Film subsidy and box office success in the Netherlands

In The Netherlands film makers are able to apply for a subsidy for a feature film production. This research explores the relation between these subsidies for Dutch films and box office revenues between 1997-2007 and the relation to Dutch film policy. Policy objectives at the time were predominantly focused among other things on the increase of production volume; the improvement of quality and commercialization of film and the entrepreneurship among producers. The main goal was to establish an economic viable film sector. Incentives managed to increase the production volume of Dutch films, as well as the number of commercial films, but for how long? And what about demand, in other words the audience? Shifting the emphasis in policy to demand does nog guarantee a better result, because all that is certain in the movie business is that nothing is predictable.