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BOX OFFICE Netherlands

Ibiza leads local hits

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- Several Dutch films are doing very well at the local box office, with Loving Ibiza leading the pack with over 400,000 admissions

A large presence at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and in Berlin, where George Sluizer’s Dark Blood [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
had its international premiere and It’s All So Quiet [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nanouk Leopold
film profile
]
premiered as the opening film of the Panorama Special section to very good notices, meant that the international film world had a strong lineup of Dutch films to choose from on the international festival circuit.

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But local audiences have also had a lot to choose from recently, as the box-office top three of last week attests.

In the number one spot is the hit romantic comedy Loving Ibiza [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by local powerhouse director Johan Nijenhuis, which was released three weeks ago and has attracted over 400,000 visitors for a total take of over €3.2m so far. The film, set on the eponymous Spanish island, where a bunch of Dutch tourists fall in love, stars both veteran actresses such as Willeke van Ammelrooy and Simone Kleinsma as well as young talents such as Jim Bakkum and Kim Feenstra, which might help explain its wide appeal.

The film was released by A-Film and produced by Farmhouse, Johan Nijenhuis & Co, broadcaster TROS and Mollywood. At the recent European Film Market, it sold TV rights to several territories including Germany and France and theatrical rights to Ukraine.

Also doing well is the comedy Ushi Must Marry [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, a feature with the Ushi character of TV personality Wendy van Dijk, who interviews famous people disguised as an outrageous Japanese TV journalist, Borat-style. Though not a hit with critics, the heavily promoted film entered the top 20 at number three, with a haul of over €400,000. The Dutch Filmworks release was directed by Paul Ruven.

Two further films crossed the magical 100,000 admissions barrier this week: the Warner Brotheres-released animated film Miffy the Movie, featuring the popular rabbit character, and the children’s tale To Be King from director Ben Sombogaart (the Oscar-nominated Twin Sisters). The former took three weeks to reach this milestone while the latter took a lot longer; King was released December 5 via Benelux Film Distributors.

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