05/09/2002 - Alex Van Warmerdam begins work on his latest film, saved by the last-minute intervention of producers & investors after a sudden withdrawal by investors

The Dutch Film Fund and the CoBo fund have saved Grimm. The new film by Alex Van Warnerdam entitled Grimm is scheduled to into production in October. Van Warnerdam is best known for having made Abel, De Nordelingen and De Jurk.
Grimm was put on hold after a sudden decision by the investors to withdraw. The reason given by Domestic distributor RCV, international distributor, Fortissimo Film Sales and FINE was that they felt vulnerable under the terms of Holland’s new film funding legislation - FIA (Film Investerings Aftrek) that the government introduced in August of this year.
Granite Film who are producing Grimm used every instrument at their disposal to ensure the film was made. With the support of the Secretary of State for Cultural Affairs Cees Van Leeuwen, they obtained a tax break on the public money that the Dutch Film Fund and the CoBo put at Granite’s disposal, and even managed to convince three of the original investors to think again.
A happy ending for Grimm that will reassure Dutch film industry insiders whilst highlighting a delicate transition between two fiscal regimes.
The new FIA introduces tax breaks of up to Euros 23 million per annum for investors in the Dutch film industry until the end of 2004. For now producers must guarantee all those projects already in the production phase and that is why Phileine Says Sorry by Robert Jan Westdjk and produced by Motel Films and FuWorks, announced a general reorganisation of funding in order to obtain a new investment certificate so that the film can be finished.

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