Holland Film Meeting to close due to budget cuts (exclusive)

The Holland Film Meeting (HFM) is being discontinued due to local budget cuts.

The long-running international industry event and project market had been a core part of the Netherlands Film Festival in Utrecht, taking place this year from September 26 -October 3. 

Last year, the municipality of Utrecht confirmed it would be ending its structural four-year funding of the Netherlands Film Festival for the period 2025 to 2028. This has left the event with a substantial shortfall and an urgent need to make savings.

“Whilst we value the format and its honoured guests and participants, the situation right now forces us to make these difficult decisions,” said Sterre De Jong, head of NFF Professionals and Talent.

The Holland Film Meeting (HFM), was established to enable Dutch producers to strike alliances with international counterparts.

Speaking at International Film Festival Rotterdam earlier this month, Sandra Den Hamer, chief executive office of the Netherlands Film Fund, suggested the Dutch industry may even soon set up its own national screenings event, similar to Flanders Film Days.

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