Dutch dozen to feature at Netherlands project mart

Twelve Dutch projects are to be showcased at the Netherlands Production Platform, the high profile production sidebar of the Dutch Film Festival (19-28 Sept).

Now in its third year, the platform presents Dutch feature projects to possible co-production partners, financiers and sales agents and has a good track record of matching talent and money. In previous years, Halima's Paradise by Fatima Jebli Ouazzani found German co-producer Pandora Film. The script went on to win the Sundance Screenplay Award his year. Stijn Coninx, who previously directed Daens, was matched with German co-producers Lichtblick and ZDF/Arte for his feature Sea Of Silence, which is produced by Isabella Films.

The twelve projects selected for this year's edition seem to be keen on finding German partners too, with some films also on the lookout for partners from other neighbouring countries such as Belgium, Luxembourg and the UK. Most of the projects have budgets in the Euros2-3m range and some have partial financing already in place.

Just how attractive Holland is as a co-production partner should be clarified during the Platform, which has organised a round table discussion with politicians, policymakers and producers about the present state and future direction of the Dutch tax scheme.

Burn For You Dir: Elizabeth Schub Browde, prod. FuWorks. English-language coming of age thriller of two teenage girls.

Desert Heat Dir: Gerrard Verhage, prod. Added Films. Two men on a peacekeeping mission are confronted with each other, and ultimately, themselves.

Game Dir: Frank Herrebout, Prod. Corona Pictures. English-language thriller about a physiotherapist who finds out her clients are plotting against her.

The Frenchman's Vineyard Dir: Orlow Seunke, prod. Isabella Films. Two lovers find themselves in finding each other.

Godforsaken Dir: Pieter Kuijpers, prod. ID Film & Rinkel Film Producties. Thriller about two boys on a downward spiral of violence.

Halcyon Dir: Karim Traidia, prod: De Productie, River City. Halcyon deals with the theme of immigration: what if the roles were reversed'

Joy Ride Dir: Frank Herrebout, prod: Afke Films. Three girls on a joy ride to Paris. One of them has murder on her mind.

The Mystery Of The Sardine Dir: Erik van Zuylen, prod: De Productie. Philosophy lecturer has his legs blown off. The question 'why'' becomes more important that 'who did it'' Based on the novel by Stephan Themerson.

No Vas Dir: Hans Hylkema, prod: Egmond Film. The last tragic week of four Dutch TV journalists in El Salvador. Based on a true story.

The Sportsman Of The Century Dir: Mischa Alexander, prod: Staccato Films. The son of a Frisian sharecropper decides to go pole-sitting to escape a life of poverty.

Voodoo Child Dir: Pollo de Pimentel, prod: De Luwte. A 14-year old boy is drawn into a world of drugs, voodoo and violence.

Winter Heart Dir: tba, prod. Waterland Film. A criminal mother and her son travel through France in search of the loot.