Film Fund paid more than half a million for unfinished film
Nieuwsuur reports exceptions were made in the subsidy for Peter Greenaway’s Lucca Mortis.
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The Netherlands Film Fund pledged more than €600,000 for a feature film that, according to Nieuwsuur, was not released. Nieuwsuur’s investigation found that there were doubts about the financing at an early stage and that the fund did not sufficiently check whether the project was completed.
The film in question is Lucca Mortis, directed by Peter Greenaway. According to Nieuwsuur, he is a British director who lives in Amsterdam. Dustin Hoffman and Helen Hunt were attached to the project. The expected budget was more than €13 million, according to Nieuwsuur.
The subsidy was pledged in 2023 under a scheme intended to encourage Dutch filmmakers and film producers to work in the Netherlands. According to the reports, the Film Fund made exceptions to its own rules. The fund also reportedly failed to check whether production was ultimately completed.
A subsidy for a film is no guarantee that the finished product will reach cinemas. Film projects can collapse because of financing problems, changes in production or the withdrawal of partners. According to the reports, the main question in this case is whether the fund had sufficient assurance beforehand that the project was viable and whether it exercised adequate oversight afterwards.
The case therefore touches on how public film funding is distributed. The Film Fund uses subsidies to make productions possible that would struggle to get off the ground without public support. On the other hand, taxpayers’ money is spent efficiently only when criteria are applied consistently and risks are accounted for transparently.
The precise financial settlement of the production is not fully public in the sources available for this article. Nor has it been established that fraud or criminal offences were involved. The reports concern the fund’s methods and oversight, not a court ruling.
For the Dutch film sector, the matter could affect future subsidy rules. Stricter conditions could better protect public funds, but also make risky international productions more difficult. The Film Fund will have to explain why the rules were departed from in this case and what oversight now applies.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The Film Fund pledged more than €600,000 in subsidy for Lucca Mortis.
- The film was not released.
- Nieuwsuur reports that the fund made exceptions and failed to check adequately whether the film was completed.
- There has been no court ruling on fraud or criminal liability.
Left
Arguments Public film funding should above all strengthen the sector as a whole and must not flow to prestigious projects with big names without robust oversight.
Values Public accountability, accessibility and fair distribution.
Consequences Stricter oversight could free up money for more productions, but could also exclude smaller and more artistically risky projects.
Centre
Arguments Film financing inevitably involves risk; the key question is whether the fund made reasonable risk assessments beforehand and acted transparently afterwards.
Values Proportionality, transparency and a healthy cultural sector.
Consequences Targeted improvements in oversight could restore confidence without fundamentally dismantling public film support.
Right
Arguments The government should be cautious about financing commercial or prestigious films and should pay only when firm conditions have been agreed in advance.
Values Efficiency, fiscal discipline and market forces.
Consequences Fewer subsidies would reduce the risk of waste, but could make the Dutch film industry more dependent on private financiers.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The verifiable core is contained in the NOS investigation and the official subsidy scheme. Uncertainties about the full financial settlement are explicitly limited in the text.
- confirmed In 2023, the Film Fund pledged more than €600,000 for Lucca Mortis. — Reported by NOS Nieuwsuur. source
- confirmed Peter Greenaway directed the project, and Dustin Hoffman and Helen Hunt were attached to it. — Reported in the NOS article. source
- confirmed The subsidy was intended to stimulate Dutch film production and employment. — Description of the scheme in the NOS article and regulations. source
Editor's note
The subsidy, film, director involved and reported shortcomings are based on NOS Nieuwsuur. There has been no ruling on fraud or criminal liability, and the Film Fund’s full response was not available.Sources
- Filmfonds betaalde ruim half miljoen voor prestigieuze film die er niet kwam — NOS Nieuwsuur
- Reglement Stimuleringsmaatregel Filmproductie — Nederlands Filmfonds
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „filmfonds lucca mortis”
- De Telegraaf — „filmfonds lucca mortis”
- AD — „filmfonds lucca mortis”