China and the Netherlands have signed a co-production pact to facilitate film alliances and bolster cultural and economic exchanges between the two countries.
Pics that will be co-produced under the pact will be considered by both countries as national films — as such these movies will have access to financing schemes in both countries. The agreement will allow Dutch films to gain a wider access to the Chinese’s booming market as eligible films will be exempted from China’s quotas on foreign pics.
"The established framework offers thorough opportunities for inspiring new collaborations between the Dutch and Chinese film industry. It creates the conditions to increase artistic and technical collaboration leading to a true cultural exchange between both countries and to explore each other’s markets,” said Doreen Boonekamp, CEO of the Netherlands Film Fund.
"We look forward to explore coproduction possibilities in particular in the field of documentary, animation and children’s films in which our Chinese counterparts specifically expressed their interest,” added Boonekamp.
The Netherlands has co-production treaties with France, Canada and Germany and will sign upcoming treaties with the French Speaking Community of Belgium and South Africa in the near future.
Projects will have to fulfill specific guidelines with regards to casting and crews to qualify for the co-production agreement. Each partner has to bring at least 10% and no more than 90% of the production costs.
Negotiated by the Netherlands Film Fund and China’s Film Bureau and China Film Co-production Corporation, the agreement was signed today (Oct. 26) by Bert Koenders, the Dutch minister of foreign affairs and Chinese minister Cai Fuchao in Beijing during the visit to China of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands. The China Film Co-production Corporation and the Netherlands Film Fund will field applications.