Film by the Sea

What Film by the Sea does

Film by the Sea is an independent nonprofit film festival organization (stichting) headquartered at Spuikomweg 1, Vlissingen, Netherlands, founded in 1999 by Ad Weststrate and Leo Hannewijk. It produces an annual 10-day international film festival in September (28th edition scheduled 11-20 September 2026) and a year-round programming slate ("Door het Jaar") across a regional venue network anchored at Pathé Vlissingen (8 screens, 2,600+ seats) and six satellite locations across Zeeland and Bergen op Zoom. The festival is differentiated by its curatorial focus on the intersection of film and literature (the Film & Literatuur Award with eight competition titles) and by operating the strongest French-language film program (Vive le Cinéma!) in the Dutch festival landscape. Annual programming exceeds 120 international films, with sub-tracks including Panorama, Zeeuws Licht (regional competition for Zeeland-connected films), and Strandbioscoop (outdoor beach cinema at Pier 7).

The organization generates revenue through four streams: ticket sales (regular €13, short films €9.50, youth €8; plus a €110 ten-ride pass), a tiered Friends membership program (regular friends from €50, Silver €300, Gold €500), special events with bundled hospitality (Filmkrantdag €60, Filmdiner €59-67.50, Ladies Special €19.50-22, opening gala €58), and sponsorship and institutional funding from more than 12 named public and private partners including Provincie Zeeland, Gemeente Vlissingen, NL Filmfonds, Vriendenloterij, VSB Fonds, Fonds21, Blockbusterfonds, Damen, and North Sea Port. It also operates an education program (Film Educatie, Filmhub Zuid) targeting primary, secondary and VET schools, a youth jury pipeline (Jongerenjury, ages 16-25), and an International Student Jury composed of students from HZ University and University College Roosevelt. Distribution channels include Pathé Thuis for online streaming during the festival window.

The organization is led by artistic director Jan Doense and commercial director Marjan van der Haar (appointed January 2025, previously commercial director at IFFR 2018-2023), supported by a core team of approximately 25 employees and more than 100 annual volunteers. It is governed as an ANBI-registered nonprofit with no disclosed equity investors, parent company, or acquisition activity; the most significant recent structural shift was the October 2024 acquisition of CineCity (the festival's main venue operator) by national cinema chain Pathé, which stabilized the primary venue relationship. Attendance has grown from approximately 42,000 visits in 2024 to 45,000+ in 2025, a 9.2% year-on-year increase.

Name

Film by the Sea

Legal name

Film by the Sea

Website

https://filmbythesea.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Film by the Sea is an annual international film festival in Vlissingen, Netherlands (founded 1999), focused on book adaptations and French-language cinema, serving general cinema enthusiasts, youth, and educational institutions across Zeeland through a September festival and year-round programming at Pathé Vlissingen and six satellite venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival / Cultural Events

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Programming, Booking & Repertory Exhibition Services (MPADAKAL), Screening Rooms & Cinematheques (Nonprofit/Institutional) (MPADAKAF)

Keywords

• International film festival
• Film and literature
• French-language cinema
• Book adaptations
• Film education programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Vlissingen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket sales: Revenue from selling tickets to festival screenings, special events, and year-round 'Door het Jaar' programming. Regular tickets €13, short films €9.50, youth tickets €8, special events ranging €11-67.50.
2. Friend memberships (Vrienden van Film by the Sea): Annual donations from Friends of the festival, with Silver and Gold tiers at €300 and €500 respectively, offering discounts on tickets and other benefits.
3. Sponsorships and partnerships: Support from corporate sponsors, provincial government, local municipalities, and lottery funds including Provincie Zeeland, Gemeente Vlissingen, Vriendenloterij, NL Filmfonds, and private companies.
4. Special events and dining packages: Premium experiences such as film dinners (€59-67.50), Ladies Special events, Filmkrant Dag, and opening/closing galas with included hospitality.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Film by the Sea organizes an annual international film festival in Vlissingen, Netherlands, screening 120+ films over 10 days each September with a distinctive focus on book adaptations and French-language cinema. Beyond the annual festival the organization runs year-round Door het Jaar programming at Pathé Vlissingen and satellite theaters, film-education programs for schools, and premium special events (beach cinema, dinner-and-film, ladies special, industry day).

Product overview

Film by the Sea is an annual international film festival held in Vlissingen, Netherlands, founded in 1999. The festival's core offering is the main Film by the Sea Festival (11-20 September 2026, 28th edition), featuring over 120 films from around the world. The festival is distinguished by its focus on book adaptations (Film & Literatuur), French-language cinema (Vive le Cinéma!), and international quality films (Panorama). The product portfolio includes: the year-round Door het Jaar programming; Pathé Thuis online streaming for home viewing; Film Educatie program for schools; and satellite screenings at partner venues across Zeeland and Bergen op Zoom. Special event products include the Beach Cinema (Strandbioscoop), Dinner & Film (Filmdiner), Ladies Special, and Filmkrantdag. Competition components feature Vakjury (professional jury), Jongerenjury (youth jury), International Student Jury, and Zeeuws Licht regional competition. The festival offers a Vrienden (Friends) membership program with tiered pricing, a 10-Ride Pass ticket bundle, and publishes a newsletter for subscriber communication. The festival also hosts CineZee Industry Day for film professional development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zeeuws Licht: Program section showcasing films with a Zeeland connection, including local documentaries and fiction films. Includes a competition with awards in categories for short fiction, short documentary, and feature documentary.
• Vive le Cinéma!
• CineZee Industry Day

Products and services

• Film by the Sea Festival (annual 10-day film festival) Annual 10-day international film festival in Vlissingen screening 120+ films with award competitions (Film & Literature Award, Jongerenjury Award, International Student Jury Award, Zeeuws Licht, Publieksprijs, Career Achievement Award). Targeted at individual film enthusiasts, schools, and cultural tourists. Founded 1999.
• Door het Jaar (year-round programming) Year-round film screenings at Pathé Vlissingen and satellite Zeeland locations outside the September festival window. Provides continuous cultural programming and access for residents between editions.
• Film Educatie (Film Education Program) Educational programming for primary and secondary schools, including workshops, lesson plans, and curriculum-aligned film screenings for children and teenagers ages 6–25. Delivered through Filmhub Zuid partnership with Cultuurkwadraat, Kunst Educatie Walcheren, and KCE Oosterschelderegio; subsidized transport for school groups provided via Provincie Zeeland.
• Vrienden van Film by the Sea (Friends membership) Tiered annual membership program offering discounted tickets and recognition benefits. Includes regular Friend (donations from €50), Silver Friend (€300/year), and Gold Friend (€500/year) tiers. Functions as both a recurring donor channel and a benefits program; ANBI tax-deductible.
• Strandbioscoop (Outdoor Beach Cinema) Outdoor beach screening event at Pier 7 in Vlissingen featuring films shown on a large screen by the sea (e.g., Jurassic Park). Premium ticketed special event.
• Filmdiner — Dîner + Film (Dinner & Film) Combined dining and film experience held at Sint Jacobskerk (€59 for Délicieux, €67.50 for premium Dîner + Film pairings), featuring a shared dinner alongside the film screening.
• Ladies Special — Pour le plaisir Curated women's film event priced at €19.50, including reception drink, themed screening, lottery prizes, and afterparty celebration.
• Filmkrantdag 2026 Full-day film event in collaboration with Filmkrant, priced at €60, including coffee/tea, bolus, lunch, three film screenings with introductions by Filmkrant editors, and a pause drink.
• CineZee Industry Day Annual industry day focused on knowledge development, networking, and collaboration for Zeeland film professionals, co-organized with the Zeeland Film Commission. Features presentations and workshops.
• 10-Rittenpas (10-Ride Pass) Festival ticket bundle offering 10 regular screenings at €110, a €20 discount versus buying individually, available to attendees during the festival.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9.2% growth in attendance from 2024 to 2025 (42,000 to 45,000+ visits)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pathé VlissingencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMain venue partner operating 8 screens at Spuikomweg 1. Pathé acquired CineCity (the previous operator) in 2024, establishing the main festival headquarters. The venue receives approximately 250,000 annual visitors.
• VEVAMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization representing directors' copyright interests. VEVAM allocates portions of collected royalties to film festivals and awards, supporting Film by the Sea's mission.
• Filmhub ZuidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional film education hub formed with provinces Noord-Brabant and Zuid-Limburg to promote visual literacy and media wisdom among youth. Cultuurkwadraat is the lead organization in Zeeland.
• CultuurkwadraatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZeeland cultural organization serving as penvoerder (lead) for Filmhub Zuid and collaborating on educational programming for secondary and vocational schools.
• Movies that MatterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch human rights film organization collaborating on film and social programming for youth audiences, providing films with themes around identity, discrimination, and sexuality.
• Kunst Educatie WalcherenminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal arts education organization collaborating on primary school film screenings in the Walcheren region of Zeeland.
• KCE OosterschelderegiominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCultural education center organizing primary school film screenings in the Oosterschelde region of Zeeland.
• Cinema MiddelburgcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSatellite location in Middelburg, Zeeland, showing festival films at Achter de Houttuinen 30.
• Cinema Paradiso (Bergen op Zoom)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSatellite location in Bergen op Zoom, North Brabant, extending festival reach beyond Zeeland province.
• fiZi (Zierikzee)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSatellite location in Zierikzee, Schouwen-Duiveland, Zeeland.
• Ledeltheater (Oostburg)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSatellite location in Oostburg, Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, Zeeland.
• Podium 't Beest (Goes)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSatellite location in Goes, central Zeeland.
• Koning van Engeland (Hulst)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSatellite location in Hulst, Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, Zeeland.
• Zeeland Film CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional film commission supporting the CineZee Industry Day and promoting Zeeland as a film location. Co-organizer of the CineZee Weekend Flick competition.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Tribeca Film Festival: Tribeca is a much larger New York-based film festival (150,000+ attendees) that, like Film by the Sea, features book adaptation premieres and literary tie-ins. It is a broad incumbent reference point for what a festival with Film by the Sea's curatorial DNA can scale into.
• Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale): Berlinale is one of the world's largest film festivals (400,000+ tickets sold). It is a broad incumbent in the European film festival landscape and a useful upper-bound reference for programming ambition, international filmmaker engagement, and the Panorama program track that Film by the Sea explicitly mirrors.

Direct peers

• International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR): IFFR is the Netherlands' flagship A-list film festival held annually in Rotterdam, with substantially larger scale (~250,000 visits) but the same nonprofit operating model, Dutch audience base, and book/arthouse programming orientation. Marjan van der Haar, Film by the Sea's new commercial director, previously served as IFFR's commercial director, signaling direct operational comparability.
• Telluride Film Festival: Telluride is a small, prestigious U.S. mountain-town festival known for literary and filmmaker-driven programming. Its boutique scale, devotion to quality cinema, and curatorial-first identity closely mirror Film by the Sea's positioning.
• Movies that Matter: Movies that Matter is a Dutch human-rights film festival and organization based in The Hague that collaborates with Film by the Sea on youth programming. It is a direct peer in terms of scale, mission-driven nonprofit model, Dutch public funding base, and thematic curation.
• Thessaloniki International Film Festival: Thessaloniki is a mid-sized European festival (~70,000+ visits) with a strong literary/film crossover identity and a southeastern European regional anchor, providing a useful international comparable for Film by the Sea's book-to-film and regional-cultural positioning.
• Cinequest: Cinequest is a U.S.-based annual film festival in San Jose/Silicon Valley with comparable attendance scale, an independent nonprofit model, and a focus on emerging and international cinema. It serves as a useful scale and operating-model comparable for Film by the Sea's trajectory.
• Netherlands Film Festival (NFF): NFF is the Dutch national film festival held annually in Utrecht, focused on Dutch productions and the Golden Calf awards. It is the closest national peer to Film by the Sea in terms of scale (tens of thousands of visits), nonprofit model, public funding mix, and book-to-film-adjacent programming.
• Palm Springs International Film Festival: Palm Springs IFF is a mid-scale North American festival (tens of thousands of attendees) with a strong annual programming model, sponsor-driven revenue mix, and a regional anchor (Greater Palm Springs tourism economy) that mirrors Film by the Sea's Zeeland-anchored position.

Regional players

• Leiden International Film Festival (LIFF): LIFF is a smaller Dutch regional film festival held in Leiden, providing a domestic peer at a smaller scale. It illustrates the broader competitive set of Dutch regional festivals Film by the Sea competes against for audience share and Dutch public film funding allocations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@filmbythesea
• Facebookfacebook.com/filmbythesea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/film-by-the-sea
• Instagraminstagram.com/filmbythesea

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Film by the Sea