The sales division of Dutch FilmWorks will arrive in Cannes with a unique selection of documentary films and series, dramas and family programming, led by the exclusive doc, Van Gaal: The Man Behind the Legend.
DFW International (the sales division for Dutch FilmWorks, one of the leading film distributors in the Benelux region) will present a unique selection of documentary films/series, drama series, as well as kids and family programming to buyers during the upcoming MIPTV market.
Kicking-off the slate is the exclusive documentary film Van Gaal: The Man Behind The Legend (1 x 120’) which is currently in production. Produced by Doxy, this doc paints a unique portrait of the Dutch national team coach Louis van Gaal, who previously coached FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Ajax, AZ and Manchester United. The film follows Van Gaal over a period of three years and captures him in both public and private moments. In conversations with football stars such as Wayne Rooney, Luís Figo, Xavi and Arjen Robben, but also with his wife and daughters, a complete picture of Van Gaal’s unprecedented international career and the extraordinary man behind the much-discussed image is created.
Selected for Canneseries in the Short Form Competition is Hacked (10 x 14’), a youth skewed drama series produced by Dingie. It follows three popular, witty and hip teenagers. Although they are best friends, and seem to share everything, their secrets run deeper than the internet itself. Ironically, these youngsters are more trusting of their phones – repositories of all their personal data – than of their friends. However, when they discover these have been hacked, everything is thrown into disarray. Desperate to prevent their secrets from being exposed, they find themselves at the mercy of a hacker who makes increasingly challenging demands in exchange for their privacy which leads the three friends to confront their deepest, darkest fears and secrets.
With the first episodes ready to present to buyers, the documentary series Voices Of Liberation (11 x 52’) takes viewers back to the largest military campaign in our history, exploring the memorial route that connects the liberation of Europe at the end of the Second World War. Unique diary entries, letters and other writing from that time provide a very personal perspective, as well-known hosts from various European countries retrace the liberation route followed by the Western Allies during WW2. The series is produced by Czar TV Film & TV for NETFLIX and Streamz.
DFW International will also be presenting a selection of films to TV buyers which includes the Christmas film Hotel Sinestra (1×90’). During a winter holiday at a Swiss Hotel, 11-year-old Ava who wishes her overprotective parents would just go away wakes up the following morning to find all the adults have just vanished – and so the party begins and the children can do anything they want! That is until a dangerous situation arises causing the entire hotel to be shrouded in darkness. Ava and her new friends then go on a quest to find their parents during a big snowstorm so they can celebrate Christmas together.
In the family adventure feature Ninjas Down The Street (1 x 95’) the pirate family Blunderbuss has fully integrated in the community of the coastal town of Sandsborough, but the village is turned upside down when the ninja’s move in next door. After all, pirates and ninjas are sworn enemies! While pirate Captain Hector tries everything in his power to get rid of his new neighbors, his son Billy and ninja daughter Yuka grow closer. The pirates decide to challenge the ninjas to fight their ultimate battle at the yearly village games, but who will win? Ninjas are faster and more flexible, but pirates are the best cheaters in the world…
“We very much look forward to this MIPTV and to finally be back at live markets, as nothing beats face to face interaction. We’re proud to be able to continue presenting a very varied slate of programming, from a unique documentary about one of the greatest soccer coaches ever, to two high-end family features, to a historic documentary series and of course the Flemish drama series Hacked which has been selected for the Short Form Competition at Canneseries. Since we launched the DFW sales operation in 2019, we have steadily expanded our catalogue with a consistent focus on premium programming and are confident our current fare will not disappoint,” said Willem Pruijssers, CEO, DFW International.
