Dutch jive to Sundance

Dutch jive to Sundance

Netherlands filmmakers will be turning out in force at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival, with four world premieres among the seven Dutch productions and co-productions in official selection.

The World Cinema Dramatic Competition includes world premieres of two minority co-productions: Belgica and Mammal. Belgica by Felix van Groeningen (Dutch co-producer: Topkapi Films) is about two brothers who run a bar together. But the more their business thrives, the more estranged the brothers become. Mammal by Rebecca Daly (Dutch co-producer: Rinkel Film) is a compelling and unorthodox love story between a homeless youth and woman who has lost her son in tragic circumstances.

Pieter-Jan De Pue’s The Land of the Enlightened (Dutch co-producer: Submarine), about a group of Afghanistani children who sell explosives to child workers in a lapis lazuli mine, will world premiere in World Cinema Documentary Competition.

Another minority co-production, Love and Friendship, will world premiere as part of the Premieres program. Adapted from the Jane Austen novel, the film is directed by Whit Stillman (NL co-prod: Revolver) and stars Kate Beckinsale, Chloë Sevigny and Stephen Fry.

The Dutch family film Little Gangster by Arne Toonen (produced by Shooting Star Filmcompany and written by Lotte Tabbers) will be presented in Sundance Kids. The film had its international premiere at the Seoul Youth International Film Festival and has received several international awards, among them the Starboy Prize of the Oulo International Children's and Youth Film Festival. Little Gangster tells the story of Rik (11) and his father who are constantly bullied. When his dad is promoted and they move to a new town, Rik decides to tell everybody his dad is really a Mafia boss.

Included in New Frontier is the virtual reality music video Surge, directed and produced by Dutch artist Arjan van Meerten. The film is an abstract meditation on the evolutionary process and our relentless march towards complexity.

Finally, the minority co-production The Lobster by Yorgos Lanthimos (NL co-prod: Lemming) is selected for Spotlight. The sci-fi/comedy/drama feature world premiered at Cannes where it won the Jury Prize. It has since been selected for numerous film festivals worldwide.

All the above mentioned feature films have been supported by the Netherlands Film Fund.

The Sundance Film Festival 2016 takes place 21 - 31 January.

For more information:
Sundance Film Festival: www.sundance.org/festivals