part of the Netherlands Film Festival, from both creative and business perspectives.
As one of Europe’s must-attend international exchange platforms for professional collaboration and creative development, the HFM creates a vital bridge between the Dutch and international film industries.
