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PRESS TEAM: 
SIERRA SLAUGHTER & KENDAL TILL
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EMAIL: PRESS@WOODSTOCKFILMFESTIVAL.COM
WEBSITE: woodstockfilmfestival.org

Woodstock Film Festival Announces the Return of
Focus on Dutch Cinema

In collaboration with the Netherlands Consulate General in New York

Woodstock, NY (September 18, 2017) - The Woodstock Film Festival (October 11-15) is pleased to announce the return of this year's Focus on Dutch Cinema, marking the third year of this special category. Sponsored by the Netherlands Consulate and in collaboration with Bruce Weiss (Ironworks Productions), the Woodstock Film Festival has programmed three exceptional Dutch films to showcase the vast range Dutch cinema has to offer: The Chocolate Case, A Real Vermeer, and Waterboys.

"Woodstock has been a great asset for these Dutch filmmakers," said New York-based producer Bruce Weiss of Ironworks Productions who helped organize and curate the section since its inception. "They not only receive recognition and exposure in the U.S., but word of their success in Woodstock travels quickly back to Holland and is covered by much of the Dutch press. There are also several Dutch/American co-production projects now being discussed as a result of this program."

The Focus on Dutch films expands on The Woodstock Film Festival’s mission to highlight fiercely independent filmmaking from across the globe and bring it to a wider audience.

Joost Taverne, Cultural Attaché for the Netherlands in the U.S. said, "We are thrilled that our partnership with the Woodstock Film Festival is now in its third year. This year we have had more Dutch films submitted than ever before. The Woodstock Film Festival has become one of the highlight events for Dutch Culture USA.  It is building bridges between both of our filmmaking communities, strengthening cooperation between them, and will continue to bring them success."

"We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Netherlands Consulate this year," stated Woodstock Film Festival co-founder and executive director Meira Blaustein. "Supporting and celebrating the creative and innovative voices from around the world is an important part of the festival's mission. We are happy to welcome the filmmakers from the Netherlands to Woodstock this fall."


the Chocolate Case, Directed by Benthe Forrer

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The Chocolate Case opens with a horrifying premise: what if each time we purchase a bar of chocolate we finance child slavery? The documentary follows a group of intrepid Dutch journalists who've dedicated themselves to changing our perception of the $100 billion cocoa industry that fosters the exploitation of cacao farming communities in a vast global trading network. Using humor as its hook to create an exposé of massive implications, The Chocolate Case draws attention to the corporate institutions that create this injustice — from attempting to convict one of themselves for the crime of financing child labor through buying chocolate, to visiting the oppressed African communities that are victimized by this industry. Light-hearted moments steer the film's optimism, as the good-natured journalists, tirelessly determined to effect change, become beacons of hope for a righteous cause. Chocolate lovers will undoubtedly take their next bite with a new mindset.


A Real Vermeer, directed by rudolf van den berg
East coast premiere

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Han van Meegeren is considered one of the most talented artists of the 1920's Dutch art scene. But when he falls in love with the beautiful actress Jolanka Lakatos, wife of Holland's most important art critic, van Meegeren makes a powerful enemy, intent on destroying him. Then, pouring salt on the wound, his wife and son leave him. Distraught, van Meegeren escapes to the south of France to work on one thing: revenge. He dedicates himself to forging a perfect Vermeer that will fool the art world and humiliate his nemesis. When it comes time to unveil the painting, however, Han must choose between revealing the truth and getting his revenge, or keeping quiet and winning Jolanka's heart. In this period piece of high tension drama, madness and romance, A Real Vermeer is a fictionalized story of a man who, in real life, rose to infamy as one of the most ingenious art forgers of all time.


waterboys, directed by Robert Jan Westdijk
US Premiere

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Not your typical father/son bonding experience, a middle age crime novelist with a soft spot for the ladies, and his awkward 20 year old son, both dumped by their partners at the same time, embark on a trip from Amsterdam to Edinburgh on the pretext of a publicity tour. Their strained relationship and personal demons begin to heal with the aid of two local women, while the music of the renowned (Dutch) band The Waterboys serves as the catalyst for the individualized turning points for the two men. A double coming-of-age film, Waterboys is a warm and amusing story of an estranged father who needed to be shaken up from his revelry and endless playboy adventures and do some growing up, and a son who had to learn to take life less seriously. Despite the levity, this charming and easy-going comedy is a movie of surprising depth.


All of these films and more can be found in our festival program and tickets are available for purchase Wednesday, Sept 20 at noon.


About the Woodstock Film Festival:
Hailed by Indiewire as "A true American Maverick Among Fests" and named among the top 50 film festivals worldwide, the Woodstock Film Festival premieres exceptional films, hosts the most talented emerging and established professionals in the movie industry; presents A-list concerts, panels and parties, and creates stimulating, innovative programming year-round.

The Woodstock Film Festival is a non-profit, 501c3 with a mission to present an annual program and year-round schedule of film, music and art-related activities that promote artists, culture, inspired learning and diversity.

The Woodstock Film Festival celebrates its 18th Anniversary, October 11- 15, 2017, with an extraordinary line-up of fiercely independent films, panels, concerts and special events in Woodstock, Rhinebeck, Kingston, Rosendale and Saugerties.
 

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