Videoland Academy returns to IFFR for second edition

At Rotterdam 2021 fiction writers will be invited to grapple with the theme of Modern Fantasy, while doccers will muse over the concept of Family, in all of its weird and wonderful guises. Last year’s Academy theme at IFFR was Grounded Sci-Fi.

This years, talents from the first and second Videoland Academy editions are also invited to take part across the entire 2021 IFFR Pro Programme. 

The Videoland Academy concept was devised in 2019 by Antoinette Beumer after she saw at first hand the paucity of available writing talent she could turn to while developing a series for the streaming platform Videoland.

“I was working for a streamer. I had money and I had opportunity, but I couldn't find an available writer, and then I realised what I already knew, that it was time for flesh blood in the industry,” she says. 

She was therefore determined to create opportunities for the best new writers in the Netherlands, those who couldn't get onto the first rung of the ladder. (She points out that when she launched the Academy “ten, maybe fifteen” writers were responsible for all creative output onto the small screen.”)

Broadcaster NPO has strands for talent development but these are ostensibly art film-oriented, says Beumer, whereas she and Videoland had their sights set on commercial writers who were prepared to write for SVOD as opposed to “a more established linear way for the public networks.”

Very soon, the Film Fund came on board as a Videoland partner as “they also thought it was really important that talents could get the opportunity to work for more commercial entities - they saw it is an investment for the future,” Beumer comments. 

The other core partners were the Netherlands Film Festival (NFF), IDFA and, of course, IFFR where the initiative launched in 2020.

This year’s theme for fiction, that of Modern Fantasy, was chosen “to challenge fiction makers to add a little fantasy to our reality. By drawing inspiration from contemporary society, personal events or influential trends that are relevant in the Netherlands. From parallel societies to magical powers; anything is possible as long as there is a local, recognizable and enormously powerful story as a basis.”

“For the documentary series we chose the theme Family to activate documentary makers to look for stories about mysterious or intriguing families,” adds Beumer, “as families can be very complicated, carry secrets or be very outspokenly controversial. “

“We want to be open for talents that are willing to take more risks,” Beumer continues, adding that the Academy is also prepared to invest in top-level mentoring with established makers.

“We are also looking very much into inclusivity and diversity. Is there enough representation from women and from all ethnic backgrounds? That has always been a key concern at Videoland. We want new faces both in front of and behind the camera,” Beumer concludes. 

Videoland Academy is supported by the Netherlands Film Fund and in collaboration with the Netherlands Film Festival (NFF), International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) and Dr. Script. Other partners are Buma Cultuur, Netherlands Film Academy.