During the annual Filmpolitieke Bijeenkomst (Policy Meeting) on 28 September, representatives from the sector, policymakers and politicians will discuss current developments in the Dutch film and audiovisual sector. This year, there is one central theme: broadening the financing options for productions.
Read more about the speakers below.
Speakers Filmpolitieke Bijeenkomst
James Hickey
James Hickey is a consultant working in the area of European audiovisual production policy. Throughout his career he has worked in film and television production, including as a lawyer, producer and financier. He is currently General Counsel for the European Producers Club (EPC) and is a member of the board of directors of Screen Producers Ireland (SPI). He is also currently the chair of the Lir Academy of Dramatic Arts at Trinity College Dublin. James was CEO of Screen Ireland from 2011 to 2019 and during that period was also on the board of the European Film Agency Directors (EFADs). He was Head of the Media and Entertainment Law Group of Irish Law Firm Matheson from 1992 to 2011.
Claus Ladegaard
Claus Ladegaard is an independent consultant and advisor in the film and television industry. He holds a master degree in communication and has a background as a producer. From 2006 to 2024 he was Head of Film Funding at the Danish Film Institute and from 2017 also the CEO of the Danish Film Institute, which is the main funding body of films in Denmark. He has been chairman of the Council for Short and Documentary Film, chairman of the board of the Nordisk Film & TV Fond and member of the board of the Danish Producers' Association. He is currently member of the board of Cinema Club Denmark and a few other boards within the cultural sector. He also teaches and work as moderator.
Hilde De Laere
With her production company FBO, Hilde De Laere produces feature films and television series for a broad audience, including the feature films The Prime Minister (Erik Van Looy), Zillion (Robin Pront), and the series Callboys (Jan Eelen), The Day (Gilles Coulier & Dries Vos), Nonkels, and most recently How to Kill Your Sister (Jonas Geirnaert). The Netherlands is a natural partner for FBO, both for its own productions and for series and feature films by Dutch colleagues, such as Maxima, Soof, Baantjer, and Brussel. Earlier, Hilde produced the hit film Loft
(Erik Van Looy) for Woestijnvis and was also involved as producer in the Dutch and American remakes of the film. For MMG (now Eyeworks), she produced, among others, The Alzheimer Case (De Zaak Alzheimer, Erik Van Looy) and Storm Force (Windkracht 10: Koksijde Rescue, Hans Herbots). Loft, The Alzheimer Case, and Zillion all rank among the top 10 highest-grossing Belgian films of all time.
Koji Nelissen
Koji Nelissen studied at the Netherlands Film Academy and together with producer Derk-Jan Warrink, he founded the production company Keplerfilm. Together, they (co-)produce high-quality, independent international films such as the opening film of the Netherlands Film Festival Voor de Meisjes (Mike van Diem), Cannes Caméra d’Or winner Armand (Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel), Semaine de la Critique Grand Prize winner Feathers (Omar El Zohairy), the Dutch Oscar submission Buladó (Eché Janga), Tribeca Special Mention winner Pink Moon (Floor van der Meulen), Netflix Original Captain Nova (Maurice Trouwborst), and the television production Hoofdzaken (Menno Otten), awarded with both a Prix Jeunesse and a Rose d’Or. Koji participated in Binger Filmlab and EAVE, and is a member of the ACE Producers Network. Since 2021, he has served as a financial advisor and mentor for projects within IFFR Cinemart and the ACE Producers Workshop. Recently, he joined the board of the Dutch Audiovisual Producers Alliance (NAPA). Previously, Koji worked at the Netherlands Film Fund, where he was responsible for the Suppletie Scheme, a funding scheme focused on mainstream films.
George van Breemen
George van Breemen has been working at the Netherlands Film Fund since 2009. He initially served as Head of Finance and Head of the Supplementary Scheme (Suppletieregeling Filminvesteringen Nederland). For several years now, he has been Director of Business and Operations. Prior to Film Fund, he spent 15 years working for the public broadcasters NOS and NPS (now NTR) in various production roles in drama, documentary, and other cultural productions. As of September 2024, he also serves as a member of the executive board of the Netherlands Film Fund.
Willemien van Aalst
Willemien van Aalst is the CEO of the public broadcaster HUMAN, where she also served as Editor-in-Chief until May 1, 2025. She worked for 13 years at IDFA, was an organisational consultant and interim manager at Andersson Elffers Felix (AEF), served as Creative Producer for IDTV Docs, and was General Director of the Netherlands Film Festival for nearly eight years. Alongside her professional work, Willemien has always been active as a board member, supervisory board member, and advisor. She is currently a member of the board of the VPRO-HUMAN Foundation and of the steering group of the Media Literacy Network.
Jasmijn Touw
Jasmijn Touw is Director Global Affairs at Netflix for the Benelux and the Nordics. Since 2020, she has been responsible for relationships with governments, regulators, NGOs, and organizations in the creative industry. On behalf of Netflix, she is involved in initiatives aimed at strengthening the audiovisual sector and plays an active role in policy discussions on culture, media, and digitalisation. In addition, Jasmijn serves as a supervisory board member in the cultural sector.