In conjunction with the EU’s Media Programme, MEDIA Desk Netherlands has confirmed today that 8 Dutch production companies have been awarded Development Support of which seven applicants were awarded ‘slatefunding’ and one for a single film development.

The 8 Dutch companies will receive a total of €730,000, 4,4% from the grand total of more than €16.8 awarded by MEDIA. Only the five largest countries, France, Germany, UK, Italy, Spain followed by Ireland at 4,6%, received more money in percentage terms than the Netherlands.

The winning eight applicants are: Theorema Film & TV (€ 150.000), Pieter van Huijstee Film (€ 90.000), Rinkel Film (€ 70.000), Egmond Film & TV (€ 110.000), Staccato Films (€ 80.000), The Kasander Filmcompany (€ 90.000) and Moviemasters (€ 90.000) all for slatefunding and Telescreen for single animation (€ 50.000).

The 2005 award of €730,000 marks a dramatic 50% increase in development funding over the 2004 amount of €490,000 and a whopping 210% over the 2003 MEDIA development support of €235,000. The 8 winners this year were selected out of a total of 13 Dutch submissions, in 2004 8 projects were chosen from 19 submitted and in 2003, 27 projects were submitted, and again only 8 received support worth € 235,000.

Dominique van Ratingen who runs MEDIA Desk Netherlands, comments: ‘The figures clearly show that we are getting better quality projects and applications and therefore our hit rate of success has improved tremendously. The funds we are receiving for development have gone up in huge percentage terms year on year, especially compared to the number of submissions coming down over the same time period. Part of this is due to the close collaboration between the Dutch producers and the NL MEDIA Desk in ensuring the information, applications and presentation of the production companies which was as thorough as possible to ensure the best chance of success combined with a better know-how of the MEDIA Programme.’

MEDIA received a total of 582 submissions, of which 401 for single support and 181 slatefunding. Eventually 276 projects were selected; 173 single and 103 slate.

Slatefunding requires production companies to have strong track records, including financial stability and a good slate of projects at the moment of application.