Launch: DIFF

Captains is excited to announce the launch of the Dutch International Film Fund (DIFF), an investment fund aimed at supporting documentaries that have the potential to reach a wide audience and cross international borders.

The fund is an initiative of the independent production house Captains, which aims to
stimulate productions with local roots, both in terms of subject matter and crew. "We believe that the Netherlands can become the Hollywood of documentary filmmaking, but we need to take a few big steps to get there." says Jop Goslinga, CEO of DIFF-initiator Captains. "Simply put, more money needs to be available for outstanding craftsmanship, and the stories need to be accessible to a broad audience and across borders. We want to contribute to that challenge with this fund."

Although the fund is modest in size, its name reflects ambition. "Rooted in a country that has made a name for itself with realism and trade, we believe that there is still much to be gained in the field of documentary filmmaking," says Goslinga. "We have an abundance of talent in our country, a long-standing spirit of entrepreneurship, and we are known for our open and direct view of the world. This brought us the Dutch Masters in the Golden Age. Moreover, the Netherlands is a world leader in selling TV formats. Much is in place to create a great breeding ground in the Netherlands for high-quality and commercially successful documentaries."

Captains will initially act as the fund manager for DIFF. This makes it primarily a vehicle to realize (co-)productions from Captains and the Captains director network. The fund fits within the company’s strategy to facilitate creators in the development and realization of high-end documentaries for a large audience. "Momentum is, more often than with fiction, a crucial factor," says Goslinga. "When the moment is gone, it’s really gone. Unfortunately, current funding sources for documentaries do not always provide that speed. Our fund now addresses that issue, allowing us to start immediately when a director presents an idea that we believe in."

The fund starts with 2.5 million euros, 30% of which has already been raised. The money mainly comes from private investors. The first projects funded by DIFF are already in production. "The ambition is to grow the fund a little each year. The most important thing is that the business case remains solid. That is the main criterion for us. In that sense, the fund operates like many others, but we bridge the gap between the world of investors and the entertainment industry."

The launch of the fund is also a direct call to investors who are interested, and of course, to creators with great plans.

For more information:

For press: Jop Goslinga (jop@captains.nl)
For creators: Stephen Kearney (stephen@captains.nl)
For investors: Remy Steijger (remy@captains.nl)