2600 visitors for Supernova, couldn't be better? A tough issue in 7 scenes

Scene 1 - Expectations

The main auditorium of film theatre 't Hoogt filled up with people from the film industry on Wednesday afternoon at the invitation of the Film Fund. The topic of the meeting was the chronically low attendance of more artistic Dutch films.

This has been the case for a long time, by the way, and not only in the Netherlands. Should new avenues be explored? Should expectations be tempered? 'Towards a new distribution model' is the promising title of the debate. A title that will nevertheless prove somewhat ambitious.

Scene 2 - Supernova

The premiere of Supernova earlier this year at the Berlin Film Festival. The auditorium full of young audiences watches breathlessly. Director Tamar van den Dop brings tears to her eyes with happiness. Over two months later, the anticlimax comes with the Dutch cinema release of this expressively designed coming-of-age story. Despite rave reviews and plenty of pre-publicity, the counter remains stuck at 2,600 visitors. That is enough to cry about, were it not for the fact that we are already used to it. In 't Hoogt, the distributor reveals that he had considered not releasing the film, but yes, there were already contracts and good relationships have to be nurtured. No one seems to have a real solution.

Scene 3 - Exit cinema

Just a panoramic shot, looking abroad. Someone notes that a lot of films are produced in France and Germany that never make it to cinemas. There is no shame in going straight to video on demand or television. There are many more viewers there. Change that compulsory theatrical release in funding.

Scene 4 - New heroes

Louis Hartlooper Complex, 14 April. Premiere of cycling documentary New Heroes by Dirk Jan Roeleven in four theatres simultaneously. Big party. Cycling enthusiasts flocked. DWDD had also been engaged. Minister Frans Timmermans is on hand and tweeting. Roeleven sells his brainchild like a true merchant. Started promotion early on. Made a book. Approached cycling fanatics. Making sure everyone knows the film exists. Devised the 'Bike-Film-Frit' formula. After premiere, tirelessly took the film around the country. Movie theatres begged if they could show the film. Result: almost 10,000 visitors. Ten years ago, that was meagre; now we cheer when a documentary achieves that in the cinema. Event cinema, then? Sometimes yes, because not every film lends itself to mobilising target groups or organising events.

Scene 5 - Pathé

Meanwhile in 't Hoogt. Someone in the audience observes: in Berlin, young people were warming to Supernova. In the Netherlands it played in arthouses and film theatres, where the audience is mainly 50+. So why not seek out the young audience where it is, in Pathé multiplexes for instance, adds another. Once tried with Kauwboy, replies a third, but got zero response. Producer René Goossens wants to try again with Zomer. It seems Pathé does want to do something with the unavailable timeslots. No one from Pathé in the audience, unfortunately.

Scene 6 - Still a new idea?

Rutger Wolfson, director of the Rotterdam Film Festival, stands up to advertise IFFR Live!, a way to export the festival feeling. Five premieres at the upcoming Rotterdam festival can be watched simultaneously online and in various European cinema halls. The filmmakers will be present during this. All viewers, whether in Poland or Spain, can participate in the Q&A session after the film via Twitter. The first film selected for IFFR Live! is Atlantic by Jan-Willem van Ewijk, about a young Moroccan fisherman travelling towards Europe on his surfboard.

Scene 7 - Lapping resources

The discussion is coming to an end. Filmkrant editor-in-chief Dana Linssen takes the honour of summarising it succinctly. She notes that mostly palliatives have been put on the table. Should we serve the apparently disrupted market? Shouldn't we create a market? Shouldn't we be talking about a cultural challenge? Throw open that whole system.