The budget is fixed!


The real job can start now.
There are moments we all need to come together and this is one of those, immediately after the Rotterdam Filmfestival. It’s time to check all appointments, promises, agreements and deals.


My producers, Joel, Tom and Monique, working on the budget

When we entered the office the official letter which allows us to start the CV lies on the doormat. The producers discuss the whole budget again; in the afternoon we will have a meeting with the company who’s gonna execute the CV. Numbers and figures jump over the table. I only hear words as constructions – partners – banks – sales agents – loans – taxes – funds – presales – investors. They are all excited.

Then up to the meeting with Arteco. All of them explain the various systems to finance films with the help off rules and regulations in the different countries. Tom tells about the Irish way, Arteco about the Dutch and Belgium way and Joel about the South Africa way. Again the same words dance around. Then suddenly they all look at each other, happily, more then happily… the calculations are right. The budget is fixed. I look proudly at them and think, this is creative banking.

We have a big dinner to celebrated this big step. And I just think it all started five years ago with a dream.