NLWave25 sets sail

The Netherlands is kicking off new film and talent showcase

May 14, 2025

The first edition of NLWave25 will kick off September 24-26 in Utrecht and will offer an exclusive first look at the latest cinematic gems and talents from the Netherlands. From promising early-stage projects to recently completed films and documentaries, NLWave25 aims to bring together emerging as well as established filmmakers with a select number of international sales executives and festival curators.

“The kick-off of NLWave25 couldn’t be timelier,” explains Netherlands Film Fund CEO Sandra den Hamer. “It’s launching at the heart of what many are calling the ’new Dutch wave’. With Sven Bressers’ debut Reedland making its mark at Cannes, Victoria Warmerdam’s I’m Not a Robot securing the Oscar for Best Live-Action Short, and Nina Gantz’s Wander to Wonder winning a BAFTA for Best Animated Short, Dutch films and filmmakers are surging onto the international stage with unstoppable momentum. It’s about time to share what more is coming up!”.

In addition to Reedland, this year’s Cannes immersive competition also includes two Dutch VR titles: Michel van der Aa’s From Dust; and Lacuna by Maartje Wegdam and Nienke Huitenga. Other upcoming features are David Verbeek’s Tribeca Festival-selected The Wolf, The Fox and The Leopard and Academy Award-winning director Mike van Diem’s highly anticipated Our Girls.

“The kick-off of NLWave25 couldn’t be timelier. It’s launching at the heart of what many are calling the ’new Dutch wave’" Sandra den Hamer

The full NLWave25 line-up, comprising well over 35 projects, works-in-progress and completed films, will be announced in August. With an extraordinary selection of films and talents expected in Utrecht, on the eve of the Netherlands Film Festival, NLWave25 promises to be an unmissable event for global professionals seeking fresh, bold storytelling from the Netherlands.

And there’s more, Eye Filmmuseum invites all NLWave25 guests to a very special pre-opening on September 26 of its exclusive exhibition Tilda Swinton – Ongoing for which the Scottish actor, artist and fashion icon created six new works in collaboration with Luca Guadagnino, Joanna Hogg, Jim Jarmusch, Olivier Saillard, Tim Walker and Apichatpong Weerasethakul. She will also present work by and with Pedro Almodóvar and the late Derek Jarman.

NLWave25 is an initiative by the Netherlands Film Fund in co-operation with SEE NL and Eye Filmmuseum. NLWave25 is a showcase platform designed to spotlight new and upcoming Dutch feature-length films, documentaries and animation.