NEW DELHI: The Netherlands Film Fund and the MDM, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung GmbH, have established a co-development fund to jointly support script development for original children's film projects.
Children's films have always played a major role within the policy of both funds. By joining forces the funds aim to develop and coproduce high quality stories for children that will find their audience in both countries and beyond.
MDM director Manfred Schmidt and Netherlands Film Fund CEO Doreen Boonekamp launched the initiative at the Berlinale co-production market at the International Film Festival Berlin. The initiative reinforces the recently signed coproduction treaty between Germany and the Netherlands in order to enhance the collaboration and coproduction between the two countries.
Proposals for original, live action feature films for children in the age groups 4-6, 6-9 and 9-12 years old are eligible. The film projects should be about contemporary matters and are to be told from the perspective of children. There are no limitations regarding style or genre.
Priority will be given to projects that already have a co-producer or co-writer attached from Germany or the Netherlands. Applications should originate from the Netherlands or from the region of Mitteldeutschland (Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thueringen).
The initial budget of the fund amounts up to € 100,000, each party contributing € 50,000. Projects will be selected by a selection committee existing of the CEOs of both funds or their representatives. The first application date for the new fund is 14 April 2015.
In the past years several German Dutch children’s films were developed and produced like Supernova (2013, script writer, director Tamar van den Dop, production: Revolver Amsterdam (NL) in co-production with IJswater Films (NL) Coin Film (DE) and Epidemic (BE), Tony Ten (2012, script writer Mieke de Jong, director Mischa Kamp, production Lemming Film (NL), in co-production with Heino Deckert Ma.ja.de. (DE) and Lepel (2004, script writer Mieke de Jong, director Willem van de Sande Bakhuyzen, production Lemming Film (NL), in co-production with: Egoli Tossel Films (DE).
