Matthijs Wouter Knol to replace Beki Probst as head of European Film Market

Matthijs Wouter Knol is to take the reins as head of Berlin’s European Film Market, replacing Beki Probst who has been named president of the EFM. The move is effective from June 1.

Knol has been programme manager of Berlinale Talents (formerly known as the Berlinale Talent Campus), since 2008.

Probst, who has headed the EFM since 1988, will provide Knol with support and advice in her new role as president.

“Matthijs Wouter Knol will inspire new areas of business and the development of the European Film Market,” said Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick. “With Knol, a professional is joining us who knows the festival well. He will strategically strengthen the synergies that have developed between the festival and the EFM.”

Knol was born in the Netherlands in 1977 and studied contemporary history at Leiden University and at the Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome. He worked as a freelance journalist until 2001 before joining Pieter van Huystee Film, a renowned and internationally award-winning production company in Amsterdam.

After becoming head of development in 2004, he focused on developing, financing and internationally co-producing documentary film projects. As the associate producer of various documentary films, he worked with acclaimed filmmakers, such as Heddy Honigmann and Mani Kaul.

With Arte he also co-produced the DVD edition of Johan van der Keuken’s digitally re-mastered works, which was awarded the Prix Cahiers du Cinéma in 2006.

In 2007, Knol started working for the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), spreading his activity between the co-production and sales markets, and the IDFAcademy training programme. As head of the latter, he initiated the IDFAcademy Summer School. In 2008, he became head of Berlinale Talents.