Dutch public broadcasters have pledged to invest Euros 9m ayear on Dutch films from 2005.

The money will be spent on 18 to 19 feature lengththeatrical films and six telefilms: films produced for television but with achance of a theatrical release as well.

Another Euros 2.5m will remain available for so-calledtelescoop-films: 2 to 4 theatrical features a year, funded by the DutchFilmfund, the ministry of Culture, the CoBO-Fund, and the public broadcasters.

The public broadcasters are also working on a joint dramaand film policy for each of the three public channels. In addition, they areconsidering creating the new post of a film coordinator, who will fine tune theplans of the three channels. Up till now, broadcasters have invested separatelyon ad hoc basis in film projects.

According to Channel 3 coordinator Lennart van der Meulen,the new plans will be combined with 'a far public-friendlier screeningpolicy' on television. His channel will kick off the new policy with a'month of the Dutch film' on TV in September, including a primetime film show during the Dutch film festival that same month.

However, producer San Fu Maltha says that the amount ofmoney is 'too small to constitute a substantial support for filmproduction, especially considering the fact that only one or two out of sixtelefilms make it into theatres.'

Like the producer's organisation NVS, he would like tosee a body of 24 theatrical features made a year for Euros 50 to 60m. 'Inall other European countries broadcasters are providing for up to half theproduction costs, but not in Holland,' Maltha stated.