The newly signed co-production treaty between the Netherlands and Indonesia aims to strengthen bilateral film cooperation, and provide filmmakers from both countries with access to national financing schemes and production incentives, industry leaders revealed at the inaugural JAFF market in Jogja, Indonesia during a session.
The inaugural JAFF Market will be held alongside the Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival (JAFF) in Yogyakarta from 3 to 5 December. The session was moderated by producer Lorna Tee from An Original Picture NL, who also serves as a JAFF market advisor.
Sandra den Hammer, CEO of the Dutch Film Fund, highlighted that the treaty arose out of popular interest rather than top-down politics. “It’s coming from filmmakers and producers. There’s a lot of interest in making films together, or making films in Indonesia, to retell our history,” she said.
The treaty follows successful agreements concluded by the Netherlands with Canada, China, France, Germany, Norway and South Africa. Den Hammer noted that with South Africa, they have established a concrete joint fund to support 12 films in development and one film in production.
The collaboration between producer Sander Verdonk of Dutch New Amsterdam and Shanti Hermaine of Indonesia’s Base Entertainment on Jim Taihuto’s war drama The East (De Oost) was a testing ground for the potential of Dutch-Indonesian co-production. The film, which involved more than 800 cast and crew members at 40 locations in Java, faced complex logistical challenges including visa issues and cultural differences in production practices.
Hermine revealed that the investment in Indonesian stocks came through market-based financing in exchange for distribution rights. “I can contribute to the financing, but it has to be from the market,” she explained of Indonesia’s financing structure in the absence of government financing mechanisms.
The film has been a success on Prime Video during the pandemic, with Verdonk noting that it represents the platform’s “first truly Dutch production” in the territory. In Indonesia, the film performed strongly on Mola TV and was later broadcast on free-to-air television.
Looking to the future, Verdonk and Hermaine are collaborating on Taihuttu’s “Hemelrijk,” a limited series set around a farm in Bandung, and a feature film adaptation of “Pulang” (Home), the acclaimed novel by Indonesian author Leila Chowdhury. The projects aim to build on the lessons learned from the East while taking advantage of new opportunities within the framework of the Treaty.
Producer Yulia Evina Bhara emphasized that the treaty provides legal authority regarding status and financial contributions. “We can access more funding, not just like the Hubert Pals Fund,” she said, referring to the competitive Dutch International Fund that receives more than 1,000 applications each round.
Distribution remains a major challenge, with limited theatrical releases of Asian films in the Netherlands and Dutch films in Indonesia. The treaty represents an opportunity to address this gap, with Indonesia’s theatrical market reaching an estimated 80 million entries this year, with local films accounting for 68% of the market share, while Dutch films retain 30-40% of their domestic market.