What Eye Filmmuseum does

Eye Filmmuseum, legally Stichting Film Instituut Nederland, is the Dutch national film museum and the only institution of its kind in the Netherlands. Founded in 1945 and relocated to its purpose-built waterfront facility on the IJpromenade in Amsterdam in 2010, the museum operates as a non-profit foundation serving 750,000+ visitors annually. It functions simultaneously as a museum, cinema complex, and research facility, offering rotating exhibitions, multi-screen film screenings (including 35mm presentations), guided tours, and a permanent interactive exhibition ('What is Film?') featuring installations such as Green Screen, Film Catcher, Flipbook Machine, Animation Tables, and Body Paint.

The institution's core asset is its archive: the Eye Collection Centre houses over 63,000 film titles and 80,000+ kilometers of film under climate-controlled conservation, alongside 101,000 unique posters, 700,000+ photographs, and 95,000 set photographs. This collection underpins professional services including film distribution, archival loans, collection sales, and digital restoration. The Eye Film Player extends access via online streaming of 60+ classic titles and curated programmes, while Eye Study provides on-site research access to digitized collections. The Eye Art & Film Prize (€30,000) commissions new work from artists at the intersection of art and film, with Ammodo Art as sponsor since 2023.

Eye generates revenue through a diversified, subsidy-supported mix: ticket sales and venue hire (cinema halls, exhibitions), tiered membership programmes (Friend €59/year, Friend Plus €89/year, U&Eye donor circle from €500 to €5,000/year, Eye Connect corporate membership €5,000/year), hospitality via wholly-owned subsidiary Eye Horeca BV, and a substantial funding base combining structural Dutch government subsidies (Ministry of OCW, Municipality of Amsterdam, Province of North-Holland) with private foundations (VriendenLoterij as main sponsor, Ammodo Art, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, Mondriaan Fonds, Nederlands Film Fonds) and corporate sponsors (KPMG Meijburg & Co, Allen & Overy, Chanel, Dom Pérignon). Educational outreach is delivered through 25+ programmes targeting Dutch primary, secondary, MBO, and HBO students aligned with national curriculum frameworks.

Name

Eye Filmmuseum

Legal name

Stichting Film Instituut Nederland

Website

https://eyefilm.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Eye Filmmuseum is the Dutch national film museum and non-profit foundation in Amsterdam, operating a museum, cinema complex, and research facility serving 750,000+ visitors annually with rotating exhibitions, film screenings, and educational programs built on its archive of 63,000+ film titles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Eye generates revenue through admission tickets for film screenings and exhibitions. Admission is free for children aged 17 and under.
2. Membership Programs: Eye offers multiple membership tiers: Friend (€59/year), Friend Plus (€89/year), Generation Eye (young donor circle), U&Eye (premium membership starting at €500/year in Bronze to €5000/year in Diamond tier).
3. Venue Hire: Eye rents out its cinema halls and spaces for events, meetings, presentations, symposia, webinars, and dinners through Eye Connect business club.
4. Eye Bar & Restaurant: Eye operates its own bar and restaurant (Eye Horeca BV) serving visitors to the museum.
5. Government Subsidies and Fundraising: Eye receives support from the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), Municipality of Amsterdam, Province of North-Holland, and various private foundations and funds.
6. Legacies and Donations: Eye accepts legacies and donations from supporters, with the U&Eye premium membership offering special privileges to major donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Eye Filmmuseum is the Netherlands' national museum for film culture, operating a permanent exhibition plus rotating film and visual arts exhibitions, two cinema halls screening classic and contemporary films, a public research facility (Eye Study), an online streaming platform (Eye Film Player), guided tours, educational programmes, a bar/restaurant, and venue hire. The museum also provides professional film archive and restoration services and maintains a collection of more than 63,000 films and related materials.

Product overview

Eye Filmmuseum is the Dutch national museum and house of film, offering a unified visitor experience combining a cinema, museum, and research facility. The core offering includes the permanent 'What is Film?' exhibition with interactive installations (Green Screen, Film Catcher, Flipbook Machine, Animation Tables, Audio Benches, Body Paint), rotating exhibitions, and cinema screenings. The Eye Film Player extends access online with streaming of the film collection. Supporting services include the Eye Collection Centre (archival storage), Eye Study (research library), Eye Bar & Restaurant, and membership programmes (Friends, U&Eye, Eye Connect). Professional services cover film distribution, archival loans, and digital preservation. The Eye Art & Film Prize (€30,000) recognizes artists working at the intersection of art and film.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eye Art & Film Prize: Annual prize awarded to artists working at the intersection of film and visual art, with a monetary award of €30,000 for new work creation.
• Eye Society (Vrienden van Eye)
• U&Eye
• Eye Connect
• Generation Eye

Products and services

• Eye Filmmuseum Permanent Exhibition 'What is Film?' An interactive permanent exhibition that introduces visitors to the history, techniques, and magic of cinema using objects from the museum's collection, made possible with the support of VriendenLoterij.
• Eye Film Player Eye's online film streaming platform offering curated selections from the museum's collection and special film programmes for digital audiences.
• Eye Study A free public research facility within the museum where visitors, students, and researchers can study materials from Eye's film, poster, and related collections.
• Eye Classics A curated cinema screening programme that brings historically significant films from Eye's collection to new audiences in the museum's cinema halls.
• Eye Art & Film Prize An annual prize awarded to an internationally recognised visual artist whose work engages with cinematic imagery and thinking; recipients receive a monetary award and a solo exhibition at Eye.
• Friends Membership (Friend & Friend Plus) Annual membership programme for individuals and families (Friend and Friend Plus tiers) that provides unlimited free admission to the museum and additional benefits.
• U&Eye Premium Donor Programme Premium donor programme requiring a minimum five-year commitment that supports film conservation and provides donors with recognition and exclusive benefits.
• Eye Connect Business Club Corporate membership and business club programme for companies seeking brand association with film culture, providing networking events and staff benefits.
• Eye Bar & Restaurant Bar and restaurant located in the museum building, serving visitors to the exhibitions, cinema audiences, and private event guests.
• Guided Tours Guided tours offered to museum visitors, groups, schools, and other audiences interested in an in-depth experience of Eye's exhibitions and collections.
• Venue Hire (Cinemas and Spaces) Hire of the museum's cinema halls and event spaces for corporate events, film premieres, presentations, and private gatherings.
• Eye Professional Film Services Professional services offered to filmmakers, broadcasters, distributors, and other cultural institutions including film distribution, archival loans, restoration, and digitization.
• Eye(s) Open Exhibition Programme New annual exhibition programme launching April 2026 featuring a selection of short films by visual artists from the Eye collection, staged as an immersive cinematic installation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 750,000 visitors annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Cineville B.V.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCineville partnership allows Cineville card holders to book and attend film screenings at Eye. Cineville processes card-holder bookings and payments, with Eye handling ticket validation.
• KPMG Meijburg & ComajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKPMG Meijburg & Co serves as Head Partner for exhibitions, supporting major exhibition programs.
• Allen & OverymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAllen & Overy serves as Head Sponsor for Eye, providing corporate sponsorship support.
• ChanelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChanel sponsors Eye's exhibition program, particularly the Tilda Swinton exhibition.
• Dom PérignonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDom Pérignon sponsors Eye's exhibition programs.
• VPROminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVPRO partners with Eye on cinema programming and content initiatives.
• GrolschminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrolsch serves as a partner for Eye's programming and events.
• American ExpressminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican Express is a project partner for Eye, offering card member benefits and support.
• Eye Connect Business Club MembersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate members include Interpolis, Konica Minolta, Monalyse, Select Catering, BeamSystems, Bouwbedrijf M.J. de Nijs & Zonen, Peutz, and VLC&Partners. Annual membership: €5,000.
• VPRO Cinema ExtraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVPRO Cinema Extra produced an episode about film posters featuring Eye curator Soeluh van den Berg, highlighting Eye's poster collection.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Museum of the Moving Image: New York City museum dedicated to the art, history, and technology of film, television, and digital media. Comparable to Eye in offering interactive permanent exhibitions (similar to 'What is Film?'), film screenings, and education programs centered on moving-image heritage.
• Swedish Film Institute: Sweden's national body for film heritage, distribution, and exhibition, including Cinematheque screenings and a national film archive. Comparable to Eye as a state-supported national film institution with combined archive, exhibition, and screening functions.
• Deutsche Kinemathek: Germany's national film museum located at the Filmhaus in Berlin, housing permanent and temporary exhibitions and running film programs. Closely mirrors Eye's combined museum-cinema-curatorial-archive structure within a European national-institution framework.
• Academy Museum of Motion Pictures: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' museum in Los Angeles focused on the history and art of cinema through exhibitions and screenings. Comparable as a peer film museum with international scope, large archive-driven exhibitions, and premium ticketed programming.
• Cinemateca Portuguesa: Portugal's national cinematheque and film archive in Lisbon, focused on film preservation, restoration, and public screenings. A direct institutional peer to Eye in mission and operational structure, though serving a smaller domestic market.
• BFI (British Film Institute): UK national film institution operating the BFI National Archive, BFI Southbank cinemas, and the BFI London Film Festival. Most direct functional analog to Eye in terms of archive scale, public funding model, and combined cinema/museum offering.
• Cinémathèque Française: France's national film museum and cinematheque in Paris, operating cinema screenings, exhibitions, and a major film archive. Directly comparable to Eye in mission (preserving and exhibiting film heritage) and operating model (museum + cinematheque + educational programming).
• Austrian Film Museum: Vienna-based film museum and cinematheque operating exhibition, screening, and archive programs. Functionally very close to Eye — a national-level film museum combining curated screenings, thematic exhibitions, and a publicly funded archive.

Broad incumbents

• Museum of Modern Art (MoMA): Major New York art museum with a substantial film department operating exhibition, screening, and preservation programs. Comparable as a broader incumbent cultural institution that incorporates film into a wider visual-arts portfolio, though not exclusively dedicated to film.

Others

• EYE Filmmuseum (programming partners / distributors): While not a single firm, Eye's distribution, restoration, and exhibition services compete with specialist film service providers (e.g., L'Immagine Ritrovata, Haghefilm) and streaming platforms (MUBI, Criterion Channel) for professional archive, restoration, and curated film distribution work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EYE_film

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eye Filmmuseum