NLWave 2026 interview: Simone van den Broek, Netherlands Film Fund

Fifteen Dutch documentary projects, twelve of which are at advanced stage, will be presented during the second edition of NLWave (September 30 to October 2), an initiative of the Netherlands Film Fund and presented in co-operation with SEE NL. The 2026 showcase comprises a who’s who of top Dutch creative and business talent, and presents a wealth of fascinating stories that span the globe.

“That’s how we build the line-up of NLWave,” Simone van den Broek, Head of Documentary and Fiction at the Netherlands Film Fund, tells Business Doc Europe. “We really look for projects that have the most international potential.”

“It’s not like every project has to be an international co-production, but we try to stimulate people to work more internationally in co-productions,” van den Broek adds of the Fund’s approach “We believe that projects become stronger with co-production because you have not just your own national view, but you also get the eyes and perspectives from outside on your film. And co-production offers more autonomy to filmmakers and producers, and makes them financially stronger.”

In 2022, the Fund introduced its “high ambition” CineDoc scheme for larger-budget documentaries, to better facilitate their progress towards international success.